The Bendigo region and communities across rural and regional Victoria will be taxed more, but get less after changes in this week's state budget. Labor's latest budget sends a clear message that this is a government that's out of money and raiding the pockets of country families, farmers and small business owners.
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Nearly $285 million has been slashed from regional development and $61.3 million butchered from the agriculture budget.
Cuts to biosecurity, no new money to fix our crumbling regional roads and millions of dollars plundered from regional public transport to pay for trains in Melbourne.
In a blow to our farmers and farm businesses crying out for new export opportunities to fill the void left by trade tensions with China, the Labor government has shaved 63 per cent from Victoria's trade programs.
In the 2021-22 state budget, Labor failed to provide the final $5 million for planning on the Murray Basin Rail Project.
It cut $66.7 million from trade and global engagement. Efforts to develop new strategies to maintain and/or grow export opportunities were more than halved.
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The government failed to invest a single cent in new residential rehabilitation beds in rural and regional communities. $2.54 million was cut from community grants that support the fight against Queensland fruit fly. In a budget that Labor tried to claim is a big boost to education, it overlooked priority upgrades to country schools and hospitals.
The rollout of Orange Door services which provide crucial support against domestic violence for families in crisis has been put on hold.
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These cuts and delays come as Labor's cost blowouts on major projects swells to $22.3 billion, including $10.79 billion on Melbourne's North East Link and $3.43 billion on the Metro Tunnel.
Regional Victorians are being slugged the highest taxes in the country, while the sickest people in our community are waiting longer and longer for an ambulance, but we're handed scraps off the table.
Victorian families and small businesses are shouldering the burden of Labor's waste and mismanagement of major infrastructure projects in Melbourne.
Record numbers of people are moving into the regions, but Labor's lack of vision for regional Victoria risks us missing out on reaching our full potential.
Taxing Victorians to pay for Labor's massive debt is a huge risk to our post-COVID recovery.
We need a safe pair of hands, but instead we've got a government that's running on a wing and a prayer.
Peter Walsh is The Nationals Victorian leader.
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