Breaking down the 2023 Victorian Budget

Victoria has delivered a lean and challenging budget, signalling tough times for many people.

The budget has dramatically curbed spending in key areas, but there are also some bright spots and welcome funding measures

Of note to many VCOSS members, the budget includes $20m to increase baseline community sector funding by 3.3% (indexation). While this is less than what’s required to keep pace with surging costs and increasing demand, it’s a critical and welcome downpayment on further support.

VCOSS remains hopeful of greater commitments in the near future.

Jump to full budget analysis
Read our media release

VCOSS Treasurer’s Lunch

Just days after deliveirng the budget, Treasurer Tim Pallas fronted the annual VCOSS Treasurer’s Lunch to answer the sector’s questions.  

In a wide-ranging conversation moderated by Guardian Australia’s Benita Kolovos, Mr Pallas fielded questions on early intervention, social housing, community health, the future of Jobs Victoria, indexation, and a mooted Fair Jobs Code.

Tim Pallas Prepared remarks
25:37 Treasurer on indexation
27:46 Treasurer on Fair Jobs Code

Questions
32:27 Social housing after the Big Housing Build?
35:03 Has the Early Intervention Framework had an impact?
38:43 Future of Jobs Victoria programs?
41:47 Improving sexual assault responses?
44:37 Future investment in medical care at home?
48:24 Indexation
53:37 Jobs Victoria (reprise)
55:02 Demand affecting costs (and indexation)
56:52 Investments in disaster preparadness and young people?

Full budget analysis

Full VCOSS post-budget press conference.

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○ Treasurer’s Lunch (video)
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○ VCOSS media release
○ VCOSS budget submissions
○ 2023 Budget papers
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Value the community sector

Read a PDF version here.

Significant initiatives

  • Supporting Community Sector Jobs
    VCOSS members deliver a wide cross-section of programs commissioned by different Victorian government departments. We have examined the Budget papers and calculated that – in total – the Departments of Families Fairness and Housing, Health, Justice and Community Safety, and Government Services have set aside $20m in 2023-24 ($85m/4 yrs) to assist with cost pressures for community sector organisations. VCOSS understands that for DFFH and DH funded services, this equates to a 3.3% increase in baseline community sector funding. It is not immediately clear what the percentage figure is for DJCS and DGS. VCOSS will seek clarification.
  • Fair Jobs Code Transition Fund
    $7.5m in 2023-24 ($15m/2 yrs) to promote secure work arrangements in the community sector by supporting the implementation of the Community Sector Fair Jobs Code and providing transitional support for community service organisations.
  • Community participation and support
    $7m in 2023-24 ($7.5m/2 yrs) to support community and philanthropic organisations, organisations that foster volunteering, and support social infrastructure. VCOSS is seeking more detailed information on the specific allocation (both the amount of funding and the activity it will fund).
Treasurers Tim Pallas talks about the Fair Jobs Code and indexation.

Initial analysis

  • VCOSS welcomes the investment of $20m in 2023-24, and $85m over 4 years, to help community sector organisations meet rising costs and surging demand for their services. However, $85 million over 4 years is less than what’s required for the community sector to keep up with demand, increased case complexity and the true cost of delivering services. VCOSS will continue to advocate to the Victorian Government for a transparent indexation formula that factors in, for example, the full costs of service delivery such as wages, superannuation, portable long service leave and higher WorkCover premiums.
  • We continue to be concerned that community sector employers do not have the necessary funding and associated preconditions to attract, retain and develop a skilled workforce, as funding for many community service programs and projects continues to be short term. This will be critical in the Government developing a Community Services Fair Jobs Code.
  • In future Budgets, we are keen to see workforce growth and development strengthened through strategic investment in data capability to model demand and guide workforce planning for the community services sector. If collected, this data would assist Government to better plan and fund the sector. In our submission to the 2023-24 State Budget, VCOSS highlighted the example of the UK’s Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set. This provides high quality, anonymous data to their Department of Health and Social Care to act upon, for example, rises in the national living wage, vaccine rollouts, age of employees in the sector and promoting adult social care as a career. Their State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England 2022 report shows that pay, travel to work distances, training and qualifications, and contract type are all factors that affect an employee’s propensity to remain in an adult social care job. Looking ahead, a funded overarching community services industry workforce strategy, inclusive of volunteering, would enable all parts of the sector to grow and develop their workforces.
  • Another crucial workforce challenge that needs to be addressed is the new worker pipeline and barriers to undertaking or completing placements. Most TAFE and university qualifications relevant to the community sector require students to complete a minimum number of placement hours before they can graduate. But cost-of-living pressures are making it difficult for students to undertake these placements. Many students already juggle study and paid work. Taking on unpaid labour means they lose valuable income from casual or part-time jobs. On top of this, students incur placement-related expenses such as travel, housing (for placements not close to home), uniforms, required equipment and childcare. We note this Budget provides financial and other supports for pre-service teachers undertaking placements in regional, remote and rural areas. VCOSS continues to advocate for the Government to provide targeted funding for paid student placements in our sector.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic devastated Victoria’s volunteer workforce. While we welcome some funding for organisations supporting volunteering, it is not sufficient. We need comprehensive investment to implement all actions from the Victorian Volunteer Strategy 2022-27. Given recent floods and bushfires, we had also hoped to see funding in this Budget to support the development of a Spontaneous Volunteering Strategy. This is needed to coordinate the urgent volunteering roles involved in disaster recovery and the influx of people wanting to help.
  • VCOSS continues to advocate for community sector workers to be identified as key workers in the context of government-backed affordable housing initiatives. The lack of affordable housing has made it difficult for organisations to attract, recruit and retain staff, particularly in regional Victoria.

Early Intervention Investment Framework (EIIF)

Read a PDF version here.

Significant initiatives

  • This Budget invests more than $675 million into a diverse set of initiatives through the Early Intervention and Investment Framework (EIIF). This is an increase on the $504 million invested in 2022-23 and $324 million in 2021-22.
    • Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals
      $22.5m in 2022-23 ($90.5m/4 yrs) to establish three new Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals, and plan for 20 more. The locals will provide integrated mental health treatment and wellbeing supports. This funding also enables the continued delivery of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs and Partners in Wellbeing program.
    • Specialist forensic mental health services
      $13.5m in 2022-23 ($81.3m/4 yrs) for support for adults and young people with serious mental health needs who are in contact, or at risk of coming into contact, with the justice system.
    • Sustained solutions for Housing First to end rough sleeping
      $19.1m in 2022-23 ($67.6m/4 yrs) for multi-disciplinary support for individuals experiencing rough sleeping, including continued support for new and existing Homelessness to a Home clients.

What’s good

  • VCOSS welcomes the Government’s continued commitment to investing in early intervention and improving outcomes for people experiencing disadvantage. The $675m of funding invested through the EIIF will enable critical support for Victorians in mental health, housing, access to justice, preventative health, aged care and disability.
  • The continuation and expansion of Housing First models for people experiencing rough sleeping and young people leaving residential care will have a transformative impact for many Victorians who are in most need of care and support.

What’s missing

  • While the investment into specialist support and care for people in custody or in contact with the justice system is much needed, VCOSS would consider this late intervention. As noted in the ‘Fair and equal justice’ section of this analysis, VCOSS will continue to advocate for a justice reinvestment strategy which would enable community-led approaches that prevent people from becoming involved in the justice system in the first place. Approaches such as this would strengthen the EIIF by directing funding towards earlier intervention and addressing root causes of issues.
  • The funding dedicated to mental health and wellbeing services, child protection, aged care and disability is also welcome; however, many of these initiatives represent core government service provision and critical sector reforms. Including these initiatives in the EIIF risks diluting the purpose of the framework.
  • For the EIIF to achieve the stated goals of improving outcomes by offering assistance sooner, and curbing demand for acute services, funding needs to be directed at genuine early intervention and prevention initiatives. The Government can achieve this by enabling cross-departmental collaboration and leveraging the knowledge and expertise of the community and social sector to develop innovative programs that meet community needs and priorities.

Inclusive communities

Read a PDF version here.

Aboriginal self-determination

Meeting the State’s legal requirements to enter Treaty negotiations
$21.9m in 2023-24 ($138.2m/4 yrs) for the state to progress key obligations as part of Victoria’s ongoing Treaty Process with First Peoples. This funding will support the state and First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria as the First Peoples’ Representative Body to meet Minimum Standards and prepare for Treaty negotiations.

Stronger Families – Closing the Gap by transforming the children and families service system
$20.9m in 2023-24 ($139.9m/4 yrs) to reform the children and families system to reduce Aboriginal overrepresentation in child protection and family services.

Continuing the Aboriginal Community Infrastructure Fund
$51.m for 2023-24 ($10.2m/2 yrs) to help advance social and economic development, employment and service provision for Aboriginal Victorians. It includes continued investment in the Aboriginal Community Infrastructure Program and the First Mortgage and Community Infrastructure Program.

Major Aboriginal cultural events and awards
$700,000 for 2023-24 ($1.4m/2 yrs) to continue delivering major Aboriginal cultural events and awards that empower Community to join together in celebration and remembrance of Victoria’s Aboriginal cultures and histories.

Significant initiatives

What’s good

  • Victoria is committed to providing formal recognition of the status, rights, cultures and histories of Traditional Owners and Aboriginal Victorians through a Treaty process. The 2023 Budget maintains the momentum, ensuring funding is in place to keep Treaty on track.
  • The Victorian Government is addressing the devastating legacy of colonisation on First Nations Peoples through its Closing the Gap investment in child and family services. VCOSS welcomes the provision of almost $140m over four years to support self-determined approaches to address the overrepresentation of First Nations families in the Child Protection system. This funding will enable:
    • The transfer of an additional 774 Aboriginal children to the Aboriginal Children in Aboriginal Care program
    • Expansion of the Community Protecting Boorais trial, an Aboriginal-led investigation team for child protection reports, for 348 Aboriginal children
    • Early intervention supports, including Koorie supported playgroups, the Aboriginal Rapid Response service model, and the Family Preservation and Reunification Response for Aboriginal families
    • Continued support for the Aboriginal Workforce Fund, business planning resources for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, targeted training packages for approximately 100 sector workers and support for the Aboriginal Community Infrastructure Program.
  • There are other positive investments in Aboriginal health and wellbeing, including social, economic and educational participation across diverse areas of the Budget.
  • For example:
    • The women’s health package includes funding for a dedicated Aboriginal-led clinic.
    • The ‘More support for mums, dads and babies’ Budget line spans health care, maternal and child health, and parenting support. Support for Aboriginal families is identified as part of this broad package.
    • Funding is provided to continue the Earn and Learn and Aboriginal Traineeship programs in the mental health and wellbeing workforce.
    • The Budget advances the statewide rollout of the health-based response to public intoxication, including dedicated services for Aboriginal Victorians and central clinical and referral support services.

