Tuesday, 23 May 2023

Budget 2023–24

Chris CREWTHER (Mornington) (14:27): We have just had the budget, and for many months I have called for funding for Mornington Park Primary School’s and Mount Eliza Secondary School’s much-needed infrastructure. These schools have issues like 50-year-old dilapidated buildings, mould issues, asbestos, outdated facilities and facilities not fit for purpose. Again the Labor government committed $11.7 million, if they were elected, to Mount Eliza North Primary School, and I do not see that in these budget papers either. I call on the government to do the right thing by funding these schools based on need, not based on the colour of an MP or the marginality of a seat.

On the budget, the rising issue of homelessness and housing on the Mornington Peninsula gets worse and worse and is at crisis point, with rough sleepers on the foreshore and other areas now common. Since the Andrews Labor government came to power, the net change in public housing on the Mornington Peninsula is minus 13, with places sitting empty and being sold. We have seen in this budget an increase in land tax for 860,000 Victorians, with $975 more for those with houses worth over $300,000. This would then be passed on to renters and will make the situation even worse.

Lastly, I have been calling for funding for our coastal areas – for Shire Hall beach, Hawker, Mount Martha north and south and the Beleura cliff path. Again, I do not see some clear funding there. I do see, though, some funding for Victorian coasts and I hope that the government will prioritise funding for these urgent paths and beaches. This budget is a failure.