Thursday, 9 June 2022

Motions

Budget papers 2022–23

Debate resumed.

Mr M O’BRIEN (Malvern) (14:52): Prior to adjourning for lunch and question time I was discussing the investment in my local state schools in Malvern. Let me give them a name check: Armadale Primary School, Lloyd Street Primary, Malvern Primary, Malvern Central School and Malvern Valley Primary School. My mentioning them in Parliament is more than any mention they got in the budget papers, because there was no investment in those schools. All of these schools are great schools. All these schools service my community. I have sent my own kids to local state schools. But they deserve investment. They deserve a fair share, and they are not getting a fair share in this budget. We should be making decisions about education based on merit, not based on margin and not based on politics, and that is what we are seeing at the moment.

In my 15 years in this place this is the most disappointing budget I have seen as a local member, because there is literally nothing in it. I did the old control-F and scrolled through the entire set of budget papers looking for any mention of my electorate, and there was nothing there. My constituents really need upgrades to noise walls on the Monash Freeway. This is something they have to live with day in and day out, and yet the government simply says, ‘No, we’re not going to invest in that’. However, the government is quite happy to put a 40-kilometre speed limit on Malvern Road, which nobody in my electorate is asking for, and not just during peak pedestrian times but right through till about 8 o’clock or 9 o’clock at night. The government did this on High Street, Armadale and Malvern. It does not work. No-one likes it. It is not making anyone safer. And yet the government is going to take that same issue and make it worse by expanding it to Malvern Road as well.

My Malvern State Emergency Service unit does a fantastic job. They are out there when the rest of us are huddled up inside. On a cold, wet and windy winter’s night the men and women of the Malvern SES are out there clearing roads, taking trees off homes and securing properties. They were out there just last weekend when a huge tree came down around Orrong Road in Toorak, and I pay tribute to the men and women of my local SES branch. But again, why should they have to wait for a Liberal government to be elected before they get investment? I mean, yes, when I was in government, when I was Treasurer, I made sure that they got the extra truck they needed. But they should not have to wait for a change of government just to get a fair share of investment. I mean, in the work they do they service all of us. They do not check your electoral boundary, they do not check your margin—if you need help, the SES are there to do it. This government should be supporting local SES branches not on the basis of which electorate they are in but on the basis of fairness.

Sport and particularly junior sport really are the lifeblood of my community. I am fortunate to be very involved with a lot of junior sporting clubs in my electorate, partly through my children playing in them but also because one of the best jobs as a local member is actually to engage with junior sport in the community. To hear the members on the Labor side talk about the great investments that this budget makes for their community sporting facilities—the lights, the pavilion upgrades, whatever it may be—well, why is there absolutely nothing for the young kids of Malvern? They deserve the same opportunities as kids who live somewhere else. I am pretty sick and tired of this government playing politics every single time, every single budget—but it is worse in this budget than in any other that I have seen.

There is one thing that is not a Malvern-specific issue but one that every single parent in my community worries about and every single person, I think, worries about, and that is when you call 000 you want someone to pick up the phone. When you call 000 you need that call answered and you need to know that an ambulance will be sent out if you need one, for you, for your mum or dad, for your grandparents or for your kids, and at the moment we do not have that confidence. The government has talked about investment, but we need to see results. It is not good enough to say, ‘Look at how much money we’re investing’. That is rhetoric; it is spin. It is not a result that actually changes people’s lives. The test for this government is: they can make the promises in the budget and they can use the rhetoric about record investments, but until we see the improvement, until we see the change and until we see that confidence that the call will be answered and the ambulance will be sent and the ambulance will arrive on time to save lives, my constituents, as all Victorians, will remain worried that their call will go unanswered.

In the brief time remaining I would just like to talk about—wearing my Shadow Attorney-General hat—the massive problem in our courts system in Victoria and our tribunal system. We have got the largest backlogs of any state in the country. Some of that is COVID related, but some of it was before COVID. We have not seen a significant investment in this budget to try and reduce those backlogs, and frankly that is a concern. There is an old saying in the law that justice delayed is justice denied. Well, if people cannot get into a courtroom to have their day in court, be they a plaintiff or a defendant, be it a criminal matter or a civil matter, it means we are living in a society where justice does not actually take place. I have had situations brought to me where there have been tenants who have left a rental property and there has been a dispute with the landlord over the bond because the landlord has claimed there has been some damage and the tenant has disagreed, and until that matter can be heard by VCAT the tenant does not get their bond back. People can be waiting over a year—they can be waiting 18 months to get into VCAT to simply get their own bond back. And quite often renters do not necessarily have a lot of cash lying around, which does not make it easy for them to find a bond for the new place.

What has the government done about this? How has the government made it easier for tenants to get access to justice? Well, the answer is they have not. We still have too many people thinking that justice is something you can do by sitting at a computer. We need to get our courtrooms and our tribunal systems opened again. We asked at public accounts how many extra magistrates are provided for in this budget. Now remember, we have got the worst backlogs in the country in Victoria, and the answer was—it came back through questions on notice the other day—that this budget provides for one new magistrate. Well, when you are looking at years to get into the Magistrates Court, one new magistrate is a drop in the ocean, and it is not good enough.

Let me finish by referring to IBAC. IBAC is our anti-corruption commission. It was established by the former Liberal-Nationals government. I was proud to be a member of the cabinet that did that. Victoria is not special. We are no more immune to corruption than any state in the country, and that is why this is so important that we have a well-resourced and well-empowered anti-corruption watchdog. This government actually cut the budget for IBAC in 2021. It was supposed to be $46.6 million. They brought it down to $42.2 million—a 10 per cent cut. Now, the Liberals have said that if we are elected, we will increase IBAC’s budget by $10 million a year, and we will do that because we believe corruption needs to be stamped out.

Robert Redlich, the current IBAC Commissioner, was on ABC radio recently. He admitted that only 2 per cent of the matters referred to IBAC that meet the threshold can be investigated by IBAC, and that is because of resources. Well, it is not good enough. Ashlynne McGhee did an outstanding report on the ABC’s 7.30 recently which looked at all the issues that are facing IBAC, including the fact that this government and this Premier are before IBAC on a number of them. Now, you would not have to be too much of a conspiracy theorist to draw a parallel, wondering why this government is cutting the budget of IBAC at the same time as this government has got arguably three separate investigations into it. We have got the Sandon issue around John Woodman and Casey council, we have got the United Firefighters Union deals and we have got the issue of politicisation of officers and use of government entitlements. This government needs to clean itself up, and the best way to start is by properly empowering and resourcing IBAC. Labor will not do it, but a Liberal government will.

Mr J BULL (Sunbury) (15:01): I am delighted this afternoon to have the opportunity to contribute to debate on the take-note motion We are a government of action that gets things done, and what we know and understand is that at each and every opportunity this government has through successive budgets ensured that we have invested in the things that matter—in health, in education, in transport, in the environment and in all of the services that we know matter to local communities right across the state. This is a government that puts people first, and we are a government that puts patients first. We know of course—we have just seen recently—the result of the federal election, and I take the opportunity to congratulate Anthony Albanese and his team on that win. But I think, making some reflections—and there are many and they are varied, and the federal election will be scrutinised for a long time to come—that one observation that is incredibly clear is that the people of this state know and understand that it is this government, the Andrews Labor government, that stood with them at each and every opportunity through some of those darkest moments through the global pandemic. I think we have seen that reflected in the federal election result, and I think within this budget—a budget that is all about putting the needs of patients first through that $12 billion investment—this is what the Andrews Labor government is fundamentally focused on. We know that getting on and repairing the damage done by the pandemic and continuing to deliver in health, education, jobs, transport and the environment is the focus of this budget.

When it comes to the pandemic, there have been monumental sacrifices that have been made by Victorians, especially our healthcare workers, our emergency service workers and our police, and for their service I extend my heartfelt gratitude and thanks—and this morning’s announcement was indeed a significant and important one. We know that 95 per cent of Victorians have heeded the call to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. I want to thank each and every Victorian that has stepped forward and will continue to step forward as we move through third-dose and fourth-dose vaccinations.

But I want to go back to that significant investment of $12 billion: $124 million to boost paramedics and ambulances, $333 million for 000 services and $25 million for the Metropolitan Health Infrastructure Fund. It is probably, I would assume, Acting Speaker Richards, without making any reflections on you, an important fund for your local community, as of course are those local health services—whether it be the establishment of a community hospital, as within my Sunbury community, turning the Sunbury Day Hospital into the Sunbury community hospital, making sure that we are providing high-quality health care locally, close to home, is incredibly important. We know that the budget invests $2.9 billion in health infrastructure, including a new hospital not so far from my electorate, the $900 million that has already been mentioned within the budget for the brand new Melton hospital, with a 24-hour emergency department, surgical beds, intensive care, maternity and neonatal services and more mental health services—a significant investment. But we know there is more to do: the $500 million to deliver the Barwon women’s and children’s hospital; the $1.5 billion that was mentioned today through the course of question time to increase surgical activity beyond prepandemic levels, providing 40 000 extra surgeries in the next year, building up to a total of 240 000 surgeries annually by 2024; and of course the significant and important investment that is being made in Frankston, making sure that we are scaling up to 9000 public surgeries within the state, a really critical investment and another significant investment within the budget.

I could go on, but I do want to get to many of the local investments. But I did want to touch on mental health. Members across all sides know and understand the importance of mental health within our own communities. That is of course why we had the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, and the royal commission provided the road map and an opportunity for us to come together to reflect on a broken system but most importantly to address the needs of local communities. Whether you live in the city, whether you live in Sunbury, in the suburbs, where I am from, or whether you live in rural and regional Victoria, you should have the opportunity to be able to receive the support you need for mental health issues when and where you need it. This was a critical finding within the royal commission. The 2020–21 budget invested $869 million to lay those foundations for the new mental health and wellbeing system, and we provided extra funding for mental health services through the pandemic. This was followed by a record $3.8 billion in last year’s budget, and we know that that investment will continue. It continued in the last budget and it will continue again, because we know this is long-term reform, and this is what the Andrews Labor government is all about.

I am moving quite quickly. I just want to rattle off a couple more key statewide announcements: the senior secondary pathway reforms, $277 million, a once-in-a-generation transformation of senior secondary education; the $15 million Living Local Fund, an important community fund; an $88 million boost to community sport infrastructure and participation—we know it is a really important element; and the one-off $250 payment for Victorian households for the power saving bonus. The cost of living is indeed a very important issue within our community. It is an important issue within my electorate. I am sure it is across all electorates, and this is a really important saving for those who need it the most. There is a $6.4 million increase to the Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund and nearly $50 million for the Solar Homes boost. We know of course as we continue to invest in cheaper, more environmentally friendly energy, solar energy is incredibly important—and popular, I should say—within our local communities.