What’s missing

  • Other sections of VCOSS’s analysis describe investments in justice, health and housing. These are important and necessary, but underscore the health inequalities and overrepresentation of First Nations Peoples in hospitals, prisons and homelessness services as a result of dispossession and colonisation. They reinforce the importance of the Victoria’s progress on Truth, Justice and Treaty (highlighted earlier in our analysis as a positive significant initiative in this Budget).
  • However, they also point to the need for the Government to make investments that enable Victoria to:
    • Raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 years of age.
    • Establish a Justice Reinvestment Framework for Victoria and implement justice reinvestment programs.
    • Build more social housing.
    • Ensure Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations are adequately and sustainably funded.

Victorians with disabilities

Significant initiatives

From a disability inclusion perspective, VCOSS notes the Budget includes the following funding:

  • Victorian State Disability Plan
    $3.9m for 2023-24 ($8.3m/3 yrs) will be invested to deliver a range of initiatives, including (but not limited to) the continuation of:
  • Disability Liaison Officers to identify and address barriers for people with disability in accessing health services.
  • Funding for the Victorian Disability Advocacy Program to support people with disability through access to advocacy and ensuring equitable access to services, including the NDIS.
  • Supporting inclusion in kindergarten for children with additional needs
    $4.5m for 2023-24 ($18.1m/4 yrs) funding to support inclusion in kindergarten for children with additional needs.  
  • Accessible Buildings program
    $5m for 2023-24 ($10m/2 yrs) to continue to improve access to school facilities for students with disabilities and additional needs. Facility modifications may include ramps and handrails, alterations to toilet and shower facilities and adjustments for students with vision or hearing impairments.
  • Building Better TAFE Fund
    $26.1m in 2023-24 ($170.1m/4 yrs) for five projects, one of which is a Disability Services Hub and Student Hub at The Gordon TAFE Geelong.
  • Expanding tax concessions for families providing a home for a relative with a disability
    $1.2m for 2023-24 ($5.4m/4 yrs) of foregone revenue to support families providing a home for a relative with severe disability through land transfer duty and land tax relief that will be provided in circumstances where the occupant is eligible to be a beneficiary of a Special Disability Trust.
  • Pathways to home
    $9.1m for 2023-24 to transition Victorians with disabilities who are well enough for discharge from hospital into home-like settings that are equipped to meet their needs.

Significant initiatives characterised in the Budget as early intervention include:

  • Providing legal assistance and supporting Victorians with disability
    $7m in 2023-24 ($14m/2 yrs) to continue early intervention programs and meet demand for legal assistance for people experiencing hardship, including through:
    • Community Legal Centre (CLC) initiatives such as the CLC Family Violence Assistance Fund and early intervention health justice partnerships.
    • Support for people with a cognitive impairment to participate in police interviews through the Office of the Public Advocate’s Independent Third Person program.

Notable Budget lines in the forensic space – as distinct from the inclusion space – include:

  • Specialist forensic mental health services
    $13.5m in 2023-24 ($81.3/4 yrs) funding to expand the forensic community mental health workforce supporting adults with serious mental health needs who are in contact or at risk of coming into contact with the justice system. This Budget line includes funding to continue the Community Forensic Disability Mental Health Service.
  • Reducing future justice demand and keeping the community safe
    This includes some funding for forensic disability and complex needs services for people with cognitive disabilities who have been in custody, as part of a broader package of measures. VCOSS notes the language in this descriptor is drawn directly from the Budget papers (to assist our members to cross-reference our analysis) and is not VCOSS’s language.  

Additionally, we note significant new investment in this Budget for students at specialist schools. These new investments will roll out alongside the Disability Inclusion Package reforms that are currently being introduced in mainstream settings:

  • Fighting for students with disabilities and their families
    $29.6m for 2023-24 ($177.4m/4 yrs) for measures including (but not limited to):
    • Outside School Hours Care program (provision of “free, high-intensity support” to young people with disability to 30 specialist schools by 2026).
    • NDIS Navigators at each government specialist school.
    • TAFE Disability Transition Officers to provide specialised and intensive support for secondary school students transitioning to TAFE.
  • Students with Disabilities Transport program
    $31.9m for 2023-24 to continue the provision of transport assistance for students with disabilities to attend specialist schools.

What’s good

  • Stigma, discrimination, exclusion, poverty and barriers to accessing preventive health care have a detrimental impact on the physical and mental health of people with disabilities. As such, VCOSS welcomes continued investment in Disability Liaison Officers to identify and address barriers for people with disability in accessing health services, as well as funding to enable timely hospital discharge. In the next Budget we would like to see expansion of other proven initiatives, such as the model of care provided through the Women with Individual Needs clinic at the Royal Women’s Hospital, as well as increased investment in health promotion and illness prevention more broadly.

    Looking ahead, we note that new Disability Inclusion laws have the potential to improve access to mainstream supports that address the social determinants of health, and reduce health inequalities. However, this will be contingent on the establishment of a new Disability Inclusion Commissioner with the necessary power and authority to drive change, and future Budget investment in an appropriately resourced Office of the Disability Inclusion Commissioner.
  • VCOSS welcomes new investments in early childhood education, schools and TAFE, which include measures intended to drive greater inclusion in mainstream settings. New funded supports for students in specialist schools are substantial and deliver on a 2022 election commitment that VCOSS understands was informed by the lived experience of families. Measures that increase access to allied health and extracurricular activities and assist with NDIS navigation will make a significant difference for students in these settings. It is important to consider these alongside the $1.6 billion already going into the government school system through the Disability Inclusion Package.

What’s missing

  • While VCOSS welcomes funding for forensic disability and complex needs services for people with cognitive disabilities who have been in custody, it is disappointing to see no targeted investment into comprehensive disability screening and data collection for people with disabilities at any stage of criminal procedure. Given that people with disabilities are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, implementing a systemic approach to disability screening would inform more appropriate responses in policing, courts, and prison. 
  • We are disappointed that this Budget has not allocated any funds for the creation of a Supported Decision-Making Service – a proposal advanced by VCOSS in our submission to the 2023 Budget development process. Without dedicated funding for such services, people with cognitive disabilities who can’t rely on friends or family to provide ‘informal support’ are left at risk of being unable to express their free will and unable to navigate complex systems like healthcare, justice and housing.
  • Funding for accessibility upgrades to our transport network is welcome but more investment is needed for Victoria’s public transport network to become fully accessible and compliant with our legislated requirements under the Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (DSAPT).

LGBITQ+ Victorians

Significant initiatives

  • Delivering Pride in our future
    $5.3m for 2023-24 ($22.5m/4 yrs) for initiatives that strengthen the health, wellbeing, social and economic outcomes of LGBTIQ+ Victorians, including:
    • An LGBTIQ+ Community Grants Program
    • Expansion of the Rainbow Tick program
    • Pride in Ageing pilot
    • Bendigo Queer Arts Festival.
  • Priority suicide prevention and response efforts
    $7.5m in 2023-24 ($17.7m/3 yrs) to continue universal aftercare services as part of the Bilateral agreement between the Commonwealth and the Victorian Government, and the expansion of LGBTIQ+ suicide prevention and mental health services. Funding also continues delivery of social and emotional wellbeing supports and suicide prevention services through the Strong Brother Strong Sister program for Aboriginal young people in the Geelong region, and the Youth Live4Life program for young people living in rural and regional Victoria.

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Victorians

Significant initiatives

  • Delivering commitments to Victoria’s multicultural communities
    $27.1m in 2023-24 ($77.6m/4 yrs) to build and upgrade community infrastructure, celebrate culture and advance equal rights, protections and opportunities in Victoria.
  • Refugee education support
    $2.9m in 2023-24 ($20.1m over 4 yrs) to continue and expand a suite of refugee education support programs that build capacity in Victorian schools and early childhood services to respond to the needs of children, young people and families of refugee background and improve learning and wellbeing outcomes.
  • Supporting our multicultural and multifaith communities
    $1.1m in 2023-24 ($6.1m over 4 yrs) to strengthen and extend language provision in Community Language Schools and select government schools.

What’s good

  • The Government has maintained its commitment to supporting Victoria’s migrant and refugee communities by continuing, and in some cases expanding, funding for key programs including the Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund, the African Communities Action Plan, Community Language Schools and refugee education support. Overall, funding for multicultural policy and programs has remained relatively steady.
  • The funding for multicultural organisations, including the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria, enables these organisations to continue to support and advocate for their communities. Their work has proved to be invaluable during the pandemic and other emergencies, including the 2022 floods.
  • Culturally-specific support to enable improved education and employment opportunities for young people from African and Pasifika backgrounds will be provided as part of a broader suite of youth early intervention initiatives. Funding for community health to continue service for refugees and asylum seekers has also been provided.

What’s missing

  • Victoria is becoming increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse. While VCOSS welcomes the continued investment into Victoria’s multicultural sector, looking ahead, we would like to see the Government fund the development of a new co-designed Multicultural Strategy. This would ensure coordinated action across government to engage and support migrant and refugee communities, and strategic, equitable and long-term funding for the sector.
  • Racism and discrimination are significant drivers of inequity for multicultural communities. Although funding for anti-vilification campaigns is highlighted, there appears to be little in this Budget to address systemic racism. To enable equitable outcomes for multicultural Victorians, the Government can release the Statewide Anti-Racism Strategy and provide funding to implement all actions. 
  • Funding for the CALD Communities Taskforce has not been renewed. The Taskforce was a key pillar of the Victorian Government’s improved engagement with CALD communities. Cutting the program is a missed opportunity to capitalise on the vital networks and knowledge it generated. Although the Taskforce was focused on helping CALD communities respond to COVID-19, the Government could have extended funding and supported the model to pivot to building preparedness for other emergencies such as floods and bushfires.

Digital Inclusion

Significant initiatives

  • Service Victoria – delivering digital government services
    $30m in 2023-34 ($90m/2 yrs) to modernise and digitise government service delivery.
  • Single digital presence
    $5m in 2023-24 ($10m/2 yrs) to make Victorian Government information easier for the community to access and navigate on a single digital platform.

What’s good

  • Digital access is an essential service – and a funding commitment to make Victorian Government information easier for the community to access and navigate on a single digital platform is positive.

What’s missing

  • These Budget measures tackle just one dimension of digital exclusion. There are a range of other access and accessibility barriers that make many everyday tasks impossible for Victorians on the wrong side of the ‘digital divide’.

    During VCOSS’s community listening tour, we repeatedly heard about the worsening of digital exclusion during the pandemic from government and other services switching to predominantly online delivery. The loss of face-to-face access was highlighted as a key concern. It is crucial that Government provides community sector organisations, such as Neighbourhood Houses, with adequate resources to address digital exclusion in their communities.

    It is also important that Victorians have the option to access Government services in-person as both a digital inclusion measure and a social inclusion measure.

