Budget documents revealed the government would spend $1.33 million to close Sandhurst Residential Services in early 2016, ahead of schedule. 

Schools were also the big winners for Bendigo.

The $5.5 million Castlemaine Secondary College project is expected to be finished mid-2018, with $1.1 million to be spent on stage two next financial year.

Eaglehawk Primary School will undergo a $1.6 million redevelopment, Maldon Primary School will receive $500,000 in upgrades and Charlton college will receive $600,000.

The government also committed to projects announced last month, including developments at Quarry Hill Primary School, Kyneton Primary School, Kyneton Secondary and Winters Flat Primary School.

Deputy Premier Peter Ryan said more than 30 schools in regional Victoria would be upgraded.

THE Campaspe region will have access to a new 24-hour police station, according to Minister for Police and Emergeny Services Kim Wells.

The state government announced $14.4 million to build the new station at Echuca.

Mr Wells said the government was committed to increased community safety.

"The coalition government has allocated $14.4 million for the construction of a new 24-hour Echuca police station," he said.

"The new station demonstrates the the coalition government's commitment to increasing community safety for Victorians in regional and rural Victoria and providing improved and modernised facilities for Victoria Police."

The new station will house specialist units which Mr Wells said would help police "control crime in the region".

The project is scheduled to be completed in mid to late 2016.

$33 million has been set aside for new police stations in Echuca and Melbourne.

Budget documents also note the government will equip police at all 24-hour stations with tasers, which had already been announced.

Mr Wells said the tasers would be used as an alternative to firearms.

Budget documents also note a $65.6 million redevelopment of Echuca Hospital and $10 million upgrades to Castlemaine Hospital.

Documents noted the $630 million New Bendigo Hospital project, which started last year, would be one of the biggest hospitals in regional Australia.

The growth of Ballarat West has been a key focus in the state government’s budget, with a $30.2 million investment to kickstart the city’s employment zone.

The City of Ballarat will contribute $5 million of the investment, with funding  being used to prepare the area for the expected influx of businesses to move to the zone.   

Premier Denis Napthine said the zone would provide one of Victoria’s best opportunities for investment by both national and international businesses.

“The Ballarat West Employment Zone is an essential part of the Napthine Government’s strategic vision for growth and prosperity of Ballarat, providing jobs for the region’s growing population,” he said.

Stage one of the employment zone will include a subdivision of lots, construction of internal roads, installation of services and marketing and sale costs of the land. 

The funding is expected to be used over the next four years, with $12 million to be used within the next 12 months.

A $7.8 million investment to help modernise the Ballarat High School was included in the budget, however, it stopped short of any mention of a new primary school in Lucas as mooted in The Courier on Tuesday.

In total the budget included a $500 million fund for capital works programs for schools across the state included new schools in Torquay, North Geelong and Bannockburn.

A additional $1.4 billion will be invested in hospitals and health services over the next four years from the 2014-15 budget, however, no new funding for Ballarat was announced Tuesday.

There is already a $46 million upgrade underway for Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital.

As previously reported in The Courier, $8.4 million in funding for a new emergency services hub in the Ballarat’s West was included in the budget. However, the funding stops short of funding the whole project only providing for a new police station and the acquisition of land.

A further 17.9 million will be used to purchase 49 new CFA medium tankers, which will be distributed across the state.

A $39.7 million investment into communications will ensure commuters on the Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Seymour and Traralgon train lines will be able to access free public wifi.

The funding will also help to alleviate mobile phone black spot areas in fire prone areas.    

It was announced $453 million will be invested across the state to ensure the prison system meets future demands.

An additional 871 prison beds will be added across the state with $87.5 million specifically listed as creating 203 brand new prison beds at medium term facilities.

Both Beechworth and Langi Kal Kal are specifically noted as locations for the new beds with preliminary works also underway for a further 300 beds at medium term facilities.

Pre-construction will be funded for the Ararat and Beaufort bypasses for the Western Highway.

The previously announced $14.3 million passing loop near Bacchus Marsh  will help to cut down on delays experienced by Ballarat commuters.

Up to $220 million will be provided for the Murray Basin rail project which will involve rail standardisation and an upgrade of the Mildura rail line.

A new mental health centre in Warrnambool and an overhaul of Port Fairy’s hospital have been bankrolled in a pre-election cash splash.

Tuesday's state budget contained $4.2 million for a new Prevention and Recovery Care centre, catering for 10 mental health patients with eight new beds and two day beds.

Mental Health Minister Mary Wooldridge said construction of the new centre would create 12 new jobs, with Warrnambool Base Hospital expected to play a role in its administration.

Moyne Health Services were also a big winner with a $3 million committed to redevelop its main hospital following years of community lobbying.

No concrete start dates have been made for the two projects although both are pencilled in for the 2014-15 financial year.

Deputy Premier Peter Ryan told reporters  “there would be plenty more where that came from” for regional Victoria, suggesting an election campaign splurge.

“This is the returns for regional Victoria after they placed their faith in us four years ago (at the last state election),” Mr Ryan said.

“There’ll be plenty more for regional Victoria between now and November. “We already have the runs on the board but the focus on regional infrastructure will continue.”

Most of the region’s key cash gains had been pre-announced the state government including $5 million for resurfacing of the Woolsthorpe-Heywood Road alongside smaller projects.

Estimated expenditure on the south-west’s radiotherapy centre is projected to be $8.4 million in the 2014-15 financial year, funding the long-awaited goal of community campaign Peter’s Project.   

State Treasurer Michael O’Brien said the big ticket item for the south-west remained duplication of the Princes Highway between Colac and Winchelsea.

More than $360 million has been committed to the project which was originally pledged by the then Gillard government and Abbott opposition during the 2010 election campaign.

It will follow on from the highway duplication work between Waurn Ponds and Winchelsea, scheduled for later this year.

Mr O’Brien told State Parliament 250 jobs would be created through the duplication of the highway.

However, the budget papers showed the Western District was the second poorest-performing area out of nine regions in terms of population growth.

The south-west’s residential base has been static for the past five years compared to strong growth in the Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong regions.

The Wimmera has largely missed out in this year's state budget.

While other regions across the state received money for new projects, Wimmera projects to receive money were previous announcements.

The $10-million funding for Horsham College was confirmed in yesterday's budget, but no other Wimmera school received regeneration money.

The budget information paper also highlighted money previously announced, including $3.4 million for the national grains genebank in Horsham and $7 million for Horsham Special School.

A $3.8 million upgrade has been confirmed for Wodonga West Primary School in the 2014 Victorian Budget.

The original Lawrence Street school was built in 1958 out of light timber designed to last only 25 years and has been left in a state of disrepair. 

But long-sought Victorian government funding, part of today’s state budget, will be made available for an upgrade after July 1.

The school’s $3 million federally funded learning space, built as part of Labor’s Building the Education Revolution project in 2010, will remain.

In transport funding, Member for Benambra Bill Tilley said the Shelley-Walwa Road was “on the road to repair” after the state government said it would spend $1 million on its busiest section.

The cash for the 17-kilometre stretch between Guys Forrest Road and Walwa was announced today as part of a $130 million road maintenance program over four years.

Mr Tilley said the work was a start on renewing the road after years of lobbying.