Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Budget 2025–26

Juliana ADDISON (Wendouree) (14:39): I wish to congratulate the Treasurer on handing down her first budget. It is a significant day for Victoria, as Jaclyn Symes is the first woman in our state’s history to be Treasurer and to hand down a budget. I congratulate the Treasurer on a budget that is focused on what matters most. We know what matters most to Victorians, and that is real help with the cost of living, so we are investing even more in frontline services, including hospitals and schools, fixing our roads and potholes, community safety and teaching skills for the future as well as backing small business. In this budget we are providing energy bill relief to households with a concession card, increasing the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund and providing more support for food relief.

We are making public transport free for under-18s and providing more than 65,000 extra Get Active Kids $200 vouchers. We are also making record investments in health care, public transport and road maintenance. I am delighted that we are funding a Ballarat bus network review, which people across my community have been calling for. This budget is also a winner for the local Scouts, with $300,000 to upgrade the Ballarat Scouts water activity centre on Lake Wendouree. There will also be funding for the installation of digital CCTV at Wendouree station, as well as the support of a new Country Fire Authority satellite station at Wendouree.