This government, I am proud to say as the local member and a local within my own community, has delivered in record terms within the Sunbury electorate. Since we have had the great opportunity to be in government I am delighted that we have invested in local health care, in roads, in infrastructure, in education and in community facilities. There is $13.4 million for Diggers Rest Primary School, a terrific local school within my community, for the next stage of the master plan, including a new school community hub and senior learning centre. I had the opportunity to visit with the Deputy Premier, an amazing opportunity to be with staff, with students and with friends of the school, to make a really significant announcement for a school that has experienced incredibly high enrolment growth over the last five years. This is a significant investment. It is $13 million, and it is outstanding that this government will get on and be able to deliver that project.

There is $2.2 million for Jacksons Hill—very important community facilities within my electorate. I have spoken about Jacksons Hill and the heritage-listed buildings that are there many times in contributions to the house. We have got a master plan. It was created by the Victorian Planning Authority, the VPA. It is an opportunity to create a really important precinct within my community.

There is funding within the budget for new traffic lights at the intersection of Macedon and Barkly streets, a really important but quite busy and congested part of Macedon Street within my community, just out the front of my office. Many local residents talk to me about the need for perhaps signals at that location. This money is for planning, and that planning money will enable us to assess, to scope and to have the opportunity to investigate further the installation of those lights.

There is $2 million for the Sunbury and community Bulla fund, and there is also a new bus route from Sunbury to Diggers Rest. I spoke about population growth before. We know of course that within our local communities around Melbourne in areas of high growth we need to constantly be reviewing those bus routes as the population grows and increases and we have new estates and new homes and new people and families—and we welcome everybody within our community. There is also $275 000 for a new dog park in Gowanbrae.

I did mention how terrific it was to join the Minister for Education at Diggers Rest Primary for the announcement of that funding, but as other members have said in reflecting on the work of the Deputy Premier, the Minister for Education, and the department, it is incredible to have been part of investments not just at Diggers Rest Primary but at Sunbury Primary, Gladstone Views, Gladstone Park, Tullamarine, Kismet Park, Sunbury Heights, Sunbury and Macedon Ranges Specialist School, Sunbury Downs, Sunbury College and Salesian College, ensuring that we are building the Education State school by school, project by project and giving local students within our community the opportunity to reach their full potential, to be able to be their best. That is something that as the local member and part of the Andrews Labor government I want to make sure of—that we are giving our students all of those opportunities to be their best. They are of course supported by terrific teachers and the wider school communities, but these are incredibly important projects.

I mentioned the Macedon Street and Barkly Street intersection, so I will not go over that one again, but I did just want to take the opportunity to mention the incredible work that is occurring through the level crossing removal program. The Minister for Transport Infrastructure mentioned it today. This is an incredibly transformative project—85 level crossings to be gone by 2025, one of those being at Gap Road in Sunbury. I am absolutely delighted that just last week on a chilly, cold Wednesday night at about 11.00 pm I had the opportunity to join the really hardworking team at Rail Projects Victoria to physically remove those boom gates.

Mr Halse interjected.

Mr J BULL: I am glad the honourable member interjected. I was offered gloves, but I chose not to take the gloves because the rest of the team were not wearing gloves. Look, I should just say although there was some feedback through the Facebook page about my contribution to lifting those gates, some from my own family in fact—

Mr Pearson interjected.

Mr J BULL: I should just say, Assistant Treasurer, that it was an incredible opportunity. The Assistant Treasurer I know got on in our first term and removed a level crossing at Buckley Street within his own community. I live about 5 minutes away from where the crossing is being removed, and there is an urge to get in the car every morning—although we are telling the community to change their route around the community—nice and early to drive down to have a look at the incredible work that the project team is doing to get on and remove the Gap Road level crossing. It is absolutely amazing.

I do just want to put on the record my thanks to the project team and to the community for their patience and for all of the work that has been done. This is going to be a transformative project. There are two crossing points within my community over the rail line. One of them is the Macedon Street bridge, which was upgraded in fact by a former Labor government, and I acknowledge the work of Jo Duncan in that project. But this project will enable a safer, less congested, better community and it will open up all of those access points. So we are getting on. We are getting it done. It is a terrific local project.

There is also of course the upgrade of Sunbury Road and design and planning works around the Calder Freeway and the Bulla bypass projects. There are hundreds of new car parks being built at Sunbury station. There are sporting pavilion and precinct upgrades at Boardman, Langama, Salesian, Meadow Park and Leo Dineen Reserve within my community.

There is a very long list—a very, very long list. Every time we have the opportunity to come into this place and have the privilege, the honour and the responsibility to be on the Treasury benches we will continue to be creative, we will continue to be bold and we will continue to invest in projects that transform local communities, to give every single person within our electorates and right across the state the opportunity to reach their full potential and to move around our local community safely and efficiently. For them to be able to have the opportunity to find a path in life that that individual chooses is something that should motivate every member of the government and indeed every member that has the opportunity to come into this place and to represent their local community.

Delivering our pandemic repair plan, creating meaningful jobs, building a world-class education system, getting Victorians home sooner and safer, helping families, making Victoria fairer and building stronger communities—that is what the Andrews Labor government is about. We are a government committed to making Victoria the best state we can possibly make it, the fairest state, a place where everyone is equal and everyone gets the chance to be their best, and I proudly commend the motion to the house.

Mr TILLEY (Benambra) (15:16): I wish to make a number of observations and comments in relation to the take-note motion on the Appropriation (2022–2023) Bill 2022. Since that day in May some time has passed, and all of those privileged members of the Assembly have been able to get back to their electorates and assess what has been detailed in those budget papers. Similarly, we have been able to observe the myriad of media releases, newspaper articles and spin and the rest of it that come with that one day in May.

Anyway, we in the north-east of Victoria, in the Benambra district with the High Country, have one of the 10 regional cities, and just yesterday we heard the matter of public importance with members from the government benches saying how wonderful regional Victoria is, how well this government has been representing them and how much money is being invested. But I must say, it is not our lived experience in probably at least seven of the regional cities throughout Victoria. As the Shadow Minister for Regional Cities (including Border Communities) I have had the great opportunity to be able to get around our great state—all of our great state—and to be able to talk with community representatives, to talk with local government, to talk with those responders and all those Victorians that love their communities regardless of their politics. I think it is responsible for us to be able to have a robust conversation with each and every person so that we can use to our own advantage the best ideas. Nobody has a monopoly on good ideas, and I wish that this place was a bit more appreciative of that, because this Assembly has changed significantly since I was first elected how many years ago.

Notwithstanding that for all of us that one day in May draws similarities with Rod Tidwell out of Jerry Maguire—you know, ‘Show me the money!’—the budget papers reflect significant amounts of money like it is pocket change, but it is seeing what bang for the buck is being provided to us, what is coming out of the ground, how our respective communities are being best facilitated. With the other portfolios I have been given the privilege of holding, with the opposition, admittedly, one day—you never know, dreams are free—I would like to implement some of the policies that I have been working on over the last several months. They actually complement some of the policies of successive governments in the state of Victoria.

Notwithstanding that, the high promises and the stuff that has not been delivered—I would like to draw on those. For example, the Better Boating Fund is a policy that is certainly bipartisan; both sides of the house here agree significantly on that. The reason I say that is I like to consume seafood—great Victorian wild-caught seafood. Now, that is done through the commercial catch, and there are hardworking generational families that are working in that industry. I am not going to get into the war and the debate about recreational fishers and commercial fishers in Port Phillip Bay or other areas, but there are some things that need to be looked at. The finance in this budget addresses some of those anomalies, particularly for recreational fishers, where the Better Boating Fund—and there are some great people working behind the scenes at the Department of Transport—is an initiative that comes both from the Labor and Liberal parties which has been worked on. But putting that aside, in these budget papers we only see $15 million of that funding, which is drawn from the revenues from boat registration and boat licensing. You know, we know how much is there, but if you go through budget paper 5 and try and find a line number or the exact amount, it is hidden in an amalgam of other regulatory fees. So we are trying to get a straight answer out of the government.

These are questions that are asked by organisations including rec fish Victoria and fishing clubs. They are significantly confused. I would like to be able to give them an honest answer on their money and their contribution to the infrastructure that the current government provides them. It is a long way short. I have been out there. I am a rec fisher. You know, I share a little tinnie with my wife. I have got to tell you, she is a Gippslander, and jeez, she is competitive when we get out there on the boat. There is no taking prisoners when we are out fishing. But it is a great experience, and with that experience is being able to fish in our rivers, in our estuaries and in our bays—both freshwater and saltwater—chasing a whole range of species of fish. For us, we only keep what we are going to eat that day. It is no good prepping it and throwing it in the freezer. I wish there were many other recreational fishers that would not take so much of their catch, because it tastes better when it is ideally caught, put on ice and cooked fresh that evening or that day. But anyway, that is a whole other story. It is through education that we can do that, and there is other funding in the budget that is best suited there.

But for regional cities, decentralisation is a great opportunity. It goes hand in glove with our 10 great regional cities in Victoria—Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong, Latrobe, Warrnambool, Shepparton, Mildura, the regional City of Wodonga, where I live, and Wangaratta. I think I have pretty well covered them all, and I hope did not miss any there. But significantly there is a lack of balance. Of course the data suggests more money, but we have some great policies that would make this budget work even better if we were given the opportunity. It is not a class war of those who have and those who do not have; this is about finding an equal balance for all Victorians that choose to raise their families, run their businesses and have their employment in regional Victoria. You know, currently it is just not fair. It is not fair, and we seek to change, in November, this government so that we can provide a fairer, level playing field for everybody.

But while I am talking about the portfolio and the Better Boating Fund and recently being able to travel and visit those areas, it was great today: I was able to join both the member for Polwarth and the member for South-West Coast in relation to the challenges particularly that South-West Coast has had with the City of Warrnambool having to maintain a wholly state-owned asset, the Warrnambool breakwater. It will probably take only one decent storm, I think, with the weather events we are having at present, and that wholly state-owned piece of infrastructure will come to grief and probably fall apart. But notwithstanding that, in this budget there is nothing for the Warrnambool breakwater. There has been enormous energy that has been put in from the member for South-West Coast, from the Warrnambool council and from surrounding councils, recognising how important that state-owned infrastructure is—yet we will remedy that. If you guys do not do it, we will certainly do it after November. That is an absolute commitment. But anyway, that breakwater is crumbling; it is falling down. There is not a lot of time there.