Senior Victorians

Significant initiatives

  • Addressing Family Violence for Older Victorians
    $1.4m in 2023-24 ($6m/4 yrs) to continue the delivery of Elder Abuse Prevention networks that provide community-based primary prevention and raise awareness of elder abuse in communities across Victoria. 

    Funding is also provided to continue to deliver the Seniors Rights Victoria support service, including the statewide elder abuse helpline. This service provides free information and referrals, legal advice and casework, advocacy and education on matters specifically related to elder abuse to over 3,600 Victorians aged 60 and above.
  • Better services for older people in aged care settings
    $34.3m for 2023-24 ($42.2m/3 yrs) funding provided to public sector residential aged care services.
  • Better aged care services for Regional Victorians
    $4.1m in 2023-24 ($162.2m/4 yrs) funding provided to continue the Rural and Regional Public Sector Residential Aged Care Services (PSRACS) Revitalisation Strategy to build three new PSRACS in the following locations – Cohuna (24 beds), Maffra (30 beds) and Numurkah (36 beds).

What’s good

  • VCOSS is pleased to see increased funding to Seniors Rights Victoria, which is the only integrated legal and advocacy service specialising in elder abuse that covers the whole state. We highlighted in our recent State Budget submission that Seniors Rights Victoria was struggling to meet increased demand and we are pleased to see that funding is being provided to support the service, including the statewide elder abuse helpline.
  • VCOSS welcomes continued investment in public sector Residential Aged Care. During the height of the pandemic, these public facilities delivered the highest levels of safety, quality and care for senior Victorians. We are particularly pleased that the Budget provides for the development of three new Public Sector Residential Aged Care Services that can support senior Victorians with complex care needs.

What’s missing

  • There is a need for greater focus on digital literacy support for senior Victorians, including community outreach programs.

Loneliness

What’s good

  • VCOSS is pleased that the Budget includes funding for community participation programs such as Neighbourhood Houses and Men’s Sheds. These programs support the social and economic participation of vulnerable Victorians and can help tackle loneliness. It is also encouraging to see funding for organisations that run volunteering programs, although the investment is modest in relative terms. Volunteering fosters social connection and is a key part of the solution to loneliness and isolation.

What’s missing

  • VCOSS has advocated for specific measures to tackle loneliness head on. Looking ahead, we would like to see Government investment in a public campaign to reduce stigma and promote help-seeking, and the development of a loneliness screening tool to help health and community service workers identify people who may be lonely or at risk of experiencing loneliness. This could potentially form the next stage of Victoria’s investment in social prescribing, noting several trials are underway as part of the implementation of the Mental Health Royal Commission reforms.

Community Transport

Significant initiatives

  • Delivering Victoria’s Bus Plan
    $2.2m for 2023-24 ($34.5m/4 yrs) funding to deliver bus improvements across Victoria and support other community and public transport services – notably this includes a grant to the VICTAS Community Transport Association (VTCTA) to support the sustainability of the community transport sector.
  • Multi-Purpose Taxi Program (MPTP)
    $6.5m for 2023-24 to support increased demand for this program and continue the current MPTP lifting fee paid to drivers for wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAVs) trips.

Carer support

Significant initiatives

  • Critical support for Victoria’s unpaid carers
    $9.5m in 2023-24 ($38m/4 yrs) to continue respite support for unpaid carers, including for carers of people with a mental illness and younger carers.

What’s good

  • VCOSS welcomes the continuation of funding for additional respite for unpaid carers over four years, which will help support around 5,000 Victorian carers to manage their caring responsibilities.  

What’s missing

  • Around 25,000 Victorians with a Carers Card will no longer be eligible for public transport concessions. While carers in rural and regional areas have benefited from broader changes to public transport costs, discontinuing access to public transport concessions will mean many face increased costs to travel on public transport.
  • We are disappointed that a dedicated program to provide employment support to unpaid carers has been discontinued, given this group continues to face significant barriers to labour market participation. The withdrawal of this support will disproportionately impact women.

A healthy Victoria

Read a PDF version here.

Significant initiatives

  • Giving women’s health the focus and funding it deserves
    $23.8m in 2023-24 ($153.9m/4 yrs) to improve access to services and promote best-practice management of women’s health issues. This includes establishing 20 new women’s health clinics, a dedicated Aboriginal-led clinic, and sexual and reproductive health hubs. The funding will also deliver an additional 10,800 laparoscopies, provide scholarships to increase availability of women’s health specialists, and deliver an inquiry into women’s pain management.
  • Alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment, support and harm reduction services
    $51.2m in 2023-24 ($160.1m/4 yrs) to continue the delivery of AOD services, including the Medically Supervised Injecting Room in North Richmond, outreach services, treatment and withdrawal beds across nine locations, navigation and advocacy services, and surveillance of emerging drugs. Funding will also increase access to pharmacotherapy, support 84 new AOD trainee positions, expand Victoria’s naloxone supply program, and expand U-Turn, a Men’s Behaviour Change Program, into the Hume program.
  • Health-based response to public intoxication
    $25.4m in 2023-24 ($53.4m/3 yrs) for the statewide rollout of the health-based response to public intoxication, including dedicated services for Aboriginal Victorians and central clinical and referral support services.
  • High quality and therapeutic bed-based services (mental health clinical care)
    $45.2m ($156.6m/4 yrs) tooperationalise 72 beds in Victoria’s mental health system to improve access to acute care for those experiencing mental illness. This includes funding to increase the availability of supports for people with an eating disorder, through the opening of a new state-wide residential eating disorder treatment centre. It will also support the continuation of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Services and deliver 24 Hospital in the Home beds to provide acute mental health treatment, care and support in the comfort of a person’s home or usual place of residence.
  • Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals
    $22.5m in 2023-24 ($90.5m/4 yrs) to:
    • Continue delivery of mental health and wellbeing supports through the Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs and the Partners in Wellbeing program.
    • Establish three new Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals in Northcote, Leongatha and Narre Warren.
    • Plan for a further 20 Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals.
      The Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals will provide integrated mental health treatment and wellbeing supports delivered by a multidisciplinary team.
  • Improving access and equity of service delivery
    $28m ($41m/2 yrs) to continue the reform of mental health community-based and statewide services, including the Perinatal Emotional Health Program, the Mental Health Statewide Trauma Service and targeted services delivered by Eating Disorders Victoria, ARCVic, Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) and The Compassionate Friends Victoria.
  • Priority suicide prevention and response efforts  
    $7.5m in 2023-24 ($17.7m/3 yrs) to continue universal aftercare services as part of the Bilatera agreement between the Commonwealth and the Victorian Government, and the expansion of LGBTIQ+ suicide prevention and mental health services. Funding also continues delivery of social and emotional wellbeing supports and suicide prevention services through the Strong Brother Strong Sister program for Aboriginal young people in the Geelong region, and continues delivery of the Youth Live4Life program for young people living in rural and regional Victoria.  
  • Strengthening and supporting the mental health and wellbeing workforce
    $4.1m in 2023-24 ($11.8m/4 yrs) to continue the Earn and Learn and Aboriginal Traineeship programs, attracting new workforce by providing concurrent opportunities for education and on-the job learning.
  • Targeted health support for children in care
    $4.6m in 2023/24 ($37.8 m/4 yrs) to deliver multidisciplinary health assessments, access to in reach nursing, and health management plans to improve health outcomes for up to 5,000 children and young people in state care.
  • Pathways to home
    $9.1m in 2023-24 to transition those who are well enough for discharge from hospital, including people with a disability, into home-like settings that are equipped to meet their needs. This will ensure people are not stuck in hospital longer than they need to be, making more hospital beds available to treat patients who need in-hospital care.  
  • Prevention and early intervention of chronic and preventable health conditions
    $41.9m in 2023-24 to continue the delivery of Priority Primary Care Centers and GP Respiratory Clinics to relieve pressure on emergency departments, as well as funds to maintain access to community-based care, continue services to refugees and asylum seekers and deliver a range of skin cancer prevention initiatives.

What’s good

  • A rich body of data and research – and women’s lived experience – shows clear gender inequality in women’s health. This Budget makes good on the Government’s election commitment to elevate women’s health through the establishment of new, dedicated clinical services and investments in research and workforce development. This is one of the highlights of the 2023-24 health budget.
  • This Budget puts an additional $520 million into the state’s mental health and wellbeing system. Mental health peak bodies have noted that the investment choices made by government provide stability to service providers and consumers while ongoing reforms continue to mature. The investment in services is complemented by substantial investment to help establish and operate new and existing entities under the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022. The Budget papers identify that these dollars will be targeted to the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, the Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing, the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist, and the Mental Health Tribunal, as well as funds for continued operation of the eight interim Regional Bodies (which coordinate and plan mental health and wellbeing services across Victoria).
  • This Budget makes sensible investments to extend funding for existing AOD residential services. $9.9m is provided over the next two years to provide additional support for nine opioid pharmacotherapy clinics in metropolitan and regional Victoria. Pharmacotherapy supports over 15,000 Victorians, and we welcome investment to increase access to this critical health program.
  • With winter on its way and COVID placing enduring strain on Victoria’s hospitals, we welcome the continuation of GP Respiratory Clinics (including those delivered by Community Health services) and Priority Primary Care clinics, as well as additional funding to maintain access to community-based health and services for refugees and asylum seekers in Victoria. The pandemic has demonstrated just how vital these services are to keep the community well and out of hospital.
  • Like other states and territories, there is a well-documented shortage of General Practitioners in Victoria. We are pleased that the Victorian Government will help improve access to primary care by providing doctors with incentives to undertake GP training. While this will not address immediate access issues, or the cost of accessing private General Practice, we note there are a range of recently-announced Federal Government Budget measures intended to improve access to bulk billing.
  • VCOSS welcomes a further year of funding for the Home and Community Care Program for younger people who are not eligible for the NDIS and need assistance with personal care, preparing meals and other daily activities.  

What’s missing

  • The Budget papers bring into sharp relief the amount of funding going into acute care compared with preventive health care, admitted services compared with non-admitted services, and hospitals and hospital-based services compared with community health.

    VCOSS appreciates the important role of hospital services in the lives of Victorians – it’s crucial that, no matter where people live, they have access to vital life-saving care and other health interventions that can only be delivered by and in hospitals. We recognise – for example – that the Budget commitment of $560.7m in 2023-24 to meet the needs of Victorian public hospital services ($2.328 billion/4 yrs) supports the delivery of quality patient outcomes, operationalises new and expanded facilities, and addresses the impacts of COVID-19 on public hospitals and the increasing costs of delivering healthcare. It also includes investment in blood products. These investments are both important and necessary, and will be greatly welcomed by communities around the state and healthcare workers.

    However, from a social and community services perspective, it’s vital this is coupled with strategic investment in health promotion, disease prevention, early intervention and action on the social determinants of health, along with health maintenance and continuing care services – and that this investment is located in community health services.

