3 May 2022
The Andrews Labor Government is putting patients first in Narre Warren South.
Across our nation - and around the world - the pandemic has put unprecedented pressure on health systems. From a sharp increase of critical COVID patients to disrupted care, resulting in longer hospital recovery time, the last two years have really knocked our health system around.
When we came to government, we put an end to the war on our paramedics. We took ambulance response times from the worst in our history to the best. Now - just like we did before - we'll ease the pandemic pressure on our hospitals and our healthcare workers.
The Victorian Budget 2022/23 will invest over $12 billion to put patients first, with a Pandemic Repair Plan for more staff, better hospitals and first-class care.
Our healthcare workers have been on the frontline of this pandemic, and we know how important it is that we support them into the future.
We're backing our healthcare workers with training and the extra pair of helping hands they need, so they can give you the very best care.
That's why the Budget is delivering funding to train and hire up to 7,000 new healthcare workers, including 5,000 nurses.
We'll provide 1,125 new Registered Undergraduate Nursing Positions and 75 new Registered Undergraduate Student of Midwifery roles over the next two years, and we're also recruiting up to 2,000 ex-pat and international healthcare workers through a global workforce recruitment drive.
Right around the nation, demand for emergency services is at an all-time high. Our Triple Zero call-takers and dispatchers are dealing with unprecedented call volumes.
But when you call for an ambulance, every Victorian should have the confidence one will arrive. That's why we're delivering another 90 paramedics - which means we've added 790 extra paramedics to the workforce since we came to government.
And to help our frontline workers reach Victorians who need help faster, we're investing $333 million to add nearly 400 new staff to increase Triple Zero call-taking and dispatch capacity for Triple Zero services, including ambulances, and training more operators to allocate calls across the state.
We're also going to make sure that every local community gets the health infrastructure and services they deserve. That's why this Budget invests $2.9 billion to build new hospitals and deliver upgrades to health services in every corner of our state.
By expanding our emergency departments, adding more surgical beds to get more elective surgeries done and increasing maternity care services - this Budget will ensure more Victorians get the very best of care, close to home.
We're also addressing significant demand for emergency services in our Casey by redeveloping and expanding the emergency department at Casey Hospital as part of a $236 million package. This will ensure locals get the very best healthcare, while giving our nurses and ED staff, extra resources and rooms to treat more patients.
As we roll-out our Pandemic Repair Plan to make sure people in Narre Warren South get the care they deserve, we're also getting on with delivering the schools, roads and public transport services they rely on.
We know you can't get a first-rate education in a second-rate classroom. That's why we're investing over $18.9 million at Kambrya College to create an additional 400 spaces for students in classrooms - because the Andrews Labor Government believes in giving every child the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
To make sure every young Victorian gets the education they need for the career they want, the new VCE Vocational Major and Victorian Pathways Certificate will replace VCAL, offering students more choices, a higher-quality curriculum and better workplace experiences - preparing students to jump into further study, training at TAFE or work as soon as they leave school.
The VCAL reforms will save many Victorian families up to $1,000 by cutting out-of-pocket costs, with students no longer having to pay for essential learning materials for VET studies.
Local communities deserve great places to play sport and under an Andrews Labor Government, they will have them. We're investing $88 million to build, upgrade and renovate community sporting infrastructure. This will deliver bigger, better change rooms, club rooms and community spaces for our community to enjoy, including $1.5 million to upgrade the space and build larger female change rooms at the Strathaird Reserve - so the Narre South Cricket, Football and Netball teams get the sports infrastructure they need to support more women getting involved in sport.
Thousands of Victorians rely on their local buses and trains to get them to work, school and around their community. We're meeting growing demand in Casey by expanding bus routes 863 and 895. We're also delivering 10-minute services in peak periods on the Cranbourne train line, so locals can get to work and back to their loved ones sooner.
But that's not all - we'll also keep supporting our growing suburbs, with an additional $50 million for our Growing Suburbs Fund so we can continue building health and wellbeing hubs, new parks, and community centres in our growing suburban and peri-urban communities.
We also know that Victorians are paying too much for their energy bills - that's why we're stepping in to help families get the best deal. We're giving a once-off $250 payment for all Victorian households that use the Victorian Energy Compare (VEC) website - the Victorian Government's independent price comparator website - to search for the cheapest electricity plan that suits their needs.
With this Budget, we're getting on with delivering for all Victorians.
Quotes attributable to Member for Narre Warren South Gary Maas MP:
"Nothing is more important than the health of our loved ones. With an expansion of the emergency department at Casey Hospital this Budget will give local families the confidence that when they get sick, the care they need will be there for them."
"Our students are our future. They deserve the best learning spaces so they can reach their full potential and that's what the Andrews Labor Government is delivering for students at Kambrya College."