Some of the other policies in the budget—there is underbudgeting of the 13FISH line. The estimate for 2021–22 was that around 1750 calls would be addressed by the Victorian Fisheries Authority—the problems of people getting into channels, people with illegal catches, people doing the wrong thing. We ask people not to dob people in. As a former career policeman the one thing I used to say to a person that had committed an offence—I was there on the other side trying to prove something—was that if they gave their mates up, that was un-Australian and a bloody disgrace. The crook was on the other side of the table because I caught them; I did not want to hear stories about them dropping their mates in. It is important, though, that we have information and intelligence. It can be anonymous. Some of the Australian principles I just spoke about are not always accurate. Nonetheless we are seeing an excessive amount of calls coming in. There were 2150 in 2021–22. The estimated number of calls that have been budgeted for in 2022–23 is 1950, which is significantly less than what they actually were, and we do not know how that is going to turn out by the end of this financial year. My gut feeling is that with the introduction of riverfrontage camping, 13FISH is going to see a hell of a lot more calls—no doubt. Having inspected some of those 29 sites that have already been created by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, we are going to see a hell of a lot more complaints there. We have under-resourced in this budget the number of fisheries officers. Anyway, by and large it is a dog’s breakfast.

But moving on, I would like to talk about my electorate for the last time. No doubt for those that have bothered to listen or look, they have heard about Albury Wodonga Health. The coalition has been making every endeavour to prosecute the health crisis in Victoria. In this place we hear ‘I said’ and ‘she said’ and the rubbish that goes on, but there are people on the front line, there are people in all of our electorates, regardless of whether it is a Liberal, a National or a bloody Labor seat, people are working there, people are living in these electorates around Victoria. It is not about any of us. It is about them on the front line. It is about our communities, and they are hurting. The greatest responsibility for any of us that get elected to this place is to serve them. It is about servicing them. It is not about us.

The thing is that for many years Albury Wodonga Health has been a great initiative—firstly, from the Stephen Duckett report. I campaigned on that. I was a Liberal; it was a Labor idea. I wholly supported the joining of Albury Wodonga Health because the efficiencies that could be found between those two hospitals was enormous. The Premier today, the Premier that sits in that chair over there now, had a significant hand in how that played out. He was the first health minister to sign up New South Wales and Victoria to a single health service. I tell you our community and the surrounding community has a hospital that is the second, outside of Geelong, servicing a catchment of 300 000 people on the border of New South Wales and Victoria—regional areas—but they are in such desperate need. If you could click your fingers and build a hospital tomorrow, we need that. But the thing is it is a crisis now, and it is funding towards that now which needs to be done. I would like to see a bipartisan approach—and, yes, I asked a question in this Parliament a number of weeks ago, and I have got to pay credit where credit is due. The Premier and I did have that cup of tea. Unfortunately we did not have that other thing—something stronger. Nonetheless the cup of tea was good—and the conversation. It has been a couple of weeks now. I think that hopefully, when the Minister for Health is able again, he does what the Premier in our private conversation said he was going to do.

On that note, regardless of this budget and the announcements that keep coming out—$12 billion for health—let me say this: if this government was to commit to a new public hospital for Albury-Wodonga, which I think should be built in Victoria because it is a Victorian-administered hospital, it would solve a lot of problems that are going on up there now—the waiting list, the ramping. But the cooperation between two state jurisdictions can be met very easily. It is the recent phenomenon where we have seen $30 million from the New South Wales Treasury to build and repair the base hospital, which is the campus in Albury, sitting there; it was transferred from the New South Wales Treasury two budgets ago and has only just been released from the Victorian Treasury for commencement of the work to the emergency department at Albury Base Hospital. It is unacceptable. It should not have happened. But people do not want to hear excuses; they want to hear reasons. If there are legitimate reasons, you can accept that, but the time wasting and continual blaming of COVID as the reason why this state has been underperforming is a real cop-out, and we need to be strong and be committed—all of us in this place—and meet those challenges, oil those cogs and make the wheels keep turning into the future. But the billy is on the boil; we need the hospital.

There are a number of things to mention just quickly. Wooragee CFA have given 95 years of service to protecting life and property in rural areas, yet they have got the land but they have not got the shed. There is nothing in the budget that will support this great brigade at Wooragee. I have worked with them on the fire front, and I tell you, they are trained well and they are ready. I condemn this motion to the house.

Ms COUZENS (Geelong) (15:31): I am absolutely delighted to rise to talk about the amazing Victorian state budget and what that means for my community in Geelong. But I do want to start by thanking the Premier and all the ministers, who listened to us as MPs about the priorities in our electorates and helped to get those commitments made. So I want to give particular thanks to them.

I really believe this budget is about delivering for all Victorians, particularly some of the most vulnerable in our community. We know health and housing have been two really strong issues, particularly as we have moved through COVID. The Minister for Housing, who spoke earlier in this place, was very passionate about his commitment to housing, and I believe he will leave us a strong legacy on behalf of this Labor government with all the work that he has done. The same goes for the Minister for Health. The work that he has done has been absolutely incredible. Our commitment to health right across Victoria, including in my electorate of Geelong, has been extraordinary.

I do also want to make note of the Minister for Creative Industries, who is actually in the chamber today, and his commitment to the Geelong Arts Centre, which has happened over a couple of budgets now. Stage 1 was completed a couple of years ago. Stage 2 is about three-quarters of the way built—an extraordinary building for everyone in the Geelong region to enjoy and use, and I know there is lots of excitement about that. This budget includes funding to activate the redeveloped areas, so I thank the Minister for Creative Industries because it is that sort of funding that provides those much-needed creative activities in our community of Geelong. I know the arts centre trust is very excited about getting that funding.

Members interjecting.

Ms COUZENS: I know. It is going off; it is absolutely amazing. So thank you for that commitment.

The budget has seen such a huge commitment to mental health and making the system work for Victoria. We know the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System recommendations have been rolled out. Certainly in my electorate there has been a huge commitment. We are now seeing the mental health and drug and alcohol hub being built in Geelong, due for completion very soon. In this budget we have committed the ongoing funding to ensure that that continues in my electorate. That is so important. We know how important mental health is in our community and getting access to services. We have had a commitment for the youth beds in Geelong—construction is going to start—and the acute mental health facility is about to open in Geelong.

There have been a raft of commitments that this government has funded over the last few years and certainly in this recent budget. Pouring money into regional Victoria—there is no doubt we are doing that. Geelong has seen unprecedented amounts of funding in my electorate and in the surrounding electorates that make up regional Geelong. New schools, upgrading schools and upgrading our health facilities—those really important things are all being rolled out, and they are being done by the Andrews Labor government. They have been done in every budget that we have had over the last almost eight years that I have been standing in this place. For the opposition to say that regional Victoria has been left behind is absolute rubbish, and my electorate knows that. It knows the commitment that this government has made not only to regional Victoria but to my electorate of Geelong. We have seen, as I said, unprecedented funding come into the seat of Geelong, which is absolutely amazing.

We have also of course had the significant announcement of the funding for the women’s and children’s hospital in Geelong—over $500 million has been committed—and this is such an important piece of infrastructure for Geelong. A huge shout-out to Barwon Health and all those workers: what a great opportunity for them to get that $3000 bonus that has been announced this morning. They all deserve it, and right across Barwon Health they will get that wonderful $3000 bonus. They have carried us, in particular over the last couple of years through COVID—and are still doing that. We are still getting cases in Geelong, just like every other place across this country. It has not gone away, we are still dealing with it, but what is fantastic about this government is we have continued to move forward and have delivered on the commitments that we have made. And we are delivering on the women’s and children’s hospital. We need it in our region. As I said, we have a major hospital, but our population is growing so fast. It is one of the fastest growing populations in the country. We need to be keeping up, and that what is so great about this government—that we look at those things and acknowledge that we need to continue to build that infrastructure to ensure that we are meeting demand. Obviously COVID has taken its toll, and as the Premier has often said, it is a one-in-100-year event that we have no control over. But the investment in our health sector has been absolutely extraordinary, and that commitment is what will see us through. It is something that obviously was very unexpected, but we have been able to deal with it. The investment in nurses, in infrastructure and in all the allied health areas that we need has been very welcome, particularly by my community.

One of the other projects that I am really passionate about is Cherished Pets. The organisation Cherished Pets deals with animals who are left when someone passes away and there is no family member to take on that pet, when there is family violence or when a person with a disability is suddenly put in hospital—but family violence was the catalyst for Cherished Pets taking on that role back in 2015. I was at a family violence forum in 2015, and they were one of the guest speakers. It is just a couple of vets that have got together and initiated this amazing project. They were talking about the constant referrals that they were getting in the region from family violence workers, from family members and from people themselves who had experienced family violence and could not support their pet any longer and had to do something about that. They talked about it back then, in 2015, and since then they have managed to build up a facility through volunteers and through the two vets that were heading up the program.

So I was delighted that the Minister for Agriculture actually allocated $465 000 to Cherished Pets to do all the work that they need, to get equipment, to get pens and to provide the support to those animals and in some cases to the owners as well. This was a great announcement, and people in Geelong thought it was fantastic because we are not going to see pets having to go to inappropriate places. They will look after them and, in some cases, rehome them. It is a really exciting project, and I am really grateful that this government has seen the importance of funding a program like that to protect those pets that people basically love and want to care for but have not been able to for a whole range of reasons.

I think the funding to Barwon Health for the emergency mental health and drug and alcohol hub is a really important one for my community. As I said earlier, that hub is almost due for completion, but obviously it has to have funding to run it. The fact that we have committed that in this budget is fantastic, and what it means is that people with mental health issues that are really struggling can walk off the street into a facility and get the immediate support they need and an appropriate referral.

As we heard in the royal commission into mental health, many people talked about not being able to access the support that they needed for their mental health issues, and the introduction of those hubs is really important for communities like mine. We know the demand is there, so to have that hub in the middle of our city, where people with a mental health issue know they can walk in and get that support and assistance they need, is absolutely critical. I am really looking forward to the grand opening of that facility, and I know very well that people with mental health issues and their families are really looking forward to the opening of that facility. That is something only a Labor government will deliver, so I am really proud that we are actually doing that.

We also received funding to build a basketball court on the Geelong waterfront, and the reason I was really strong on that bid was because during my consultation with young people late last year and early this year we were talking about the impact of COVID on them, and one of the things was that there was nowhere they could go to throw a few hoops or have a bit of sporting activity with their mates, because most places were locked up. In particular, during the lockdown when they could go out for a bit of exercise, there was actually nowhere for them to take up some sporting activities. So they talked about a basketball court on the waterfront and having that there so they could go down and have a game or throw a few hoops or whatever with their mates. We have now funded that to be built on the waterfront, and along the Geelong waterfront—it is a beautiful waterfront; there is no doubt about that, and it has been well taken care of—we see there are limited opportunities for teenagers. There is a skateboard park down one end—

A member: Do you skate?