    Our 2022 election platform and submission to the 2023 Budget remain relevant. We continue to call for:
    • Increased core funding and longer contracts to the community health sector so services can meet current demand and respond to increasingly complex community needs.
    • Increased provision of non-acute and out-of-hospital care by the community health sector.
    • Greater access to health infrastructure grants.    
  • Significant investment is going into Local Public Health Units (LPHUs) – including some resources previously located in community health for preventive healthcare initiatives. VCOSS welcomes all investment in prevention – but believes this funding is optimally placed with community health, leveraging off existing place-based system architecture, deep knowledge of communities, established cross-sectoral networks and partnerships, and in-reach to highly marginalised cohorts otherwise characterised as ‘hard to reach’ or ‘hard to engage’.

    That said, we do understand this decision is now made. Going forward, it will be important for the work of the LPHUs to be rendered more visible to other public health actors and social and community services that address social determinants and contribute to health and wellbeing outcomes. The LPHUs largely remain opaque to our sector, and this is a concern given they subsumed – and were meant to sustain – ‘high-value’ functions from the former Primary Care Partnerships (catchment-based alliances of health and social services providers).
  • More could be done to address health inequities and access to healthcare for rural and regional Victorians. In future budgets, we would like to see investments that support the existing healthcare workforce to work to their full scope of practice through innovative models such as the Community Paramedic model, which is currently being implemented by Sunraysia Community Health Services. This initiative deploys paramedics in community to deliver evidence-based chronic disease prevention, management, and health promotion programs that are shaped around addressing the social determinants of health. We would like to see this model trialled in more sites across Victoria through the Early Intervention Investment Framework.
  • The Community Connectors program has been defunded. This initiative – a post-COVID successor to the High Risk Accommodation Response Program – has been delivered in high-density public housing clusters in Melbourne and other priority settings around the state. It has levered off the high-trust relationships and place-based expertise of community health services, employing teams of local residents, people with lived experience and health promotion workers to link people at their doorstep to preventative and early intervention health and social care services. For relatively modest outlay, Community Connectors has been a high-impact initiative that improves health equity for people who are experiencing deep exclusion and need active linking to connect to much-needed support. Community Connectors is exactly the type of program the government should sustain investment in, to drive down long-term demand and cost pressure on expensive, over-stretched acute services.
  • This Budget provides $10m over two years for 84 trainee positions for graduates of the Cert IV in AOD. While we welcome a focus on a pipeline of new workers in the sector, this Budget misses an opportunity to invest in 250 full-time clinicians needed to meet the current unmet demand for AOD treatment. Looking ahead, future investment should fund the development of an industry plan for the sector, to ensure adequate workforce and infrastructure to meet increasing and more complex needs.
  • About 1.5 million Victorian adults are eligible for public dental care, but very few receive any. On average, it takes almost two years to see a dentist. The performance measure in this year’s Budget papers specifies 23 months as the target wait time for general dental care. We continue to be concerned about the systemic under-investment in public dental care for adult Victorians.

Easing the cost of living

Read a PDF version here.

Significant initiatives

  • Bringing back the SEC
    $24m in 2023-24 ($44.5m/2 yrs), plus a $1bil equity investment, to establish the State Electricity Commission (SEC) to accelerate investment in renewable energy in partnership with industry, deliver benefits to households through lower energy bills, and assist in meeting Victoria’s renewable energy targets.
  • Cheaper public transport fares for the regions
    $41.1m in 2023-24 ($179.9m/4 yrs) to reduce the cost of regional public transport across Victoria. From 31 March 2023, regional fares are capped at the same price as metropolitan zone 1+2 fares. Regional myki passes are capped at the metropolitan prices.
  • Driving down bills with 100 neighbourhood batteries
    $5.2m in 2023-24 ($42.3m/4 yrs) for 100 neighbourhood batteries across the state, targeted to provide the greatest value to customers, communities and the electricity system. Funding rounds will be open to community organisations, local councils and other electricity market participants.
  • Zero interest loans for solar home batteries
    $16m in 2023-24 for Solar Victoria to provide interest-free loans to eligible households to install solar battery storage systems in their homes.
  • Community participation and support
    $7m in 2023-24 ($7.5m/2 yrs) for a range of initiatives to support community wellbeing and resilience, including funding for food relief through FareShare.

What’s good

  • This Budget introduces new revenue measures to repay COVID-era debt. These measures are squarely targeted at businesses, investors and higher-income earners, with lower-income and more vulnerable Victorians largely spared the pain. VCOSS notes that some landlords, who are reaping windfalls from an over-heated private rental market, are threatening to pass on the cost of land tax increases to renters – a real risk given landlords are already passing on the costs of interest rate rises. VCOSS suggests this is an opportune time for the Government to consider the introduction of further regulation to curb unaffordable rent increases, as the ACT has done.
  • The revival of the State Electricity Commission will advance Victoria’s pathway to net zero and, along with the new state-wide investment in neighbourhood batteries, can help to put downward pressure on power bills. For example, the combination of further renewable generation and deft Government involvement in the energy supply chain will reduce costs to households by supporting innovation during the energy transition, as well as increasing wholesale supply to replace retiring coal-fired stations.
  • The $250 Power Saving Bonus (PSB) has been a welcome cost-of-living measure across the Victorian community. The funding in this Budget is for the current round of the PSB and includes investment in community outreach to drive up awareness and take-up amongst vulnerable households, including those who would otherwise miss out on the payment because of digital exclusion or language or literacy barriers.

What’s missing

  • This Budget discontinues funding for public transport concessions for the 25,000 unpaid carers who hold a Carers Card. While cheaper public transport fares for the regions will reduce the sting for some, this measure impacts a section of the community already struggling with the cost of living. The cut to this concession comes on top of recently-gazetted cuts to three energy concessions, due to take effect in December, which VCOSS continues to urge the Government to overturn. Looking ahead, VCOSS is keen to ensure that – at a minimum – Victoria maintains the value, scope and eligibility of our existing concessions system, and invests in measures to improve take-up amongst the most vulnerable concession card holders (this would be achieved by providing ongoing funding for Energy Assistance Programs delivered by community sector organisations).
  • The Budget makes smart investments in the Solar Victoria home batteries stream. Looking ahead to the next Budget, we’d like to see further initiatives to help low-income households access a range of household energy efficiency upgrades and live in healthier homes.
    In particular, VCOSS would like to see a re-launch of a refined Home Heating and Cooling Upgrades program. Under a reimagined program, the value of the rebate available to low-income households to upgrade to energy-efficient heaters and air-conditioners would cover the full cost of purchase and installation.
  • VCOSS welcomes a short-term investment in food relief through FareShare. However, we are disappointed that the Budget doesn’t invest in a long-term, whole-of-government Victorian Food Security Strategy. We need a long-term blueprint to create a food system that supports health, sustainability, equity and resilience for all Victorians.
  • As demonstrated by media reports of a 10% increase in supermarket food prices, Victorian households facing rising bills don’t always get a straight answer on why their day-to-day costs are increasing (and what can be done). VCOSS will continue to advocate to Government to create an independent Cost of Living Commissioner. With a broad mandate to look across state services, private markets and national factors, this Commissioner would lead collaborative work on challenges that sit across multiple areas of government, such as food security, concessions, telecommunications affordability and accessibility, and housing.
  • VCOSS has previously called on the Government to provide a one-off Debt Demolition payment of up to $2,000 to help clear accumulated utility debts. The case for this additional measure continues to grow, as seen in the budget papers anticipating over 106,000 applications for Utility Relief Grants in 2023-24, an increase of nearly 10,000 from the expected outcome in 2022-23. While Utility Relief Grants are an essential part of the Government’s cost-of-living toolkit, and help low-income Victorians experiencing unexpected hardship to pay some of their overdue energy and water bills, a one-off Debt Demolition Payment would have helped people clear COVID-era utility debts once and for all.

Thriving children and families

Read a PDF version here.

Significant initiatives

Key investments in universal services include:

  • More support for mums, dads and babies
    $15.5m in 2023-24 ($71.2m/4 yrs) to deliver responsive health care for mums, dads, babies and children and boost the capacity of universal Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services. Investments set out to respond to the growing needs and complexities of families, further expand the Early Parenting Centre network and deliver targeted and flexible support for mothers, fathers, multicultural communities and Aboriginal families. VCOSS notes the language in this descriptor is technical language drawn directly from the Budget papers (to assist our members to cross-reference our analysis). We acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of all Victorian families.
  • Best Start, Best Life
    • $1.8 billion in 2023-24 to continue the delivery of high-quality, free kindergarten programs for three- and four-year-olds
    • $1.2 billion to expand early learning infrastructure through the landmark Best Start, Best Life reform package.  
  • Supporting inclusion in kindergarten for children with additional needs
    $4.5m for 2023-24 ($18.1m/4 yrs) funding to support inclusion in kindergarten for children with additional needs.  
  • Our Place partnership and place-based education plans
    $1.8m in 2023-24 ($19.3m/4 yrs) to continue and expand the Our Place hub model, which establishes co-located early childhood education, Maternal and Child Health, health services and allied health, schools and adult and community further education into a one-stop shop in response to community needs, using the universal platform of schools.
  • Books in prep bags
    $800,000 in 2023-24 ($3.8m/4 yrs) to continue to supply free books in prep bags to support family engagement with quality literature from an early age and encourage parents and carers to read frequently to their children.

Key investments in early intervention include:

  • Responding to family services demand
    $11.1m in 2023-24 to continue trials to embed family services in universal settings such as schools, early years services and community health hubs to provide more accessible services for vulnerable families.

Investments in children in care or at risk of system engagement

  • Stronger Families – Closing the Gap by transforming the children and families service system
    $20.9m in 2023-24 ($139.9m/4 yrs) to reform the children and families system to reduce Aboriginal overrepresentation in child protection and family services.
  • Delivering improved outcomes for children in residential care
    $171.1m in 2023-24 ($548.3m/4 yrs) to:
  • Respond to demand for residential care placements to support children and young people.
  • Increase therapeutic supports in residential care homes and address child sexual exploitation.
  • Continue the provision of targeted care packages to support children and young people to live in suitable care arrangements and to prevent entry into residential care.
  • Targeted health support for children in care
    $4.6m in 2023-24 ($37.8/4 yrs) to deliver multidisciplinary health assessments, access to in reach nursing, and health management plans to improve health outcomes for up to 5,000 vulnerable children and young people in state care, to reduce acute health service usage.
  • Housing First for young people leaving residential care
    $5.8m in 2022-23 ($32.6m/4 yrs) to deliver a Housing First approach (access to housing and multidisciplinary support) for approximately 225 young people with complex needs in existing residential care and other settings.

