The 2013-14 Budget provides continued investment to support school students with a disability, to maximise their achievements in education and learning. This program provides specialist allied health system support including psychology, speech pathology and social work services to government school students facing barriers to learning and achieving their education and development potential. Additional funding of $38 million will be provided for the Program for Students with Disabilities, building on the Coalition Government’s existing funding in 2013-14 of $585 million. The Coalition Government will also invest an additional $13 million for the Students with Disabilities Transport Program, building on existing funding in 201314 of $57 million. Upgrading kindergartens and schools Lifting our education performance to the highest levels requires quality education facilities. The 2013-14 Budget supports capital upgrades across the childhood and schools sectors. Grant funding of $7 million will be available to build and upgrade kindergarten and children’s services, forming part of the $543 million provided annually by the Coalition Government in support of the early childhood sector, helping Victorian children get a good start in life. The 201314 Budget provides for total school capital works of $203 million. The funding will provide for five new schools and land acquisitions in growth locations, so that these areas benefit from quality education in the future. This funding builds on the Coalition Government’s recent announcement of $52 million for maintenance at more than 200 schools across the Key projects timeline – a snapshot Boosting our regions The Coalition Government is committed to improving services and infrastructure in and regional Victoria. Supporting this growth, the 201314 Budget initiatives underpin a prosperous regional economy, and high quality public services in our regions.
The 2012-13 Budget announced $670 million for funding a new 500bed medium security men’s prision at Ravenhall and for a further 395 beds in expanded existing facilities. Upgrading and enhancing the courts As part of the Supporting Courts initiative, $48 million over the next four will ensure the courts are appropriately resourced to address demand for their services. This builds on the $437 million of base funding provided for administration of the State’s judicial system. The 2013-14 Budget also funds upgrades to court facilities and IT infrastructure. Improving access to justice The Coalition Government expects that all Victorians have appropriate access to justice and related support services, and the 2013-14 Budget funds an expansion of victim support services. The Victims Helpline operating hours will be extended to include weekends, and additional case managers will be allocated to the Victims Support System through investment of $16 million over four years. The Coalition Government will provide further support for Victoria Legal Aid with additional ongoing funding of approximately $3.4 million per year, to ensure those most in need of legal advice can access these services. This builds on existing state funding of $78 million a year provided to Victoria Legal Aid. The budget initiative funds additional case work and duty lawyer services. Attracting business and investment The Victorian economy is both diverse and flexible, with a highly skilled workforce and strong export performance. This makes it an attractive place for businesses to invest and create employment opportunities. Building employment opportunities Commitments in the 2013-14 Budget to construction of transport infrastructure will leverage significant private sector investment and generate many new job opportunities for Victorians. The $1.6 billion expansion of the Port of Melbourne is projected to created an estimated 3 000 jobs; $66 million allocated for a new transport interchange at Ringwood Station is helping to underpin a $500 million expansion of Eastland shopping centre, expected to generate 2 000 construction jobs and 2 000 ongoing retail jobs.