Ms COUZENS: No, I do not skate. But it is mostly for little people—a carousel and a Ferris wheel and bungee jumping for little kids, that sort of thing—whereas now we will be adding a basketball court for young people that complements the skateboard park.

Young people were very clear about not being left out of infrastructure in Geelong. They have got a voice, they are entitled to a voice, and I encourage their voice. They had a very strong voice about having this basketball court on the waterfront, so I am really pleased that we have been able to deliver that. We have delivered the funding. Now there is a process to identify a location along the waterfront, but young people are really excited about that opportunity, which is really important to them.

I think there are many other areas that I could focus on, but I do want to focus on the First Nations people and our commitment to the First Nations people and the funding of the assembly and the treaty process and all those things that are so important to making this work. There is $36 million to protect culturally significant Aboriginal Victorian sites. That is so important. It is important to the Wadawurrung people in my community, and I am sure in everybody’s electorate they have a relationship with the First Peoples of this country and know just how important those sites are.

There is $2.8 million to deliver the certificate IV in teaching a First Nations language. I was so excited to join the Minister for Training and Skills a couple of weeks ago to make that announcement at the Gordon TAFE in Geelong, and it was so welcomed by the Wadawurrung people but also by other Aboriginal people around the community and in other areas. This is really important. This is about their language having been stolen and now giving them the opportunity to get that back so that they can then teach their children and young people the language—although it will take some time, because there are many elders that want to learn their language. It was stolen from them; they were never able to speak their language. Some have language and have been teaching it across community. This is a really important piece, and so I commend the budget.

Mr SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (15:46): This budget is highlighting really a whole lot of failures—things that this government has not been able to deliver for Victorians, that it has certainly not been able to deliver for constituents of mine in Caulfield. It is ironic that we have a budget that is termed on the front of every budget paper ‘Putting patients first’, when we in the opposition have been for months now talking about those very patients that have been put last. We have raised time after time after time in question time real examples, real stories, of Victorians that are absolutely hurting, the 90 000-plus people that are on a waiting list for serious surgery. This is not something that is cosmetic in nature, but this is serious in terms of whether those people can continue comfortably in their lives—people that are on painkillers, people that are traumatised and people that are not being taken seriously by the government. The fact is that we have raised in this Parliament again today matters which have been raised numerous times, and yet the government has not responded to these individuals. It seems that we have a health system that is run through question time in that the only way that we can elevate any type of situation and make it important is to bring the case here—and even then those constituents are not responded to.

So for a government to highlight that they have a budget ‘putting patients first’ is so hypocritical. It is so far from the truth when we have seen even within the budget itself $2 billion that has been cut from the health system. And now the government are trying to play catch-up. There are the 4000 beds that were promised that were never delivered and the 000 crisis, where it is effectively a lucky dip whether an ambulance arrives. We have shown case after case of a person having to use a taxi or an Uber to accommodate their loved one to get to a hospital, only to then be waiting for some kind of treatment.

Can I say this is not an indictment on our health workers, because our health workers have been working tirelessly through this pandemic and beyond. This is an indictment of the leader at the top and the government, which should be funding the health system. The Premier talks about the health system which has all of a sudden miraculously fallen during the pandemic. Over 15 years or 16 years for 12 of those he has been the health minister or the Premier, and yet the government says that in four years of us coming into government we miraculously wrecked the place and now they are fixing it. Well, we just do not buy that. This Premier had plenty of time to lay the foundations, to invest in hospitals, to invest in health care and to invest in ambulance workers, our emergency services workers, and yet they have failed.

Only yesterday I spoke to a doctor that was completely beside himself in terms of what he has had to deal with. So many of his nurses are resigning. He said to me after the first lockdown, ‘I always knew the lockdowns were going to cause a whole lot of additional not just financial trauma but health trauma’. And he said, ‘I’m seeing it now more than ever’. Victoria’s were the longest lockdowns in the world, the strongest lockdowns in the world, more than any other state.

Members interjecting.

Mr SOUTHWICK: The government can interject, but we only have to look across the border, which had nowhere near the lockdowns Victoria had—nowhere near the toughest lockdowns. Now, when the government—

Ms Ward interjected.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Ms Richards): Order!

Mr SOUTHWICK: Acting Speaker, do we need the barking dog from the opposition interjecting?

Ms Ward: On a point of order, Acting Speaker, I ask the member to retract. I take offence at being called a barking dog.

Mr SOUTHWICK: I withdraw.

Ms Ward: Thank you.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Ms Richards): The member for Caulfield will continue, but if I could hear the member in some quiet.

Mr SOUTHWICK: Thank you very much. But can we have some sense of fairness in this chamber, Acting Speaker.

This government has failed Victorians. They have failed Victorians on so many different accounts. They have failed Victorians when it comes to small business, which has struggled, absolutely struggled, when it comes to lockdowns. We have seen the situation of so many small businesses, some 600 000 small businesses in Victoria, which employ 1.27 million people across the state—so this is not just those small businesses, this is the workers and also the communities which they are part of—struggling all the way through the pandemic. They have struggled through the lockdowns, and they have struggled in terms of compensation and support, particularly now, when they need the support the most. A lot of the red tape, a lot of the process in trying to get the money out, was very, very difficult for many of those small businesses. You only have to take a walk, whether it be in many electorates around the state or in the CBD of Melbourne, to see how many ‘For lease’ signs there are, how many businesses did not survive during the lockdowns, how many businesses unfortunately went to the wall. Now they are looking for work; many of those small business people are now actually trying to find jobs as opposed to employing people.

It has been tough—it has been so tough—for those people from a health perspective. It has been tough for schools. It has been tough for certainly our nurses and doctors and all of our healthcare workers, who have done an amazing job—an absolutely amazing job. But for the government to say that they are putting patients first is an absolute joke, because in fact what they are doing is putting patients last. That is what it is, and we know it. You cannot sugar-coat it. That is what has been happening in this state.

I would have thought that in the budget we could have looked at some of the precincts particularly that could have had more support, and I do talk about the CBD of Melbourne because the CBD of Melbourne has really struggled to get back on its feet. I know that the CBD is very much the gateway to the rest of the state. When the CBD is pumping, that actually brings people in and helps so many other things in terms of tourism, in terms of trade, in terms of investment, in terms of the culture, the arts, the food and really the smile on the dial, which has been lost because the government have no way of being able to recover after instilling fear and controlling for the period that they have and not being able to properly compensate those businesses.

I was out in Ballarat with the upper house member Beverley McArthur in the other place and seeing some of those businesses that were not able to trade during the difficult periods, and now there are road activities outside their businesses that have been going on for six months and will go on for another six months. And there is no financial support, no budgetary support for them.

If I look more locally in Caulfield, there were lots of opportunities that were missed by this government, and we have been calling for them for some time—opportunities around education. We talk about the kids that have been homeschooled for so long, that have been traumatised for so long. We would have expected that some of our schools could have been supported and funded, even not in my electorate but in neighbouring electorates. I mentioned St Kilda Primary School, which wants to be able to have a recreational space, a hall—that was not funded in this budget. That borders on Albert Park, the Minister for Health’s electorate. Most constituents that go to that school are in his electorate. They met with the government, and they were promised they would get something in this budget. They received nothing in this budget.

If you look at schools like Caulfield South Primary School, I have fought for years trying to get funding for them. They want a shade sail so they can eat their lunch under some kind of shelter and so they can have assemblies under shelter and not in the rain. They have not got any of that. I mean, they only got toilets fixed for them after we took the matter to Neil Mitchell at 3AW, because they would not even fix the toilets, which were not fit for purpose. Finally the Minister for Education caved in and gave some money to repair toilets which you would not put anyone in quite frankly.

Caulfield Primary School and Caulfield Junior College—both of those schools are desperate for upgrades. Both of those schools, Caulfield Junior and Caulfield Primary School, are over 100 years old and have a rich history, but unfortunately hardly a dollar has been put in them over that time. We have been advocating for a long time. I know a member in the upper place, Nina Taylor, is very quick to go and do photo opportunities at these schools but has not delivered a dollar when it comes to actually helping those schools. Those schools need more than a photo opportunity, they need money to actually help those kids. It is the same with Ripponlea Primary School. They want some basic support for accessibility for those kids with a disability and help for things like ramps, which they have not been able to get—basic stuff which they have not been able to get for that school. So our schools have certainly been let down.

The Caulfield Hospital, Alfred Health—the government gave some money a few years ago to do a study on the future of that hospital and what they could do in terms of better utilisation of that space. We are in the middle of a health crisis. You would think that this would be a priority—a hospital that was accommodating veterans in the First World War, when you had 18 000 veterans repatriated at that hospital. That hospital has hardly had a dollar spent on it since. You go through the wind tunnels of that hospital, and a lot of areas are just completely shut down, not used. There were no facilities—there were patients that were treated on the floor. I mean, no money has been spent on Alfred Health over those years. There have barely been equipment upgrades. The acquired brain injury unit was a new facility, but that was predominantly done by the Liberal federal government. So the Alfred hospital absolutely needs funding. The government have done a study, and they did the study before the pandemic. We are in the middle of a pandemic—well, we have been in a pandemic for a few years. We have been calling on funding for the hospital, and they have received a doughnut. We really need funding for that hospital in terms of its future. It is under-utilised. It is already a great hospital in terms of staff. It could be a great hospital in terms of facilities, but it certainly is not when it comes to those facilities.

Open space, green space—there is none of that in terms of opportunities from this budget. Particularly I look at the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve, where a new trust was formed by this government after a lot of advocacy by me and the member for Oakleigh. We worked on that. A land management plan was put together and properly advocated for, and the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change came along to the Caulfield Racecourse and announced it and said, ‘This is fantastic’. It is a $295 million plan for parks, for recreational passive space, for a lake for people to walk around and for sporting facilities—a really quite detailed plan. We might not need $295 million spent on it. We might not need the whole box and dice, but it has not had a dollar. Literally two budgets ago the minister went out and announced the land management plan and said how fantastic it was. There was nothing in the budget that followed. That was in April 2021. There was nothing in the following budget, and there was nothing in this budget.

So we have at the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve a trust that barely has enough money to pay for its trustees. In fact the head of the trustees said to me that if they do not get money before the next budget they will be broke, they will be put into receivership. So if the government is serious about upgrading the open space in the middle of the Caulfield Racecourse as a big, major project, then the government needs to put its money where its mouth is and ensure that that actually occurs.