What’s good

  • The first 1000 days of a child’s life are a critical period that shapes their development and wellbeing. Knowing the importance of this life stage, we welcome the Government’s investments in responsive Maternal and Child Health services to support families through what is often a challenging time. Understanding that the early years is often a time when family violence or mental health issues can escalate, we welcome the additional support that will enable early identification and response in line with the needs of families. Further, we welcome the investment in culturally-informed, specialist service streams for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, as well as multicultural communities.   
  • As outlined in our response to the Education budget, VCOSS wholeheartedly endorses Victoria’s flagship ’Best Start, Best Life’ initiative and the $6.2 billion the government has invested in the initiative to date. From an education perspective, these significant investments will boost children’s participation in early learning and result in positive education outcomes, and will facilitate smooth transitions to primary school. From a health and wellbeing perspective the ’Best Start, Best Life’ initiative will also lead to positive outcomes for children and their families by fostering social connections, providing opportunities for early intervention when health and wellbeing issues arise. In addition, increasing access to kindergarten across the state has the potential to make a huge difference to women’s financial security and participation in employment.
  • The Our Place model provides a great example of how co-located services can provide wraparound support to communities over the course of their life and through a child’s developmental trajectory. We are pleased to see funding to maintain momentum in three areas, including investment in an additional site in Shepparton. We hope to see the model extend further in coming years.
  • This Budget makes important investments in children, young people and families engaged with family services, the Out of Home Care system (residential care services) and Child Protection, with an enhanced focus on therapeutic interventions. As the sector continues to work with government to move towards a system that can work earlier and more effectively to improve long-term social outcomes for children and families, it is significant that several of the child and family services Budget measures are located in the Early Intervention Investment Framework. 
  • In his address to sector representatives in the Budget lock-up, the Premier highlighted the Government’s commitment to addressing the devastating legacy of colonisation on First Nations children and families in this Budget, through Closing the Gap investment in child and family services. VCOSS welcomes the provision of almost $140m over four years to support self-determined approaches to address the overrepresentation of First Nations families in the Child Protection system. This funding will enable:
  • The transfer of an additional 774 Aboriginal children to the Aboriginal Children in Aboriginal Care program
  • Expansion of the Community Protecting Boorais trial, an Aboriginal-led investigation team for child protection reports, for 348 Aboriginal children
  • Early intervention supports, including Koorie supported playgroups, the Aboriginal Rapid Response service model, and the Family Preservation and Reunification Response for Aboriginal families
  • Continued support for the Aboriginal Workforce Fund, business planning resources for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, targeted training packages for approximately 100 sector workers and support for the Aboriginal Community Infrastructure Program.
  • The Budget provides $10.2m in Investing early where it matters to continue programs within the Youth portfolio. These include the Marram Nganyin Aboriginal Youth Mentoring Program and Le Mana Pasifika. Extending these programs ensures young people have access to culturally-embedded supports that can strengthen their health and wellbeing and assist them to remain engaged in education and/or employment. The package also delivers further investment in the Regional Presence Project delivered by the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVic) and Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY). This supports the continuation of vital research, advocacy and sector capacity building to build and maintain a highly skilled youth workforce across rural and regional Victoria.

What’s missing

  • While this Budget does invest in more support for mums, dads and babies, VCOSS is disappointed that this Budget did not specifically provide funding to scale and sustain provision of right@home across Victoria, so that it is accessible to all families who need it. The right@home program uses the existing Maternal and Child Health workforce to provide 25 structured home visits to vulnerable families. The visits start before a child is born and continue over the child’s first two years. The program has been shown to improve parent care and connection. It’s a high-impact, evidence-informed initiative that aligns with eight recommendations from the Mental Health Royal Commission, as well as ongoing family violence reforms. Currently, the program only operates in four areas of Victoria: Ballarat, Dandenong, Frankston and Whittlesea. This program should be recurrently funded as ‘business as usual’ across Victoria.
  • Together with Victoria’s Centre for Community Child Health, VCOSS has been advocating for a trial of new targeted investments in neighbourhoods that have the highest levels of childhood disadvantage. Looking ahead, we’d like to see the government invest – through the EIIF – in a multi-sector, multi-partner trial of ‘Beyond the Silver Bullet’, informed by the CCCH’s ‘Restacking the Odds’ research.

    The trial would identify 10 transformational interventions and deliver them in 20 priority communities. The sites – and the 10 interventions – would be selected with government. The interventions could include sustained nurse home visiting, playgroup participation, childcare attendance, parenting programs, access to green spaces, and financial support.

    Many of these interventions already exist. The difference in this trial is that they would be combined (or ‘stacked’) in neighbourhoods, and every child and family in the trial would receive every intervention in the antenatal to school-entry period, to accelerate equitable outcomes.

    We believe that this early intervention suite could end childhood inequity in Victoria in a decade and provide a global template for disrupting early childhood disadvantage. It would complement the government’s landmark investment in boosting children’s participation in early learning through the Best Start, Best Life reforms.

Early childhood, education and skills

Read a PDF version here.

Significant initiatives

Early Childhood
  • Best Start, Best Life
    $1.8 billion in 2023-24 to continue the delivery of high-quality, free kindergarten programs for three- and four-year olds.
    $1.2 billion to expand early learning infrastructure through the landmark Best Start, Best Life reform package. 
Primary and Secondary Schools
  • Providing Victorian students with the essentials to support their engagement in learning
    $21.2m in 2023-24 ($105.5m/5 yrs) to continue programs that provide schools with the essentials they need to engage students in learning. This includes the School Breakfast Clubs Program, Affordable School Uniforms and the Glasses for Kids program.
  • Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund
    $40.6m in 2023-24 ($209.3m/4 yrs) to continue targeted support for eligible students experiencing financial disadvantage to help cover the costs of sporting activities, camps and excursions.
  • Our Place partnership and place-based education plans
    $1.8m in 2023-24 ($19.3m/4 yrs) to continue and expand the Our Place hub model, which supports the education, health and development of children and families in disadvantaged communities, using the universal platform of schools. This investment specifically supports work in Shepparton, Doveton and Frankston North.
  • Free period products in all government schools
    $3.7m in 2023-24 ($19.1m/4 yrs) to continue providing menstrual products free-of-charge at all government schools, develop resources and education materials for schools, and deliver pelvic pain education programs to 100 government schools a year.
  • Refugee education supports
    $2.9m in 2023-23 ($20.1m/4 yrs) to continue and expand a suite of refugee education support programs that are designed to build the capacity of schools and early childhood services to respond to the needs of children, young people and families from refugee backgrounds.
Support for Children and Young People with Disabilities
  • Additional Supports for Students with Disabilities
    $29.6m in 2023-24 ($177.4m/4 yrs) improving support for students with a disability in specialist schools and their families by increasing access to initiatives such as Out of Hours Care, specialist NDIS Navigators, incentives to attract occupational therapists to rural and regional specialist schools, supporting the engagement of TAFE Disability Transition Officers, and increasing access to extracurricular activities and hydrotherapy.
  • Supporting inclusion in kindergarten for children with additional needs
    $4.5m for 2023-24 ($18.1m/4 yrs) funding to support inclusion in kindergarten for children with additional needs.  
  • Students with Disabilities Transport program
    $3.9m for 2023-24 to continue funding the Students with Disabilities Transport program, which provides transport assistance for students with disabilities to attend specialist schools. 
  • Accessible Buildings Program
    $5m for 2023-24 ($10m/2 yrs) for an Accessible Buildings Program to continue to improve access to school facilities for students with disabilities and additional needs. Facility modifications may include ramps and handrails, alterations to toilet and shower facilities and adjustments for students with vision or hearing impairments.  
Training and Skills
  • Building Better TAFE Fund
    $26.1m in 2023-24 ($170.1m/4 yrs) through the Building Better TAFE Fund for a Disability Services Hub and Student Hub at The Gordon TAFE Geelong.  
  • Backing TAFE for the skills Victoria needs
    $91.8m in 2023-24 ($143.7m/2 yrs) to amend training subsidy eligibility criteria to make subsidised training courses, including Free TAFE, more widely available to people returning to study. This also includes a change to the once-in-a-lifetime limit on enrolling in a Free TAFE course, to allow students to access multiple Free TAFE courses along priority training pathways.
  • Free TAFE and skills demand
    $30.9m in 2023-24 ($90.5m/2 yrs) to meet expected demand for subsidised accredited training, including Free TAFE. It also includes additional literacy, numeracy and digital literacy support for Free TAFE students, support for pre-accredited learners and to transition to a new national system for reporting training activity.
  • Supporting TAFEs to meet priority skills demand
    $47.4m in 2023-24 ($89.7m/2 yrs) is provided for TAFEs to continue delivering services for Victorian students, employers and communities, including student support services, Jobs and Skills Centres, support for broad access to training including in regional Victoria, and coordinating practical placements.
  • Apprentice mental health training program
    $0.7m in 2023-24 ($3.9m/4 yrs) to develop and deliver an apprentice mental health training program. This includes support for apprentices at smaller employers to access employee assistance programs and support for employers to improve their mental health and suicide prevention literacy.

What’s good

VCOSS welcomes significant investments in the learning and wellbeing of children and young people through the education system and across the major ages and stages of their lives – starting with early childhood. This Budget advances the Government’s flagship ’Best Start, Best Life’ initiative, which will be implemented over 10 years. Best Start, Best Life is a game changer for children and their families. The provision of Free Kinder removes financial barriers to accessing early childhood education. The continued expansion of three-year-old kinder brings forward the window for participation in high-quality early learning, and the introduction of a Pre-Prep year will set children up for success as they transition to primary school. Best Start, Best Life also includes the establishment of 50 new Government-owned and operated low-fee childcare centres in ‘childcare deserts’, which will support women’s participation in employment and their financial security. This Budget provides funding to get started on the development of the first of these.

The Budget includes a suite of targeted initiatives for children and families with additional support needs.

In the early childhood space:

VCOSS particularly welcomes funding to strengthen inclusion support for children with a disability to access kindergarten. In our submission to the 2023-24 Budget, VCOSS called on the Government to refine and expand access to the existing Kindergarten Inclusion Support and Preschool Field Officer programs. We are thrilled that this Budget delivers funding to strengthen and modernise these existing supports, as well as funding to design and pilot new approaches.

A 2019 Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry described barriers into early childhood engagement for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities. VCOSS is pleased this Budget will support the establishment of 10 bilingual kindergartens, continue the early childhood language program in more than 200 kindergartens, and provide specialist support programs for refugee families.  

In schools:

VCOSS welcomes funding for a range of education and training services that will strengthen inclusion and improve learning and wellbeing outcomes for all school students with disabilities.

Victoria is already rolling out a new funding and support model and other disability inclusion measures in government schools (the $1.6 billion Disability Inclusion Package). This Budget delivers additional investment into supports in specialist schools.

