PUTTING PEOPLE FlRST IN ELTHAM

When the Andrews Labor Government was elected, we promised to put people first. As our state begins its recovery from the global pandemic, people will continue to be our priority.

The Victorian Budget 2020/21 delivers on the investments that will see our community recover - and come back even stronger.

As kids get back into the classroom, this Budget delivers the single biggest investment ever in our schools - making sure students have the classrooms, libraries and learning spaces they deserve. This includes Greenhills Primary School, with students to benefit from a $6.8 million investment in a new competition-grade gym for the school.

As we recover, we want our state to come back stronger than ever, delivering the biggest investment in inclusive education in our state's history. This includes $10 million to upgrade Diamond Valley Special Developmental School, supporting students and the wider school community.

A further $1.6 billion will transform support for students with disability, doubling the number of students receiving extra support to 55,000, and creating up to 1,730 jobs across the state by 2025.

The Government's investment will also support local jobs, with our school infrastructure build expected to create more than 6,400 jobs across the state.

This Budget also invests in new bus connections for St Helena College. This will make it easier for kids to get to and from school, while also making it easier for parents juggling work and care.

The Labor Government is moving forward on delivering a community hospital for local families. This year's Budget includes funding to acquire land for Eltham Community Hospital, giving local families confidence that care is just around the corner. Support has also been provided for Diamond Creek ambulance branch to continue 24-hour operations, ensuring care around the clock.

This year we've come to appreciate our local parks and playgrounds more than ever. As Victorians spend more time outdoors with the people they love, this Budget invests in our community spaces, including Plenty Gorge Parklands' Hawkstowe Park, Birrarrung and Westerfolds Parks. This investment will deliver upgrades to make these parks more accessible and inclusive.

This Budget also delivers development funding for a walking and cycling path as part of Hurstbridge Line works, delivering safer journeys for the local community.

Roads connect us to work, school and family, and the Labor Government is committed to getting Victorians to where they need to be sooner, and safer. That's why the Budget invests in a local roads blitz, improving our metropolitan road network, and creating jobs. That includes upgrading the intersections at Ryans Road/Wattletree Road and Ryans Road/Wallowa Road, Eltham North, reducing traffic congestion and improving safety for local families.

A new Skills and Jobs Centre will be established at the North East Link build, providing onsite advice for Victorians who want to be a part of the project.

To help get more Victorians back into work, the Labor Government is setting itself an ambitious target - creating 400,000 new jobs by 2025, half of them by 2022.

Our new Jobs for Victoria initiative will help locals find a new job - and with it, security, stability and certainty. This includes $250 million to partner with employers to cover the wages of at least 10,000 new workers. These positions will be for Victorians hardest hit by this pandemic, including women, young people, retrenched workers and people who have been long-term unemployed.

This investment will also deliver targeted and tailored support for those who need it - such as mentoring, career counselling or more intensive support.

And because we know too many Victorians are having to choose between going to work sick and losing wages, the Labor Government will invest $5 million to develop a new Secure Work Pilot Scheme. Once in place, the two-year pilot will provide up to five days of sick and carer's pay at the national minimum wage for casual or insecure workers in priority industries.

This year's Budget will help nearly one million families save hundreds on their power bill. Concession card holders, such as Victorians receiving JobSeeker payments, will be eligible for a one-off $250 payment to help cover the cost of their energy bills.

An extra 250,000 low-income households will benefit from new more efficient heating and cooling, while heating, cooling or hot water systems will be upgraded across an extra 35,000 social housing homes - reducing bills for tenants and making winter and summer more comfortable.

The Labor Government's Solar Homes will also be expanded to an extra 42,000 rooftop solar rebates plus 14,500 solar batteries, cutting power bills for local families. And for the very first time, small businesses will also be eligible.

We're also delivering the biggest investment in public and community housing in Australia, ever. This investment will build more than 12,000 new homes - making sure thousands of Victorians have  a place to call home, and thousands more Victorians have a job.

Even with kids back at school, the balancing act that many families know all too well isn't easy. That's why this Budget will make kinder free in 2021 and deliver outside school hours care at up to 400 extra schools, saving parents money and giving them greater flexibility when it comes to work and care.

And because Victorians have well and truly earned a holiday, the Labor Government is offering up to 120,000 $200 vouchers to encourage families to take a break in regional Victoria. The scheme is expected to be up and running by December, supporting local economies and local jobs into summer and beyond.

This Budget will ensure Victorians have the  mental health support they need as we get on with fixing a broken system. That includes nearly $870 million for mental health, including to implement the Royal Commission into Mental Health's interim report findings and recommendations and deliver care for local families.

We're also investing more than $1 billion for children and families at risk, including targeted support to help families stay together. A further $235 million will build our Recovery Workforce, creating 500 new jobs across mental health, family violence, health and child protection with hundreds more new training opportunities, so Victorians have the support they need as we recover from this pandemic.

This is a Budget to repair, recover and make us stronger than before. This is a Budget, and a Government, that puts people first.

 Quotes attributable to Member for Eltham Vicki Ward

“It is fantastic news that Diamond Valley Special Development School will receive $10 million to revolutionise their facilities; a game changer for this important school.”

“Building a new gym at Greenhills Primary, land for our community hospital, a new intersection at Ryans Rd and Wallowa Rd are just some of the upgrades that will now be happening in our local community thanks to the Andrews’ Government’s 2020 Budget.” 

“Creating new jobs and new opportunities for local families is at the heart of our recovery and this Budget."