This budget is a budget of missed opportunity. It is not a budget that puts people first. It is not a budget that puts patients first. It is not a budget that will fix the healthcare crisis because this government created the healthcare crisis. How could you trust a government to fix the very thing that it created? You cannot trust a government that promised 4000 beds that never occurred. You cannot trust a government that has promised certainly a whole lot of money that has never come. You cannot trust a government that took $2 billion out of a budget and then said it was putting patients first. Certainly we are in the middle of health crisis. It should be a priority. It should be a focus, and the mental health crisis is also something that should be a focus and should be a priority. People are suffering. People are hurting, and this government has absolutely turned its back on all Victorians.

Mr BRAYNE (Nepean) (16:01): I also rise today to speak on the take-note motion on the Victorian budget 2022–23. The Victorian budget 2022–23 is my fourth budget as the member for Nepean. It complements four years of actually getting things done for my electorate through good funding outcomes in the annual state budget. This budget shows the ongoing commitment to building a stronger, fairer future for all Victorians—that is the reason we all entered this place—and budgets offer the opportunity to put that into practice. Whether it is delivering the pandemic repair plan, providing meaningful jobs, building a world-class education system or getting Victorians home sooner and safer, this budget is providing Victorian families and our communities with the things that matter most to them and to me.

After the past two years the thing that Victorians most want to see is a government that is putting patients first and getting on with the job of delivering for our state. As we all know, our budget is only as strong as the economy allows it to be. Despite the challenges of the past two years Victoria is in a strong position as we continue to recover from the pandemic. During the pandemic it was this government that used its balance sheet to support Victorian households and businesses. It was this government that provided our communities with more than $44 billion in support to respond to the pandemic and keep workers in jobs and businesses afloat. And now, as Victorians to return to doing the things they love, we are seeing a remarkable economic recovery.

Since November 2014 the Victorian economy has generated 560 000 new jobs. This government has a plan to create an additional 400 000 jobs by 2025, with a target to deliver half of them by 2022. Today, despite the challenges of living through a global pandemic, Victoria has already far exceeded this goal. Employment has risen by 280 000 people since September 2020. We are on track to reach 400 000 jobs by 2025. This job growth in part has been driven by this government’s infrastructure agenda. Since 2014 infrastructure programs pursued by this government have supported or will support more than 191 000 jobs, and this includes 14 000 jobs supported by new infrastructure projects announced in this budget.

Getting people back to work is at the heart of any economic recovery. It is a credit to both the strong foundations of the Victorian economy and the continued commitment of this government that Victoria has experienced one of the strongest recoveries in the nation. Victoria’s economy is strong. The unemployment rate is 2 per cent lower than when we came to government. Demand for workers is high, business conditions and confidence are elevated and all of this has been achieved with fiscal responsibility, with this budget helping to deliver an operating surplus of over $650 million in 2025–26.

This is my fourth budget, as I said earlier, since being elected as the member for Nepean in November 2018. Since that time the southern peninsula community has seen record achievements in our local schools, our public transport system and our local environment. We have had record funding outcomes and investment from government in the southern peninsula. This is not some sweeping statement; this is fact. It is being felt on the Mornington Peninsula. And not to labour this point, the Mornington Peninsula getting some attention has not always been the case. For decades the Mornington Peninsula was taken for granted by politicians who got elected time after time without any genuine challenge to their position. The by-product: nothing ever getting done on the Mornington Peninsula.

Issues were allowed to build up, and our local community came to expect as the status quo subpar services, subpar investments and no election promises from our politicians. This was the status quo. There had consistently been a backlog of issues that had built up over decades on the Mornington Peninsula that had needed to be resolved, so when I got unexpectedly elected I made it my priority to resolve as many of these issues as I could and to fix the decades-old problems that had been affecting our community—my community—for too long. There is always more work to do of course, but this budget is yet another step towards the Mornington Peninsula getting its fair share. As someone who has lived their whole life on the Mornington Peninsula, who grew up there, went to kindergarten there, went to primary school there, went to high school there and had their first job there, I can say that we have never seen the level of investment into our community that we have had during the time I have been fortunate to be the member for Nepean.

During my time we have prioritised schools on the Mornington Peninsula. I continue to be proud to have overseen huge upgrades to schools in Nepean. $13.77 million was invested to rebuild Rosebud Primary School—I am never going to get tired of saying it. The learning neighbourhood, which houses the senior students at the school, has been open since the beginning of term 1. We have workers on site this week finishing the gymnasium and the landscaping. I look forward to the community celebration when all of this is completed. Nearly $10 million has been invested to upgrade Dromana Primary School, with the removal of portables having already taken place, and obviously many people who have driven down McCulloch Street in Dromana will have noticed that these works have already begun. As I was at Dromana Primary School on Saturday for election day it was also good to catch up with the volunteers, including principal Andrew Haley, at their democracy sausage sizzle. Ten million dollars will upgrade Rosebud Secondary College. Principal Lisa Holt has been regularly in contact with me to talk about their plans and how we can set this school up for the long term for the Rosebud Secondary School students now and in 20 to 30 years time, and the builder has now been appointed. These are real investments that will make a real difference to the lives of local Mornington Peninsula students. If we invest in our schools on the Mornington Peninsula, not only will we have our students learning in the best facilities and taking pride in their schools but we will be able to offer drawcards to teachers to want to teach and work on the Mornington Peninsula and not at other schools in the south-east suburbs.

In this budget I was so excited to announce as well that Peninsula Specialist College will be receiving $9.4 million to upgrade and modernise the school, including the construction of a completely new classroom complex. I know that parents, students and teachers who are part of this school community are thrilled with this announcement, and I cannot wait for construction on this important project to begin. Every student should be given access to the best education with the best facilities to achieve their best potential. I know the school communities that have had their rebuilds—Rosebud Primary, Dromana Primary, Rosebud Secondary and Red Hill Consolidated—are ecstatic. And to those school communities who have not had rebuilds yet, I will keep fighting for your school every single day I am in this role—every single day.

In this budget the government’s investment in Nepean does not stop with our schools; it extends to our iconic heritage sites that have been needing repair for too long. It is exciting that in this budget the Point Nepean forts will be receiving $6 million in major structural repairs to keep the fortifications safe and accessible. Fort Nepean is one of our most special locations on the southern peninsula. For those who have not been down in a little while, there are a considerable number of sections that have been closed off to the public due to safety issues. It is critical that we preserve and restore our heritage on the peninsula for our local community but additionally for the over half a million people who come and visit this site annually. This initiative will repair and stabilise fortifications, including gunning placements that have been closed to the public or are at risk of further closure. With these works, taken alongside the recently completed refurbishment of the iconic McCrae lighthouse and the saving of the Flinders Pier, I am committed to keeping the Mornington Peninsula’s heritage sites available to our future generations for many years to come, because I believe in preserving the past, the present and the future of the Mornington Peninsula, from our heritage to the green wedge.

As I just mentioned, in the Victorian budget $1.5 million was allocated to begin the planning of the restoration works on Flinders Pier. This followed a huge campaign by a group of local Flinders residents with a simple aim to save Flinders Pier. Since the campaign first began a year ago, the pier itself has been recommended by Heritage Victoria for listing on the heritage register. The final decision is due this month. In my opinion the pier should be listed on the heritage register. The tireless hours spent scrutinising the history of this pier, and its importance to our community, should be reflected in a listing. But even if it is not listed, this budget begins the process of rebuilding the timber inner section and repairing our Flinders Pier. It is an important part of the peninsula and holds significant value to locals and visitors alike. I recall speaking at the first Save Flinders Pier town hall meeting on 8 June 2021. It is comforting to say that this beautiful icon is now saved.

We are also upgrading the Sorrento Surf Lifesaving Club facilities so they are fit for purpose and can accommodate the increased popularity that our local beaches are seeing as we get out of COVID. Victorians are back out in all corners of the state. Ensuring that our lifesavers have the best facilities will be so important for safety at our beaches for years to come.

In this budget, I am excited to announce, a further $2.96 million has been provided to rebuild the outer section of the Rye Pier to return it to its full functionality, to finish off rebuilding this pier completely. Once completed, locals and visitors alike will be able to enjoy another one of the peninsula’s many iconic piers. These are just some of the investments that the Andrews government is making in Nepean in this year’s budget. However, over the last 3½ years I have steadily worked to get stuff done on all the issues on the peninsula. Recently I was blessed with the opportunity to give a sort of summary of the many things I have worked on in my time in this role in the form of a question on my Facebook page. The question came from resident Beverley Baltissen, who asked—and I can only imagine she meant it with goodwill:

Chris, what exactly have you achieved since the election?

So I responded with:

Beverley, this is such a great question and thank you for asking it. I have been able to rebuild Rosebud Primary School, including the addition of an incredible modern gymnasium. We are rebuilding Dromana Primary School, with construction starting in May. Rosebud Secondary College, with the rebuild starting in term 2. Red Hill Consolidated School has new classrooms being built, open for term 2. Dromana College has a new year 11 building. I was so excited to open Rosebud Secondary College’s wellness pavilion a few weeks ago. The 788 bus is now running every half an hour—huge for those of us who caught those buses growing up. The new 887 express bus runs Rosebud–McCrae–Dromana, straight up the freeway to Frankston. The new flexi ride bus gives local residents the opportunity to get to hubs within my electorate of Nepean much easier. The Flinders community hub is being replaced with a new modern facility. I brought Dromana Pier back onto the table with community consultation already having been undertaken about the best design for its replacement. The new youth hub in Rosebud is finally happening thanks to a huge investment by the state government. The Rye township plan is revitalising the Rye precinct, and the Rye Pier is now getting fixed as we speak. Rosebud Cricket Club has new nets. Main Ridge Cricket Club is getting new nets. I fought the McDonald’s at Safety Beach and the Hillview Quarry expansion at Arthurs Seat. And yet perhaps most significantly it is the fundamental shift that has now taken place. Politically the Mornington Peninsula will never be taken for granted again. There is always more to do, but I have been able to shake up this area to finally get some things done for this incredible community, the place I have lived my entire life.

So once again I take this opportunity to thank you, Beverley, for asking. As someone who has lived on the peninsula their whole life, who has seen the issues piling up, I can say that there has never been a better time to call the Mornington Peninsula home. It is important to look at where we came from. I remember writing to my predecessor asking for improvements to the bus network, when Terry Mulder was transport minister. The response I got back was standard fare: ‘We will keep it in mind. No improvements to the peninsula’s transport network’.

