Statewide regional/rural initiatives
BIG SPENDING: Victoria treasurer Tim Pallas is handing down the 2016-17 state budget.
Emergency Services
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- $80.7 million to upgrade facilities at six emergency training centres
- $74 million to boost forest fire management
- $37.1 million invested to continue and expand emergency medical response programs to 35 CFA brigades
- $596 million in additional police, equipment, technology and services across the state
Schools
- $4.4 million toward regional kinders
- $3.8 million for occasional childcare services in rural areas
- $133 million for parents to access free maternal and child health care services
- $92 million for 10 new tech schools, announced Tuesday
- $200 million into regional scools includes:
- $151 million toward toward modernising, upgrading and regenerating existing regional schools. 39 out of 97 schools receiving funding are regional.
Family Violence
- $572 million to implement responses to family violence royal commission, announced about two weeks ago, includes a houseing blitz and specialist support services
Jobs
- $92 million ivestment into 10 new tech schools
Sport
- $46.4 million for community sports and events including support for country football and netball clubs
Tourism
- $20 million regional events fund to support regional events
Health
- $2.9 million into health system
- $200 million for regional health infrastructure fund, including $6 million for 18 to 20 bed facility in the Grampians region, which has already been announced
- $132 for clinical mental health services
- $57.3 million to support vulnerable children and their families with the ice crisis
Transport
- $427 million in road safety upgrades most invested into regional Victoria
- $52 million package of works on top of that for smaller local roads
- $51.6 million to build overtaking lanes on major highways
- The Victorian government and Graincorp will invest a total of $8.5 million to upgrade and build new train loading infrastructure and siding facilities along the soon-to-be upgraded Murray Basin Rail network.
Rural
- Water and transport infrastructure are the big agricultural winners in this year’s State Budget.
- The budget provides $468 million in new investment in water infrastructure including $20m for the Macalister Irrigation District.
- Nearly $120 million will go on irrigation modernisation projects, as well as the Wedderburn, Werribee and Bacchus Marsh irrigation districts.
- Market access will be improved with a co-investment $8.5m to be spent on upgrades to state owned rail sidings.
- The government will spend $5m on maintaining the 35 rural financial counsellors.
Ballarat region
Schools
- $3 million Ballarat Secondary College, Bacchus Marsh College and $2.1 million Mount Clear College to get funding
- On Tuesday, funding was also announced for a new tech school at federation university
Jobs
- $4.2 million to establish Ballarat Innovation Lab and Digital Space (BILDS)
Emergency Services
- $4.62 million package which will include a new training facitility in the Central Highlands area to replace the Fiskville Training College.
Transport
- $518 million to upgrade the Ballarat line, duplicate a 17 kilometre section of single track between Deer Park West and Melton and three kilometres of track west of Warrenheip. New passing loops at Bacchus Marsh, Ballan and near Bungaree.
- Two extra peak services for Ballarat.
- Second platforms at Bacchus Marsh and Ballans stations
- $10 million for Midland Highway between Bannockburn and Meredith, this is out of the $51.6 million fund to build overtaking lanes on major highways
Bendigo region
Schools
- $23.1 million for upgrades to four schools and to establish a tech school in Bendigo
- A share of $151 million in regional schools funding including Bendigo Senior Secondary, the Echuca Regeneration Project, Kalianna Special School, Rochester Secondary.
- Chewton Primary ($90,000), Timor Primary ($90,000) and Tooborac Primary ($60,000) will receive a share of "school pride" funding
- Marong Primary and Spring Gully Primary will receive money to plan for future upgrades
Transport
- Additional two off-peak services per day as a result of a new 27 VLocity fleet order.
- An extra weekday off-peak return service for the Maryborough line
- $15.8 million to upgrade Bendigo and Eaglehawk stations.
- $2 million for planning needed to upgrade the Bendigo line
- $30.4 million project project to duplicate Napier Street between Weeroona Avenue and Hall Street.
- Safety improvements to the intersection of Strathfieldsaye Road and Tannery Lane in Strathfieldsaye.
Emergency Services
- $46.2 million package for Huntly Victorian Emergency Management Centre
Water
- $14 million to tackle rising ground water in Bendigo
Arts
- $7 million for the Bendigo Arts Precinct
Wimmera region
Hospitals
- $3.5 million in the Wimmera Cancer Centre
Roads
- $10 million for the Western Highway for preconstruction works for Ararat to Stawell
Warrnambool region
Hospitals
- No funding for Warrnambool Hospital
Police
- Colac police station improvement funded
Wodonga region
Schools
- $28.1 million to modernise, regenerate or upgrade six schools across North East Victoria
Hospitals
- North East Health funding to reduce surgery wait times, the government would not put a figure on how much
Roads
- $8.5 million for overtaking lanes between Cobram and Yarrawonga and on roads across the Alpine areas including the Great Alpine Road, Bright-Tawonga Road, Mount Buffalo Road and Bogong High Plains.
- $600,000 for the Yarrawonga-Mulwala bridge
Trains
- $5 million to plan the development of tracks between Upfield and Somerton. While the investment isn't in the North East, it would give the Albury, Seymour and Shepparton services an alternative route into Melbourne, which could lead to more possible services
- $1.3 billion to make the regional rail service more frequent and reliable
Police
- $36.8 million will upgrade and replace run down police stations across regional Victoria, including new stations at Bright ($3.25 million) and Corryong ($3.21 million)