The ‘Fighting for students with disability and their families’ Budget line includes (but is not limited to):

  • Expanded out-of-hours care for 30 specialist schools
  • Increased extracurricular activities
  • More speech pathologists and occupational therapists
  • The introduction of NDIS Navigators into each government specialist school to help students and their families get the support they need.  
  • VCOSS also welcomes the continuation of programs for children and young people experiencing financial hardship to be able to access extracurricular activities such as sport, attend school camps and excursions, and to fund essential items that support student engagement (including school uniforms and glasses). And, in the context of a growing food security and cost-of-living crisis in Victoria, we are thrilled that this Budget continues Schools Breakfast Clubs and provides period products in all government schools to ensure that students are not missing out on learning due to hunger or period poverty.  
  • The funds provided in the Budget to continue and expand the Our Place model – which provides tailored education, health and wellbeing services from a single location, using the universal platform of schools – support a great example of how co-located services can provide wrap-around support to children, young people and families in communities experiencing place-based disadvantage, improving learning and wellbeing. We are pleased to see this program extend to include a second site in Shepparton, as well as continuing work in Doveton and Frankston North.

In TAFE:

VCOSS is pleased to see funding to support students to access multiple Free TAFE courses in priority training pathways (moving away from the limit on enrolling in one Free TAFE course). This will enable more students to access the skills they need to get a job and help support the Victorian economy.

Funding for additional literacy, numeracy and digital literacy support for Free TAFE students will also help set up students for success, by providing them with the support they need to complete their qualifications and get the job they want, whilst better meeting current and future needs of industry and business for stronger basic literacy, numeracy and digital literacy skills in new graduates.  

What’s missing

In schools:

  • While the Budget invests in several initiatives that provide students who are experiencing disadvantage with access to material items they need to engage in education, we are disappointed that it does not advance VCOSS’s call to include digital devices, textbooks and stationery as part of the standard curriculum. Looking ahead, future budgets should allocate additional money to schools to cover these essential items. Given the growing cost-of-living pressures on families, we’d also like to see material support extended to providing free access to public transport all year for students experiencing disadvantage.
  • VCOSS is seeking an assurance from Government that it will continue to fund the Tutor Learning Initiative (TLI) beyond the 2023 school year. TLI provides school-based small-group tutoring to students who need extra help. While it was stood up in the context of COVID-19, it is a model of support first touted to government well before the pandemic. Its relevance, value and need transcends COVID. The Grattan Institute has found that this model of targeted, school-based support reduces learning gaps between disadvantaged students and their peers – learning gaps that have drivers other than the impacts of COVID lockdowns. From 2024 onwards, it should transition to a recurrently-funded program in our school system.
  • We welcome the significant new funding to support children and young people with a disability who attend specialist schools, note continued investment to build capability in implementing school-wide positive behaviour support, and recognise existing investment in the implementation of the Mental Health Royal Commission recommendations as well as the continued rollout of the Disability Reform Package in mainstream schools. However, we would have liked to have seen dedicated investment in specific measures that support the increasing number of students and families experiencing school refusal (also known as “school can’t”).
  • Finally, we note that the current National Schools Reform Agreement (NSRA) is in the process of being renegotiated and is due to be released later in the year. We understand that this will likely involve a significant financial investment in the State’s education system that is not reflected in the current Budget. We look forward to understanding how the bi-lateral agreement between the Federal and State Governments will further strengthen the State’s current work to support student learning and achievement and positive health and wellbeing outcomes.

In TAFE and higher education:

  • Since Free TAFE began in 2019, more than 137,000 students have enrolled in over 70 courses on the free TAFE list and saved $340 million in course fees. Whilst fee-free TAFE has helped many students from disadvantaged and under-represented groups to enrol, there is more work to do to lift completion rates. This Budget – and past Budgets – have included a range of positive measures (for example, the new ‘Fighting for students and families with disabilities’ package includes intensive support for students transitioning to TAFE). However, the Government can build on this – for example, by providing scholarships and bursaries to learners on low incomes.

    We note this Budget introduces allowances for pre-service teachers who undertake placements at regional, rural and remote schools to cover costs such as accommodation, meals and travel. This model of support should be expanded beyond pre-service teachers. VCOSS’s submission to the 2023/24 Budget advocated for targeted financial and practical support for students on placement. This support would provide payment in lieu of lost ordinary income for those who’ve had to reduce hours at a paid job or quit a job to undertake a placement. It would also incorporate flexible wraparound support for those who need it – for example, access to coaching and mentoring.

Victorians in work

Read a PDF version here.

Significant initiatives

  • On-demand worker support
    $4.5m in 2023-24 ($9m/2 yrs) is provided to continue implementation of the Government’s response to the Inquiry into the Victorian On-Demand Workforce. This includes the establishment of the Gig Worker Support Service to provide support services for on-demand workers, including information and advice in relation to their entitlements and work status.
  • Jobs Victoria
    $25.1m in 2023-24 ($35.1m/2 yrs) to extend the Jobs Victoria Mentors program, which helps reduce barriers to employment for jobseekers in areas experiencing entrenched disadvantage.  Funding is also provided to support the not-for-profit organisation Ready Set to provide clothing and coaching services to jobseekers struggling to get into the workforce.
  • Latrobe Valley Authority
    $7.2m in 2023-24 is provided to continue the Latrobe Valley Authority’s operations, supporting the management of economic transition in the region. Funding is also provided for the Ladder Step-Up program to provide employment support for young people in the Latrobe Valley and for delivery of the Inclusive Employment Program by the Gippsland Trades and Labour Council.
  • Bendigo Regional Employment Precinct
    $2.0m in 2023-24 ($6.0m/2 yrs) is provided to support the delivery of planning works and build enabling infrastructure in the Bendigo Regional Employment Precinct.
  • Investing early where it matters
    $10.2m in 2023-24 ($23.4m/4 yrs) to continue initiatives that support young Victorians at risk of disengagement from the community. These community-led initiatives provide Aboriginal youth mentoring, and provide vulnerable young people from African and Pasifika backgrounds with culturally-specific support and improved education and employment opportunities.
  • Women’s economic security program
    $0.1m in 2023-24 is provided for SisterWorks Richmond to provide skills-based learning programs for migrant, refugee and asylum-seeker women and expand the Employment Pathways program to connect more women to paid employment opportunities. 

What’s good

Victoria’s economy and employment has bounced back following the COVID-19 pandemic, with unemployment at a historic low of 3.9% and youth unemployment at 8.7%. The Government has also achieved its Job Target announced in the 2020-21 Budget – to create 400,000 new jobs by 2025 – two years early.  

Victorians living in regional and rural areas have also benefited from strong employment growth, with unemployment at 3.7%. This Budget builds on investment in the regions, with funding provided to continue the work of the Latrobe Valley Authority, which helps support coal-fired-power workers and miners retrain, reskill and find new opportunities, along with funding to support the Bendigo Regional Employment Precinct. VCOSS is also pleased to see continued investment to support young Victorians at risk of disengagement from the community, including providing vulnerable young people from African and Pasifika backgrounds with culturally specific support and improved education and employment opportunities. Whilst a small investment, the funding provided to SisterWorks Richmond to deliver skills-based learning programs for migrant, refugee and asylum-seeker women and expand the Employment Pathways program to connect more women to paid employment opportunities is also welcomed. 

What’s missing

VCOSS is pleased to see continued investment in the Jobs Victoria Mentors program, which will help support around 1,500 Victorians to gain employment.

However, we are disappointed that both the Jobs Victoria Advocate and Career Counsellors programs have been defunded.

While unemployment is currently at record lows, we are mindful that there are highly disadvantaged groups that continue to be locked out of opportunity and would benefit from continued investment in the Jobs Victoria Advocate and Career Counsellor programs.

The Budget papers confirm that around 183,360 Jobs Victoria Services (Advocates, Mentors and Career Counsellors) were delivered to Victorian jobseekers this last year, double the 2022-23 target. This demonstrates the strong engagement with the programs even in this environment.

With the support of Jobs Victoria, nearly 14,000 disadvantaged jobseekers gained employment in 2022-23. Working in both Melbourne and regional Victoria, Advocates helped disadvantaged jobseekers find employment support, training and education through sharing information and tips about getting a job. Alongside this, the Career Counsellors Program helped support disadvantaged jobseekers to identify their career goals and pathways and understand their skills and strengths.

VCOSS notes that a number of flagship government initiatives rely on Jobs Victoria infrastructure, such as social procurement commitments attached to Big Build infrastructure projects, and whole-of-government strategies such as the Victorian Youth Strategy. We are keen to work with Government to ensure momentum can be maintained.

VCOSS agrees that it is appropriate to take another look at the Victorian Government’s role in employment services in a changing national economic and policy environment. We encourage the Victorian Government to continue to share insights about the success of Jobs Victoria with the Commonwealth Government and the Senate Inquiry into Workforce Australia Employment Services, to inform redesign of the Commonwealth Government’s employment services. However, even in a reformed national environment, VCOSS believes there will still be an important role for the Victorian Government to play at a policy level and a program investment level.

The impact of the reduced service footprint of Jobs Victoria will be compounded by the loss of two programs funded through DFFH. VCOSS is dismayed that the Community Employment Connectors program, which helped support young and culturally diverse Victorians to secure suitable and sustainable employment, and the Carer Employment Support Program have also been defunded. Both of these programs were making vital contributions to dismantling barriers to work for under-represented groups.

A healthy climate supporting resilient communities

Read a PDF version here.

Significant initiatives

  • Cooling our public housing towers
    $6.9m in 2023-24 ($141.4m/4 yrs) to install air-conditioners in all 42 of Victoria’s public housing high-rise towers.
  • Delivering climate action
    $5m in 2023-24 ($20m/4 yrs) to support climate change policy capability to deliver the Government’s climate action agenda.
  • Clean air for the western suburbs
    $5m in 2023-24 ($20m/4 yrs) for improved air quality for Melbourne’s inner west communities.
  • Strengthening critical Victorian community information services
    $3.3m in 2023-24 ($10.3m/4 yrs) to continue emergency management information services including the VicEmergency platform.
  • Driving down gas bills for businesses and households
    $1.2m in 2023-24 ($5.1m/4 yrs) to continue the Government’s Gas Substitution Roadmap to drive down fossil gas use.

What’s good

  • Continued support to deliver climate action and reduce gas use in Victoria is important to keep up the existing momentum. The Budget includes support for delivering climate action through legislating Victoria’s 2030 and 2035 interim emissions reduction targets, as well as net zero by 2045. It also includes support for delivering the next Climate Change Strategy, which sets a roadmap for Victoria to meet its emissions reduction commitments, and continuing the Gas Substitution Roadmap, which is a plan for the state to phase out gas use.
  • Installing air-conditioners in public housing high-rise towers will help renters keep safe from extreme heat. The towers get dangerously hot during heatwaves, which make people sick and force many to sleep outside to keep cool.
  • The western suburbs of Victoria have less green space, more highways and more heavy industry, which equates to reduced air quality for residents. This Budget commits funding towards improving air quality in the area through sealing unsealed roads and modernising trucks that travel through the area to reduce pollution.
  • The VicEmergency website and app are useful tools for communities to stay informed about local disasters and keep safe. Funding to continue the platform is welcome and ideally will also be used to make the information more accessible, including by providing translations for culturally and linguistically diverse people.