Finally, Dromana and Rosebud residents can catch an express bus to Frankston. These improvements did not just happen. They happened because I wanted to use my role to actually get stuff done, and finally it is happening. It forced other politicians to work harder too. Shortly after my surprise election victory, the member for Flinders, Greg Hunt, announced he would deliver Jetty Road if he won the 2019 federal election. Why did he wait 20 years into his term to announce a solution to an issue that had been an issue for literally decades? Our politicians on the peninsula had been taking us for granted for far too long.

This Victorian budget is good for many of my colleagues as well. I know that many members will be excited to announce their own local projects as this budget is implemented. In this budget we set about implementing the pandemic repair plan, with more staff, better hospitals and first-class care. Even just this morning we announced the healthcare worker winter retention surge payment, which will offer payments of $3000 to all staff working in public hospitals and ambulance services. They can be nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, midwives, ward clerks, paramedics and patient services assistants. This is one small way that we can say thank you for everything that they have done to help us get through to this side of the pandemic and continue through this winter.

I, like many of you, have family and friends who are or were nurses or doctors. But I also want to do a quick shout-out to my mate, Luke Milligan, for his dedication to his work and to our patients right across the state. After two years of an unprecedented global pandemic and record growth in demand, the $12 billion pandemic repair plan will see 7000 healthcare workers trained and hired; 5000 of those are nurses. As part of this plan, rapid access hubs are being established and will draw on the capacity of private hospitals to deliver public surgeries. This includes transforming Frankston Private Hospital into a public surgery hub that will perform up to 9000 public surgeries a year once it is fully operational.

In this budget there is a new round of the $250 power saving bonus. This has been hugely welcomed by my community on the Mornington Peninsula. In the last round of the $250 power saving bonus, we had hundreds of locals get in touch with us for assistance to obtain their bonus. Now there is a second round. From 1 July every Victorian household will be able to go to the Victorian Energy Compare website to claim it. Find a cheaper power deal and you will get $250. You do not have to make the switch. Seven out of 10 people who do, though, can find a cheaper deal. There is one $250 power saving bonus available per house and there is no limit. They are not going to run out.

Whether it is the many investments in my electorate of Nepean or one of the many announcements that will help Victorians across the state, it is clear that this government is getting on with the job that it was elected to do. That job is to deliver for all Victorians, for peninsula residents, to make a real difference in their lives. That is exactly what this budget does.

Mr HODGETT (Croydon) (16:16): It is a pleasure to rise to talk on the budget take-note motion. I think this afternoon I will use my time to talk about the many needs in my electorate, but I preface that by saying I am both pleased and proud with a lot of the advocacy work I have done over many years. I have had success both in government and in opposition at securing funding for local sporting clubs, community groups, schools, roads, community safety, transport—lots and lots of issues that all our electorates face. The advocacy work to secure funding and play a small part in the delivery of those important improvements and upgrades to our local community has been enormously pleasing, and I am proud.

But of course there is always more to do, and I want to highlight perhaps the next set of priorities or the next list of priorities that I see in the electorate of Croydon and surrounds that were not delivered in this budget but are worthy of consideration and certainly in an election year might be where both sides of the house focus efforts so that these community projects can be delivered win, lose or draw. The first that comes to mind on my list is funding for stage 3 of Melba College. Melba College has got a long history. People that have been in this place a while might remember the Maroondah regeneration project. Certainly my friend and colleague the Minister for Education is fully aware of this, where a number of schools were going to merge or join or set up a Maroondah regeneration project to upgrade a number of schools. Some campuses were coming together and becoming new campuses, and Melba College was one of those. It did not sort of follow the plan that was expected, but it is pleasing to say that Melba College went it alone. The old Croydon Secondary College junior campus closed and went to the senior campus, which was Melba College at the time I think from memory and became Melba College. As an aside, we are now seeing the construction of the new Croydon Community School on that former site of Croydon Secondary College. That is another successful outcome there. But back to Melba College. They have had stage 1 and 2 funding, and it has become enormously frustrating for the school community and the council, the parents group, as they wait to see stage 3 of the rebuild, which they were promised many years ago. Stage 3 funding is urgently required to enable the school to finalise their school rebuild.

The government has got form here. I go back to many years ago, and I think Steve Herbert in the other place might have been minister at the time, to when Yarra Hills Secondary College was funded. We fought hard to get funding for stage 1 of that school. The old Pembroke High School closed, became Yarra Hills and went to a new site on Reay Road. They waited some 10 years for stage 2. It became ridiculous, because those schools, while they are either across two campuses or waiting on more funding, throw good money after bad. If you know that your old school is going to be pushed over and knocked down in the next six to 12 months, you might not fund a couple of hundred thousand dollars on a leaking a roof. However, if you know that it is going to be a lot longer, if the government says, ‘Look, we’re providing your funding, but it won’t be for five years or something’, you might commit to some of that maintenance funding to keep the school functioning and in order over that time.

At Yarra Hills it was a long story where we fought very, very hard. In fact when we got into government I delivered stage 2 after a 10-year wait, which was a great outcome for Yarra Hills. But I see it being repeated with Melba College, which need that stage 3 funding to upgrade their oval, which is presently in a poor condition, and to upgrade the Melba theatre, which is a performing arts space that has a capacity of over 200 seats. It is a great community asset. This belongs to the school, but it can be used by the community. I will continue to advocate, fight for and lobby the minister for that stage 3 funding. Embarrassingly, Melba College actually saw the funding not in this budget, maybe not even in the last budget, but in a budget prior where the funding was there, but then the government or the department said, ‘Oh, no, that’s a mistake’. So it got their hopes up on the delivery of that stage 3 funding, but then of course it was not delivered. If you go on that site now and you look in one direction, it is a beautiful, brand new, fully developed college—wonderful. If you look to the other direction, though, you have still got the cyclone fencing up and old buildings—some with asbestos in them that needs to be removed so that stage 3 can be funded. They have missed the opportunity in the last budget to fund stage 3 for Melba College, but we need to fight, advocate, lobby and secure that stage 3 funding so we can finish the project and leave the community with a fantastic, fully redeveloped school.

The next one on my list of priorities is the Mooroolbark Heights Reserve clubrooms, where the Mooroolbark Cricket Club and the Mooroolbark Football Club operate out of. Again these current clubrooms were built in 1970 and are in desperate need of an upgrade. We see how sports evolve, particularly over the last few years with the growth in women’s sports and the growth in veterans, juniors and any number in cricket and football and indeed in numerous sports. But particularly at Mooroolbark you have got women players that do not currently have access to change rooms—or they are now in portables to the side of the club. In this day and age that is totally unsatisfactory. Unfortunately the Mooroolbark cricket and footy clubs have probably been their own worst enemies in the sense that they have spent their own funds, resources and volunteer people hours on actually redeveloping that club—adding a verandah and doing some improvements internally to some toilets—but it has all been piecemeal. You know, you have still got these clubrooms that were built in the 1970s. They are in desperate need of an upgrade so we can bring the portable women’s change rooms into the one facility.

Of course as we see with other sporting clubs, where we have had these successful upgrades then clubs can start running their own functions and events at the clubs. The South Croydon football and cricket clubs are good examples. The Croydon Rangers Gridiron Club is a great example. As all those clubrooms get upgraded they start being able to hold functions and events there, so there is money they can put back into the club. The Mooroolbark Heights clubrooms are in desperate need of an upgrade. I note that federal candidate Aaron Violi made a federal commitment. It is good that Aaron got in and held his seat—but they no longer are in government, so we would now look to secure some funding from the Albanese government and secure some funding from the state so that we have federal, state and local money getting put into that project to see that delivered.

There are a number of organisations in my electorate that provide terrific charitable work to those in need in the local community, and there are a lot of those that run on the smell of an oily rag or provide those services with little or very limited support. It would be great if we actually got some funding, even small amounts of funding, to be able to assist those organisations. We have got ADRA Community Care, and I have spoken about them in this place before with their dedication and support that they give to the local community. They run the Vive Cafe, which serves free three-course meals every week to those in need. The Vive Cafe serves approximately 100 nutritious meals each Thursday to disadvantaged and isolated members of the community and has an enormous impact on the health and wellbeing of those who experience tough times in the local community. The cafe provides approximately 7000 meals a year along with 3500 food hampers, and the cafe has not missed a service for more than five years, during COVID too, I might add—terrific work. We have promised that if we get elected we will give $25 000 to ADRA, so again, small amounts of money can go a long, long way with the terrific work that these organisations do. They are not just in my electorate, they service a number of electorates—I think the member for Gembrook, who is beside me in the chamber today, has done some terrific work with ADRA and knows about the good work that they do. They are a very, very worthwhile organisation.

The Dining Room is another one. It provides a meal service every Tuesday night. I have been across there; I have taken off the suit and tie and gone across there, helped serve and clean up and helped the volunteers there. You see firsthand 80 to 100 people, and growing numbers, every Tuesday go across and have a meal. For many that is the only hot meal, nutritious meal, that they get in a day. The Dining Room provides some other meals and bread and non-perishables for those people to take away, and so providing a small amount of money to the Dining Room for them to continue that terrific work would go a long, long way.

We have the Babes Project. We know the Babes Project and the terrific work that they do providing services to women, the amazing work that they do in delivering support and empowering women in their pregnancy and early parenting. They have got trained and experienced volunteers there who work with women who are facing crisis and who have challenging pregnancies, offering a perinatal support program. They have got a centre in Croydon and they have got a centre in Frankston, and again they do a lot of work that perhaps arguably—or indeed—the government should be delivering. They assist women in many, many ways and do terrific work—amazing work. Helen Parker is the founder there. You only need to hear Helen speak about the amazing work they do—but again, they are in need of funding and support. And credit where credit is due: I brought Helen in, and she met with the Treasurer and they secured a small amount of funding 12 months ago—or it might even be in this budget; I will stand corrected. But with that advocacy work I was able to help deliver that, and I think the member for Frankston had a hand in that too in terms of delivering some money for the Babes Project. But they need more; it was a small amount of money. To continue the terrific work they do they need more.

There are community groups such as the Karen community and the Chin community. I have worked with the Chin community over many, many years and helped them get a new church site in Lusher Road. For years they went to other churches in and around the Croydon area to worship on a Sunday afternoon and run many of their programs, but they desperately wanted their own home. I worked through planning provisions for a site that they found in the Yarra Ranges. That then was unsuitable, and then they found a site in Croydon and now they have a fantastic new church. But I have also supported them for many years with the difficulties in Myanmar. Indeed from my work, before I got elected as the state member for Croydon, in the Migration Review Tribunal I got an understanding of refugees and migrants that make the decision either by choice or by force to relocate to another country and some of the challenges in employment, language, housing and those sorts of issues that face those communities, so I will continue to support them and work with them. But again, small amounts of money to help them run festivals, support their cultural activities and everything they do and enrich the local community are a very, very worthwhile cause.

There is a long list there, but the other one I did want to mention is Elishacare. Elishacare is a not-for-profit community organisation and social enterprise aimed at rehabilitating drug- and alcohol-affected people, often with complex needs, including poor mental health. They restore hope and health through employment in their social enterprise and through housing and support services. The strength of their program rests with their peer support, provided by participants who have become free from addiction through their involvement with Elishacare. They do fantastic work. Geoff Marsh—I cannot sing the praises of him and his people highly enough. They do fantastic work, but they need help and support to continue those services.

I also wanted to quickly mention SALT, Sport and Life Training. I mentioned them earlier in the week in this place, and indeed I have mentioned them a number of times here—the terrific work that Dave Burt and his highly motivated volunteers do in the local community, delivering mental health, cultural and leadership education to sporting clubs. Since 2015 this not-for-profit organisation has worked with 21 different sporting codes and has won the trust of sporting clubs, leagues and peak bodies. They also partner with some leaders in health education, such as Beyond Blue and Our Watch.

The list goes on and on. There is the local BMX track that needs about $40 000 for a new starting gate. I will continue to work with them and advocate for their cause. The Male Hug is another one. Again, time will run out, so I cannot continue to espouse the virtues of some of these programs. Tony Rabah and his team—you hear about the tremendous work they are undertaking in the area of men’s mental health, but they need support, they need funding, and I will continue to advocate for them. I will continue my advocacy, which has delivered success in the past, but I raise these matters and will continue to raise them and advocate for them because they will improve and deliver such great upgrades to facilities and make improvements in our local community.

Mr RICHARDSON (Mordialloc) (16:31:421:): It is a real pleasure to rise and speak on the 2022–23 Victorian budget and how this contributes to a more prosperous and hopeful Victorian community and invests in key infrastructure and services as we come out of the pandemic and look towards the future. This budget in a number of ways delivers for Victorians and my community, which I am so proud of representing, in the City of Kingston areas and the Greater Dandenong areas in the Mordialloc electorate. I want to focus on some of those key elements and put on record our great appreciation for some of the key service areas, like health and education, that have been so extraordinary during this time.

Firstly, let us look at the headline of this budget. It puts patients first, it invests in our health workers, and it invests in the people on the front lines of some of the challenges over the last few years. In putting patients first, we are investing in our health workers, with more than 7000 more health workers coming online over the coming years. Of those, more than 5000 are nurses—a really important testament to the work of the Andrews Labor government to invest in our health, to invest in our hospital services and to make sure that we are doing all we possibly can. Twelve billion dollars will be allocated, and it is not a one-off, it is year-on-year record support for our health system—unprecedented levels of investment as we build new hospitals, build our capabilities and respond to the challenges of a once-in-a-hundred-year pandemic.

I wanted to take this opportunity to place on record our deep sympathies to those that are waiting for surgeries. It is called elective surgery, but there is nothing elective about some of the things that people need—the vital surgeries to make their lives easier as well. Rest assured that our health workers and our communities and our systems are doing everything possible to make sure Victorians get the surgeries they need as quickly as possible. It is one thing to say that; it is another thing to invest in that. And that is what budgets provide—that opportunity to invest in our health services, to invest in our communities and to make sure that we are putting patients first in everything we do. So just down in our neck of the woods, at the end of the Nepean Highway, the Frankston Private Hospital will be converted into a dedicated public hospital—9000 surgeries each and every year—making sure that we are supporting patients in everything we do. I am so proud of that announcement. It is about listening to the experts. It is about seeing what capacities we could achieve. And that will make a massive difference in the south-eastern suburbs, so it is a really important investment—

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Can I ask members to quieten down a little bit, please? Thank you.

Mr RICHARDSON: I will just keep going. I will just keep roaring through. That is all right. Thanks, Deputy Speaker. Yes, sorry, that has just thrown me.

There will be 36 000 patients during that time. The investment will be substantial, and it will put patients first in every element as well. Now, we embarked as a government on the biggest reforms to our mental health and wellbeing system—a broken system that was stretched to its limits during the two-year pandemic. Mental health and wellbeing touches everyone in their lives over the course of their journey. We know someone that is impacted; we might be impacted ourselves. We invested record funding in the last state budget. We build on that $3.8 billion investment in reforms of our mental health and wellbeing system with a further $1.3 billion invested.

This is record funding that eclipses the contributions and allocations that we see across the commonwealth. It puts mental health and wellbeing at the front and centre of this government’s agenda. It is about curing and supporting Victorians in every element that we do. Fifteen hundred more mental health workers will be provided and 400 mental health and wellbeing nurses as well as 100 psychiatrists and 300 psychologists and more than $490 million in acute hospital-based care, reducing waiting times for Victorians. Again, budgets are about priorities. We had the work put forward by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, the 65 recommendations and their subparts, and now we are seeing that investment and that delivery. It delivers on implementing 90 per cent of the recommendations of the royal commission in this budget alone—a generational report, giving the government answers, but then it is actually taking those actions and making that investment as well.

I wanted to take the opportunity to run through some of the significant investments in education. Over the past four years I have had the great honour of representing my community in education policy and implementation, but then as Parliamentary Secretary for Schools it has been an honour to work with the Deputy Premier on landmark reforms. But one of the best things in this budget is one of the absolute values of this government. You can look no further than the investment in specialist schools by this government. Thirty-six specialist school settings will be substantially upgraded. It gives me goosebumps to think of the journey that has been taken by all those education leaders, the education support staff, the families, the parents, the volunteer efforts that are provided at these schools and the fundraising efforts. Now to have a champion on their side in the Victorian government, the Andrews Labor government, upgrading 36 specialist and special developmental schools is truly remarkable. All 83 specialist and special developmental schools would have gone through a funding investment and upgrade during this time. It is so amazing to think of the actions you can take and the decisions you can make and what that will mean. In every corner of every state, it does not matter what education setting you are in, it does not matter your circumstances or the postcode you live in, you should get the very best outcomes. That is what we believe and that is what we want to see each and every day as we deliver for all students. Investing in 36 specialist and special developmental schools is a real hallmark of this budget.

We see expenditure in growth funding eclipsing other states. Growth in our per capita funding in government schools over the last few years has been over 16 per cent. Our average infrastructure spend over the last eight years has been $1.6 billion. It absolutely dwarfs the contributions from 2011 through to 2014 and shows that what you fund is what you value. We are investing more in education and we are investing in our teachers and our education support staff all across Victoria as well. We are recruiting more teachers. We want more teachers and more early childhood educators. So to the millions tuning into this speech around our communities: if you want to be a teacher and you want to be an early childhood educator, we want you in Victoria. There could not be a greater profession that you could choose than educating the next generation, and whether it is three-year-old kinder and early childhood educators, whether it is teachers in our schools that join the tens of thousands of people who have done an incredible job over the past two years, our teachers do an outstanding job. We want you to choose teaching. We want you to choose education as your profession. You know that you have got a government that is backing in and investing in our teachers and our students and values your profession and everything that you do. We need you to choose that.

Obviously this budget goes into further rollouts of the universal three-year-old kinder, a truly transformational investment in education the likes of which we have not seen ever before. We know that there is no differentiation between three-year-old and four-year-old kinder in the substantial benefits that that provides to a child in their early years. We are really excited to see what generational change that makes. In the very first briefing I had as Parliamentary Secretary for Schools the department talked to me about the fact that they can see the difference in children all the way through to their teens, the impact, if they have had that early childhood education. When you think of the opportunity costs and the benefit that that provides to kids and to their outcomes and opportunities, you wonder why this was not done sooner. It took an Andrews Labor government to deliver universal three-year-old kinder and make sure our kids get the very best opportunity, so we give a big shout-out to all our educators as well.

It would be remiss if I did not focus a little bit on the transformational infrastructure that is going on in our communities. One in six jobs did not exist before the Andrews Labor government came to office. Hundreds of thousands of people now have a job and more certainty, putting food on their tables and supporting their families because of the efforts of this government. In my community things that were never contemplated before have happened in such a short period of time, and in our eighth budget we build on that legacy. No-one thought the Mordialloc Freeway was possible—lines on a map, talked about for decades, delivered by an Andrews Labor government, nearly 60 000 vehicles each and every day, giving local roads back to local residents.

Everyone took the micky out of us when we said we would remove level crossings—50 level crossings by 2022. My good friend the member for Carrum and I have seen the transformational benefits that this has provided to the Frankston train line. We were out there while we were being chastised about whether it was possible. We said we would remove 50 by 2022. Well, 64 level crossings have been removed by 2022, delivering on our promises and commitments. We have reimagined communities. We have transformed and uplifted suburb after suburb and futureproofed them as well. It is a really exciting transformation.

This budget builds on that legacy and that work—85 level crossings by 2025. We have had 16 removed on the Frankston train line and 11 brand new stations built. By 2025, 20 level crossings will be gone for good and 13 stations built. We are just about to do piling work for the Glen Huntly and Neerim level crossing removals, and very soon early works will be underway at Parkdale as we remove Parkers Road and Warrigal Road and reimagine Parkdale. It has opened spaces and community linkages. There literally is a divide between Como Parade East and Como Parade West, named as such because of the rail line. We are uniting the community, increasing accessibility and safety—20 000 vehicles each and every day pass through this area; it is one of the biggest populated areas for schools in our community—making it safer and more accessible for our kids getting to school and for our communities getting to work and getting them home safer and sooner.

As the Melbourne Metro rail tunnel comes online in 2025, we will run more trains along the Frankston train line, and we will save you time getting home. But as we run more trains we need to decouple the gridlock between level crossings and our road infrastructure. So in such a short period of time, in just over a decade, to have 20 going—there were 30 when we came into government—on the Frankston train line is one of the most extraordinary outcomes. We have not seen that kind of change since the Frankston train line came down the line back in the 1880s—so a really transformational investment. The Melbourne Metro rail tunnel is well underway. We are seeing that transformation.

Then there is the big visionary policy that Victorians strongly supported and voted for: the Suburban Rail Loop, connecting all major train lines. It will start in the Southland area and run through to Box Hill—26-kilometre twin tunnels. It will take 8000 passengers in its usage, and it will provide a 10-minute service from Cheltenham through to Clayton. It reimagines how we get around our communities. As the traffic estimates through our areas increase, we need to make sure that we are getting on more sustainable and more environmentally friendly passenger services, and heavy rail is a large part of that along with our incredible bus networks. Linking up all the major train lines, providing linkages to employment, to education precincts and to health precincts as well, really does reimagine that. To think that my local crew can get on the train at Chelsea, change at Cheltenham and be up in Monash or up in the Burwood or Box Hill precincts in less than an hour is a truly extraordinary achievement as well. That visionary policy is just outstanding. Victorians supported it and voted for it, and we are delivering it. We have early work already underway. Just think: 20 000 people are directly employed in our Big Build program, with 5 million hours clocked up by trainees, apprentices and cadets, so we are training the next generation of workers who will work on these major projects—$98 billion worth of investments in road and rail projects.