What’s missing

  • Climate action is becoming more urgent by the day. This Budget comes days after the World Meteorological Organisation announced that global temperatures are likely to reach record levels in the next five years. So, while we are pleased that the government is investing in the policy architecture for delivering climate action (important plans and strategies), we are disappointed that – for this year – the amount of funding for implementation doesn’t match the Government’s genuine policy ambition. In a tight fiscal environment, this Budget reduces spending on climate action by 43%. Spending in 2023-24 will amount to $15.7m, compared to $27.6m in 2022-23, at a time when Victorians require support more than ever to reduce emissions to enable the state to meet its ambitious climate targets.
  • Victoria’s Adaptation Action Plans represent an important step forward for climate resilience across seven systems (including the Health and Human Services sector), but the Plans need dedicated funding for implementation. Victoria is already beginning to feel the impacts of climate change, most recently through the 2022 floods. These impacts will continue to increase in frequency and severity over the coming years, no matter how much we reduce emissions. Victorians need certainty that our communities will be able to effectively and equitably adapt to the impacts of climate change.
  • Funding to keep Victorians safe from disasters is heavily weighted towards the response and recovery phases, but the community sector needs funding to build people’s resilience between emergencies. Looking ahead, VCOSS would like to see investment in an ongoing resilience workforce that can hit the ground running when disasters strike, and funding for preparedness programs co-designed with CALD communities involving translated materials and hands-on training.

Ensure Victoria’s flood recovery leaves no one behind

Ready a PDF version here.

Significant initiatives

  • Victoria’s Flood Recovery
    $159.1m in 2023-24 ($173.8m/4 yrs) to meet the relief and recovery needs of flood-affected communities.
  • Additional Flood Recovery support
    $381.7m in 2023-24 ($581.7m/2 yrs) for additional flood recovery support programs pending agreements with the Commonwealth Government on cost sharing arrangements.
  • Floods and disaster mental health response
    $0.5m in 2023-24 for mental health support for communities impacted by the floods.

What’s good

Details about which flood relief and recovery programs received further funding are scarce because the Victorian Government is yet to reach an agreement with the Commonwealth on cost sharing.

But VCOSS understands current programs will likely be extended an extra 12 months, which is a welcome relief for the countless community service organisations that have been helping flood-affected communities navigate their long recovery journey.

Programs up and running include case management, community legal assistance, financial counselling, family violence services, emergency housing support, mental health counselling, and more.

The community sector is relied on when disasters strike and the need for their services skyrockets.

This additional funding will help organisations meet that demand and provide flood-affected communities with another year of support.

What’s missing

Extending the community sector’s flood recovery programs for another 12 months is a welcome start but we know communities take years to fully recover from disasters.

For example, VCOSS held a Listening Tour event in Bairnsdale in 2023 where we heard that the community is understandably still coming to terms with the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20.

The short-term nature of disaster recovery funding also makes it difficult for organisations to retain staff members because 6- and 12-month contracts are not attractive to potential employees.

Future budgets should ensure that disaster recovery is guaranteed stable funding for multiple years at a time.

This will help the community sector recruit and retain staff members, deliver long-term recovery programs and provide local communities with certainty. Wherever possible, government should invest in local service system capability, levering off existing place-specific knowledge, experience, relationships of trust and collaborative networks. There is a crucial role for locally-embedded community health organisations, disability advocacy organisations and multicultural groups.

Housing and homelessness

Read a PDF version here.

Significant initiatives

  • Sustained solutions for Housing First to end rough sleeping
    $19.1m in 2022-23 ($67.6m/4 yrs under the Early Intervention Investment Framework (EIIF) to expand Housing First supports, including supporting current and new clients of the highly successful Homelessness to a Home program.
  • Targeted housing and support to transform and meet critical demand
    $15.2m in 2022-23 ($40.4/4 yrs) to extend funding for a range of existing programs, including the Wyndham H3 Alliance and supported housing services for women and young people.
  • Housing First for young people leaving residential care
    $5.8m in 2022-23 ($32.6m/4 yrs) to deliver a Housing First approach (access to housing and multidisciplinary support) for approximately 225 young people with complex needs in existing residential care and other settings.

What’s good

  • VCOSS welcomes this Budget’s investment in Housing First responses, including the existing initiatives (Homelessness to a Home and Homes for Families) and a new program using a Housing First model of support for young people leaving residential care. Homelessness to a Home and Homes for Families have supported almost 2,000 people with long-term housing and wraparound support, and extending funding ensures these individuals and families can continue recovering from long-term challenges associated with experiences of chronic homelessness.
  • This Budget invests in a range of initiatives that recognise the critical role of housing in addressing other challenges, including housing pathways for women on remand and short sentences, people exiting prison, and for young people leaving residential care, as well as the provision of health, mental health and AOD treatment services in three crisis accommodation facilities.
  • VCOSS welcomes the new revenue measures introduced in this Budget, such as the transition from stamp duty to annual land tax on commercial property. They show what’s possible, when governments are willing to enact bold reform. Looking ahead, the Victorian Government can build on these foundations and advance further reforms in the next Budget that improve housing supply and affordability. Chief amongst these should be the introduction of a mechanism for big developer contributions to help create a pipeline of new social housing beyond 2024, as well as phasing in stamp duty/land tax reform for residential property.

What’s missing

  • While Victoria has enacted a mammoth Rental Fairness agenda, with more than 130 reforms intended to improve the quality, safety and security of residential rental properties, these measures were designed in a pre-pandemic housing market. Victoria – like the rest of the nation – is in the midst of a housing crisis and renters are facing some of the toughest rental market conditions we’ve seen. VCOSS is keen to work with government, and other stakeholders, to consider new relief measures that can counter increasing rental costs and identify any new additional protections needed. 
  • The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) provides a critical safeguard for renters’ rights, under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. However, VCAT is facing significant demand pressures, with over 22,000 matters pending hearing in 2022, and waiting times for some matters extending beyond 18 months. While investment was provided in last year’s Budget to help Victoria’s courts to manage demand lingering from the COVID-19 pandemic, the continued backlog at VCAT indicates a need for targeted investment and policy changes to better manage demand so that the promise of Victoria’s Rental Fairness agenda can be realised.
  • We are in the final year of the nation-leading Big Housing Build. While social housing stock is growing as part of this investment, it is not enough to meet current and future demand after decades of under-investment by previous state and federal governments. Victoria needs to build 60,000 new social housing properties over the next 10 years. Currently, there are more than 57,000 applications on the Victorian Housing Register. Nearly half of those are on the priority list, while the average waiting time for priority transfers for family violence is 20 months. This underscores the urgent need for further investment in social housing. We look forward to working with the State to plan the next steps in establishing a long-term pipeline of new social housing – VCOSS is keen that these next steps advance measures that ensure developers play their part.
  • The Community Connectors program has been defunded. This initiative – a post-COVID successor to the High Risk Accommodation Response Program – has been delivered in high-density public housing clusters in Melbourne and other priority settings around the state. It has levered off the high-trust relationships and place-based expertise of community health services, employing teams of local residents, people with lived experience and health promotion workers to link people at their doorstep to preventative and early intervention health and social care services. For relatively modest outlay, Community Connectors has been a high-impact initiative that improves health equity for people who are experiencing deep exclusion and need active linking to connect to much-needed support. Community Connectors is exactly the type of program the government should sustain investment in, to drive down long-term demand and cost pressure on expensive, over-stretched acute services.

A Victoria free from violence

Read a PDF version here.

Significant initiatives

  • Ending family violence and sexual assault
    $26.5m in 2023-24 ($77.1m/4 yrs) to continue delivering support for victim-survivors and perpetrator intervention programs including:
    • Aboriginal frontline family violence services
    • Aboriginal-led sexual assault services
    • Adolescent family violence in the home programs
    • Accommodation-based perpetrator interventions
    • Men’s behaviour change programs
    • Financial support and case management for victim-survivors of family violence
    • Specialist support for women with complex needs
    • Safe at Home approaches including the Personal Safety Initiative and culturally-specific flexible support packages for 90 migrant and refugee women on temporary visas who have experienced family violence
    • Support for victim-survivors with complex presentations in appropriate accommodation.

      Funding is provided to meet increased demand for sexual assault services and sexual abuse treatment services. Funding is also provided to build the first Australian memorial to acknowledge victim-survivors of sexual assault. McAuley Community Services for Women and Good Samaritan Inn will also receive funding to support family violence victim-survivors, including children, to access crisis accommodation.
  • Specialist family violence legal assistance at court
    $7.8m in 2023-24 ($22.8m/4 yrs) is provided to Victoria Police and Victoria Legal Aid to provide specialist police prosecutors and legal support at Specialist Family Violence Courts. This will ensure that parties involved in family violence matters have legal representation to resolve cases quickly, reducing stress associated with the court process while delivering court efficiencies and improved access to justice.
  • Addressing family violence for older Victorians
    $1.4m in 2023-24 ($6m/4 yrs) to continue the delivery of Elder Abuse Prevention Networks that provide community-based primary prevention and raise awareness of elder abuse in communities across Victoria.
    Funding is also provided to continue to deliver the Seniors Rights Victoria support service, including the statewide Elder Abuse Helpline. This service provides free information and referrals, legal advice and casework, advocacy and education on matters specifically related to elder abuse to over 3,600 Victorians aged 60 and above.
  • Providing legal assistance and supporting Victorians with disability
    $7.0m in 2023-24 ($14m/2 yrs) is provided to continue early intervention programs and meet demand for legal assistance for people experiencing hardship, including through:
    • Community Legal Centre (CLC) initiatives such as the CLC Family Violence Assistance Fund and early intervention health justice partnerships.
  • Improving remote hearing participation
    $1.6m in 2023-24 ($3.2m/2 yrs) is provided to enable victim-survivors of family violence to appear in court remotely when seeking a family violence intervention order. This includes access to secure non-court locations equipped with remote witness technology and support services.
  • Reducing future justice demand and keeping the community safe
    $3.7m in 2023-24 ($8.7m/4 yrs) to fund a number of initiatives including continuing financial counselling for victim-survivors of family violence, and provision of family violence financial counselling at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre and Tarrengower Women’s Prison.
  • Giving women’s health the focus and funding it deserves
    $23.8m in 2023-24 ($153.9m/4 yrs) is provided to support the health of Victorian women and girls by improving access to services and promoting best practice management of women’s health issues. This includes establishing 20 new women’s health clinics, a dedicated Aboriginal-led clinic, an additional 10,800 laparoscopies, and nine sexual and reproductive hubs. Funding will also deliver an inquiry into women’s pain management and provide scholarships to increase availability of women’s health specialists.
  • Free pads and tampons in public places
    $5.9m in 2023-24 ($23.0m/4 yrs) to supply free sanitary items across Victoria. The Government will install 1,500 sanitary dispenser machines with free pads and tampons in up to 700 public sites across Victoria, including courts, TAFEs, libraries, train stations, and cultural institutions, such as the State Library and Melbourne Museum.
  • Gender responsive budgeting
    $0.5m in 2023-24 ($1.0m/2 yrs) is provided to continue the work undertaken by the Gender Responsive Budgeting unit within the Department of Treasury and Finance to ensure that outcomes for women are measured and considered as part of the resource allocation and decision-making process.