Generational change that is being delivered to our communities is an outstanding achievement across the Kingston and Greater Dandenong communities. People thought it was not possible, but now they see it, they are realising it. They are seeing the transformational benefits at Cheltenham, Mentone, Edithvale, Chelsea and Bonbeach—those level crossing removals and brand new stations—Parkdale just around the corner as well and those level crossing removals and then the most amazing projects, with the Mordialloc Freeway, the Suburban Rail Loop and the metro rail tunnel.

Now, I wanted to touch on something that is really important and close to so many of our hearts and that is taking meaningful action on climate change and investing in renewable energies. It makes sense to transition our economy. We want to continue to be first movers in technology and in the advancement of renewable energy technology. We are literally enabling Victorians to put solar on their homes—to power their own homes and their destinies as well, as they lower their power bills and as we create more jobs—with a million households able to access the Solar Homes project. This budget again invests substantially in renewable energy. We have delivered more funding for the program, with 64 000 solar panels and 1700 battery storage rebates available in this budget alone. And a really important way that we are supporting people in their cost of living in their households is through the power saving bonus. We are making sure that we are supporting Victorians across our local communities to compare their electricity and gas bills to see if they are getting the best deal. Some people will save hundreds of dollars through that compare tool as well, but then they are able to access the power saving bonus, the $250 that takes some of the pressure off. People are doing it tough—we hear that when they are talking to us in our local communities—and we need to support our communities as much as possible in those times ahead. This budget delivers. Its values are lived large: putting patients first, investing in education, putting mental health at the forefront and investing in renewable energy and infrastructure like we have never seen.

Mr ANGUS (Forest Hill) (16:46): I am pleased to rise this evening to make a contribution in relation to the budget take-note motion on the 2022–23 budget. I want to focus most of my contribution on the local areas and the local needs and how they have not in fact been funded by this government and what a disappointment that is to me and what a disappointment that is to our local community.

I want to start off by looking at some of the schools in relation to some of the needs there, and I particularly think of Vermont Primary School. That is one of my many very successful and growing local primary schools, and I have been meeting with them on an ongoing basis for many, many years of course and visiting them for various events and so on. They have got a very hardworking community there in terms of the principal, who I note has just retired after a very long time—and I wish her well in her retirement—but also in terms of the staff and the acting principals and assistants and so on. All the staff and the whole community up there at Vermont Primary School are outstanding. They have got a great school council, and they were working very, very hard in relation to trying to continue to improve that school.

I have raised the issue of Vermont Primary School in this place many, many times in relation to some of the needs, and those needs are extensive. The school community has banded together to work around the lack of capital investment by this government over many, many years and has made the most of it. But we have got major issues with plumbing, drainage and sewerage works. We have had ongoing issues with those in relation to the student toilets over a long period of time. We have had termites, we have had asbestos and we have had a range of other issues there in terms of the very, very old building that is the main admin and classroom building. That is basically a 1960s-odd building, and so not unexpectedly at the stage of its working life, some 60-odd years later, it is not in tiptop shape—although I must say, as I said before, it is maintained extremely well by the school community. They are certainly looking after it. But the fact is that there were no funds—I have advocated in this place for many years for funds to be allocated by the government to this school because of these needs, and it was such a disappointment that when I got the budget papers this year those needs had not been addressed. That is my first primary school with significant need that has been ignored by this government.

The next primary school I can cite is Orchard Grove Primary School, and that is another wonderful local school of mine where again there is a growing population of students. It is high achieving, like virtually all of my schools are—very high achieving and a very desirable place for students to go and for families and so on. The situation they have got is that they have received a little bit of money for some staff toilets. We advocated for that some years ago, and that was just trying to solve another horrendous problem and another area of gross neglect from the current government in relation to not providing adequate student toilets for the students. But the government has not provided any funds at all for the other serious needs at that school, and that is to do with the administration area and in particular to do with the staff toilets.

I have spoken in this place numbers of times about that and about the fact that there is effectively one female toilet in the main building for the staff to use during the breaks. You can imagine with a predominantly female staff, as many primary schools have, there are significant queueing issues during the breaks that the teachers get—and that the other staff get. So it was an incredible disappointment to see that the government had not addressed these very important needs, both the toilet need but also the administration area need, because as I said, the school has been growing for a long time, and the administration area where the administration staff, the principal and that are located is a very crowded area, shall we say. It has also got steps in it, and it is not conducive to an efficient and effective operation of an office. It is very disappointing that that has not been dealt with in this budget.

Another one of my splendid primary schools is the Camelot Rise Primary School. Again, I have spoken in this place numbers of times about the needs down there. I particularly think about a rather straightforward but vitally important need, and that is the need that I have raised for the refurbishment of their oval. I have spoken in here several times, including times when I have spoken about students that have been injured because of the surface of that oval. It is so uneven. Students will run along, particularly in the summer months, and they will fall over, and it is like falling onto concrete because there is not full grass coverage on the oval, so they bang their head on the very, very hard ground. Despite the fact that we ended up at one stage with a student significantly concussed and needing medical attention, the government has continued to ignore this school, to ignore the needs down there. It would not take much money, and you just think of how much money this government wastes. Just a few dollars off the table would fix this very straightforward project for the oval refurbishment down there at Camelot Rise.

They have got a number of other areas that need to be addressed as well. There are various buildings that again date right back to the 1960s, and as you can well imagine, they are nowhere near state of the art and require a lot of maintenance to keep them up to the operational standard that they need to be at. To their great credit the principal, the staff and all the team down there and the school council work together with the broader school community—they work hard together—to make sure that the school operates effectively and efficiently and is a beautiful school for the local students.

I also think of Livingstone Primary School. Again, this is such a minor matter in the sense of the dollars involved. It is just mind-boggling that the government could not find a few dollars for this—and this was to build a staff car park. They have got the space, they have got the gates, they have got everything, except they just need it to be bituminised and to be marked up with lines so that the staff can come in off busy Livingstone Road there, off the side streets and off other parking areas and park their cars on the premises. Particularly in winter the staff have to park further away. That means they have got to often walk back to their cars in the dark and so on. It is not an ideal situation, and it would not take very much money. Again, I have advocated in this place on numbers of occasions for Livingstone Primary School to receive that modest amount of money just to solve this significant local issue that continues to plague our community up there in Vermont South.

There are a range of other schools as well—I have not got time to detail them; I could talk for ages on them alone—that have got many inferior buildings and facilities. They need that TLC; they need that capital injection to bring them up to the standards that parents and families and indeed the broader community expect at this stage of the community’s development. It is a big disappointment for the Forest Hill community there.

In relation to some other matters, we have got other areas that have also very sadly missed out. I think particularly of the Whitehorse SES unit. Again, I have raised this matter in here numbers of times. They operate basically in a temporary building like a site office. You may be aware, you may not be, but the Whitehorse SES is one of the busiest SES units, certainly in metropolitan Melbourne but probably in Victoria. Because of the beautiful area that we live in out there in the district of Forest Hill and the City of Whitehorse, there are so many trees, and in the big winds and storms, which we seem to get a few of in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, numbers of those trees go over. So they are always out doing various essential jobs in the community, and here they find themselves in this temporary shed. In the heat over the summer, when there are other issues going on as well—and indeed in the winter—it is very substandard accommodation. I must say, despite that, they do an outstanding job serving our community and the broader Victorian and Australian community as well when needed. But it would not have taken much. It would only have taken a couple million dollars for that to be fixed, for it to be replaced and for a proper office, a proper radio room and a proper control base command centre to be established to make life a lot easier for all those wonderful volunteers that do such a great job protecting and serving our community.

I now turn to some of my sporting clubs. Again I could talk for ages on this as well, but I think particularly of the East Burwood Football Club, one of my wonderful football clubs. It has got more than 100 years of heritage, so it has been around for an extremely long time. They are a very successful club. They have rebuilt after some very challenging years in the last few years, but they are going from strength to strength at the moment. Yet they have not got facilities for female players, and that is just not on in this day and age. We have been trying to work with the council, but we have also been seeking funding from the state government to put some money in there to bring those facilities up to the 21st century. Sadly again they have missed out.

Similarly, I have got the wonderful Forest Hill Football Club, again a tremendous local club that has got a very long and wonderful history in the local area. Their facilities go back probably to the 1960s as well and are clearly not up to the standard that the community would be expecting in this day and age. It is a great disappointment that there has been no funding to rebuild those facilities, to provide proper changing facilities for females and to provide proper changing facilities for umpires, because we have got the situation—and particularly these days—where there are female umpires as well. They have to go out and stand outside while the opposite gender gets changed—the men go out and the women go out at different times—and really in this day and age that is not good enough. It is such a disappointment that the government has not provided small amounts of funds for these particular projects.

I think of the Bill Sewart Athletics Track. It would have been a great opportunity for the government just to put in a few dollars, perhaps $1 million or $2 million—which is nothing; crumbs off the table of this government—to put in some more toilets. That is one of the best athletic tracks in Melbourne; I think it is in the top two or three. They have countless school carnivals there, and they have to bring in portable toilets every time there are school groups there. So it is a great disappointment that the government could not find the funds to do that particular project either.

I think particularly of a project that goes back many, many years. It goes right back to 2014, and it is in relation to the Healesville freeway reserve. I have said many times in this place that the now Premier came out and stood on the stump and promised to keep that as public open space. Subsequent to that there were other promises made, including a 3.5-kilometre joint walking-cycling track for the community to use. That was in 2014, and subsequent to that we have heard other matters from various ministers, including the current Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change. But the sad thing for the community is that nothing has happened, so we have got the situation here all these years later—eight years later—that it is still the way it was, or virtually the same as it was, eight years ago. The community has been ripped off there by this government. That could have been addressed. There could have been funds earmarked for that. They went against the promise that they made to the community and sold off various components of the Healesville freeway reserve. That was a disappointment to many, because it has narrowed the area that is available for other uses, including other very much-needed sporting facilities and other facilities for Vermont Secondary College in particular. So that is very disappointing for the Forest Hill community.

The SPEAKER: Order! I have to interrupt the member. The time for consideration of items on the government business program has arrived, and I am required to interrupt business.