What’s good

After record investment in family violence in recent years, and in a tough fiscal environment, VCOSS welcomes new investment of $117 million. This includes investment of more than $77 million over four years in a range of supports for victim-survivors of family violence and perpetrator intervention programs, including family violence services, sexual assault services, men’s behaviour change programs, and financial support and culturally specific flexible support packages for 90 migrant and refugee women on temporary visas who have experienced family violence.

In particular, VCOSS welcomes:

  • increased investment to specialist sexual assault support services of $3.95 million over four years, including $1.1 million ongoing annually
  • $1.9 million to specialist harmful sexual behaviour services over four years, including $0.5 million ongoing annually, and
  • $5.5 million over four years to Aboriginal-led sexual assault support services, including $1.6 million ongoing annually.

Alongside this, VCOSS is also pleased to see increased funding to Seniors Rights Victoria, which is the only integrated legal and advocacy service specialising in elder abuse that covers the whole state. We highlighted in our recent State Budget Submission that Seniors Rights Victoria was struggling to meet increased demand and we are pleased to see that funding is being provided to support the service, including the statewide Elder Abuse Helpline.

Twelve Specialist Family Violence Courts have been established since 2019, following the Royal Commission recommendation that all family violence matters be heard in specialist courts to improve safety of victim survivors and strengthen accountability mechanisms for people who use family violence through the court process. This Budget provides welcome investment in legal services throughout this court network, to ensure victim-survivors can navigate the legal system and achieve good outcomes in court.  

VCOSS also welcomes this Budget’s focus and investment in women’s health, including funding to establish 20 new women’s health clinics and investment in free pads and tampons in public places. This measure is an important contribution to tackling period poverty and will help to advance gender equality.

What’s missing

  • While this year’s Budget contains $30.1m in output initiatives that support primary prevention of family violence and all forms of violence against women, the Budget contained no new additional funding for Respect Victoria or new funding for primary prevention initiatives. VCOSS has long advocated for an increase in funding for prevention initiatives, as we believe this will help stop violence before it begins and better support families and communities.  
  • VCOSS acknowledges the achievements of the Andrews Government in advancing gender equality in Victoria, including the implementation of Safe and Strong: A Victorian Gender Equality Strategy, the introduction of the Gender Equality Act 2020 and the establishment of a Gender Responsive Budgeting unit in the Department of Treasury and Finance. Whilst the new investment of $1.0m to support the work of the Gender Responsive Budgeting unit is welcome, we look forward to seeing further investment in gender responsive budgeting in future budgets and support for departments to undertake gender impact assessments across all policy and program design. Looking ahead, VCOSS would like to see the Victorian Government build on strong foundations and establish an independent Gender Equality Budget Group, modelled on the United Kingdom Women’s Budget Group. The Group would comprise experts from across government, academia and the social sector, and undertake an annual gender equality needs assessment of government initiatives. In the meantime, VCOSS looks forward to seeing the release of Victoria’s new Gender Equality Strategy later this year.
  • We know that many victim-survivors of family violence are stuck in refuges due to a lack of social and affordable housing. VCOSS looks forward to working with the Government to plan the next steps in establishing a long-term pipeline of new social housing, to build the 60,000 new social housing properties we need over the next 10 years.

Fair and equal justice

Read a PDF version here.

Significant initiatives

  • $7m in 2023-24 ($14m/2 yrs) for targeted programs delivered by community legal centres, including the CLC Family Violence Assistance Fund and early intervention health justice partnerships.
  • $7.8m in 2023-24 ($22.8m/4 yrs) to expand legal assistance across Victoria’s Specialist Family Violence Court network.
  • $5m in 2023-24 under the Early Intervention Investment Framework (EIIF) for early intervention, diversion and family therapy programs for 10- to 11-year-olds who are in contact, or at risk of contact, with the justice system.
  • $18m in 2023-24 ($18.3m/2 yrs under the EIIF) to provide a range of supports in the corrections system to reduce recidivism and enhance reintegration for over-represented groups, including:
    • Support for family strengthening programs.
    • The KickStart program, for men and women on community-based orders to access alcohol and other drug treatment.
    • Trauma-informed, gender-responsive supports for women in custody.
    • Culturally safe support programs for Aboriginal people in custody.
  • $8.5m in 2022-23 ($24.2m/4 yrs under the EIIF) for programs that reduce justice system demand, including:
    • Supporting forensic disability and complex needs supports for people with cognitive disabilities who have been in custody.
    • To expand the Embedded Youth Outreach Program to two new locations (Brimbank/Melton and Greater Shepparton).
    • Implementing a regional hub model for Victorian Aboriginal Legal Services in regional Aboriginal communities.

What’s good

  • 12 Specialist Family Violence Courts have been established since 2019, following the Royal Commission recommendation that all family violence matters be heard in specialist courts to improve safety of victim survivors and strengthen accountability mechanisms for people who use family violence through the court process. This Budget provides welcome investment in legal services throughout this court network, to ensure victim-survivors can navigate the legal system and achieve good outcomes in court.
  • The Victorian Government has committed to raising the age of criminal responsibility to 12 now, and has established a pathway to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 by 2027. As part of this reform, this Budget provides modest investment in support services for children and their families to address issues underlying children’s behaviours and to prevent further contact with the justice system.

What’s missing

  • VCOSS welcomes funding for a range of programs that improve the quality of healthcare in custody and respond to the specific support needs of people over-represented in the justice system, as part of their broader approach to driving down demand for acute services under the Early Intervention Investment Framework (EIIF).
  • However, although providing specialist support is welcome, we consider support provided to people already in contact with police or corrections a late intervention. VCOSS will continue advocacy to ensure people access supports in community to prevent them from becoming involved with the justice system in the first place. This can occur by adopting a justice reinvestment strategy, which would strengthen the EIIF by incorporating a community-led approach to identifying priorities and implementing solutions to address the issues that place people at risk of becoming involved with the justice system. 
  • Urgent reform to Victoria’s bail laws is also needed to reduce the number of people, especially First Nations people and women, in custody. We look forward to this reform progressing as part of the Government response to the Coronial investigation into the death of Veronica Nelson.

Use the Commonwealth Games to develop the regions fairly

Read a PDF version here.

The Commonwealth Games will be hosted in five regional Victorian cities in 2026: Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, Gippsland and Geelong. The Victorian Government states that this multi-city approach will allow for the social and economic benefits to be spread across Victoria, with investment in community, housing and sporting facilities to leave a lasting legacy on Victoria’s regional centres. Last year’s Budget allocated $2.6b over 4 years to enable organisation and hosting of the Games.

This Budget funds the election commitment to improve regional public transport, which will have significant benefits for regional Victorians, as well as domestic and international visitors when the Games begin.

Significant initiatives

More trains, more often

  • $6.4m in 2023-24 ($219.1m/4 yrs) to provide more frequent train services to Shepparton, Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland.

Supporting commentary

Since announcing the Commonwealth Games, the Victorian Government and the Organising Committee have made a range of welcome commitments, including making the Games carbon-neutral, converting a portion of the athlete’s villages into affordable housing when the Games conclude, and the creation of more than 7,500 jobs.

While this Budget does not detail how these commitments will be achieved, we note that, with careful planning, governance and leadership, investment in the Commonwealth Games can enable positive social and economic legacy benefits for host city communities and Victorians broadly. These benefits will not be automatic. As such, VCOSS is keen to work with the Victorian Government to fully realise the benefits of the Games, and prevent any unintended consequences.

In particular, we look forward to being involved in:

  • the development of solutions to manage surges in housing demand and the impact on both long-term rental accommodation and emergency accommodation
  • converting a portion of the athlete’s villages into social housing
  • increasing accessible transport across regional Victoria
  • ensuring there are meaningful pathways into employment for disadvantaged jobseekers, and
  • limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

Revenue

Read a PDF version here.

Significant initiatives

  • COVID debt levy
    The Covid-debt levy is designed as a targeted and temporary measure to reduce the Government debt burden accumulated during the pandemic. The levy is expected to deliver $2 billion of revenue in 2023-24. It will end on 30 June 2033. There are two components:
    • Payroll: an additional payroll tax on large businesses with national payrolls above $10 million a year.
    • Landholdings: a decrease on the tax-free threshold for general land tax rates, and changes to fixed charges and land tax rates. Family homes are exempt from these charges.
  • Remove the payroll tax exemption for high-fee non-government schools
    From 1 July 2024, the payroll tax exemption for high-fee non-government schools will be removed. The top 15% of schools by fee level will be affected (approximately 110 schools), and it’s expected to raise $422.2m over 3 years.
  • Harmonise the absentee owner surcharge rate with New South Wales
    From 1 January 2024, the absentee owner surcharge rate will increase from 2 per cent to 4 per cent and the minimum threshold for non-trust absentee owners will decrease from $300 000 to $50 000. This measure aligns the rate with New South Wales and is expected to increase the contribution to government service provision made by overseas property investors by $1.17 billion over the next 4 years.

What’s good

Victoria’s economy is strong and growing. It’s critical that the Government ensures this growth is sustainable and fair. Managing government debt – particularly in an uncertain global economic environment and with interest rates rising – is important, as is ensuring continued provision of high-quality and accessible services for all Victorians. The Government’s revenue measures place the burden on those who can best afford it – and who benefit the most from Victoria’s strong economic growth: big businesses and landlords.

What’s missing

More investment is needed to ensure that all Victorians benefit from the state’s prosperity. Victoria needs more than 60,000 new social housing properties over the next 10 years. To fund this construction requirement, the Government can introduce a mechanism for big developer contributions. This secure revenue stream would help create a pipeline of new community and public housing beyond 2024, and enable a focus on groups who have historically been locked out or under-serviced, such as young people.

Use the Real Funding Growth Calculator

For recurrent or repeat funding to be considered ‘steady’, it must at least keep pace with inflation and population growth (as a proxy for demand). Anything less could be deemed a funding reduction.

The VCOSS Real Funding Growth Calculator is pre-programmed with the key economic data from the budget papers. Insert your 2023 funding allocation and determine if it has grown, shrunk or simply kept pace in real terms.

Real funding growth calculator

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* This model takes account of headline inflation and statewide population growth only. It does not include other cost drivers like demand, staff costs, rent etc, and does not include any savings or genuine efficiencies you may have generated. Use as a guide only.

VCOSS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and to emerging leaders. Our business is conducted our business on sovereign, unceded Aboriginal land.