Tuesday, 23 May 2023
DOING WHAT MATTERS FOR HASTINGS
The Andrews Labor Government is getting on with delivering on its election promises for our community – investing in what matters for the people of Hastings.
We haven’t wasted a day delivering the services and projects that matter to Victorians. With the Victorian Budget 2023/24, we’re getting on with doing what we said we’d do.
Victorians remember the State Electricity Commission (SEC): it meant a fair deal on your power prices and good, stable jobs for workers.
That’s why we’re bringing it back – to drive down power bills and create thousands of jobs in renewable, government-owned energy.
An initial $1 billion investment in the SEC will help deliver 4.5 gigawatts of power – the equivalent replacement capacity of Loy Yang A – through renewable energy projects.
Bringing back the SEC won’t just mean more renewable energy, lower power bills and reduced carbon emissions – it’ll also help create 59,000 jobs.
This Budget includes $27.3 million to progress the delivery of the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal at the Port of Hastings – another step towards meeting our nation-leading offshore wind targets and delivering thousands of job opportunities in clean energy for the future.
With 90 per cent of a child’s brain developing before the age of five, early education has the most profound impact on how our kids develop.
That’s why we’re delivering Free Kinder for three and four-year-olds, establishing Pre-Prep, and upgrading or providing new equipment to kinders across the state to make sure Victorian kids can get the best start for the best life.
As part of a more than $2 billion investment in schools across Victoria, this year’s Budget includes $1 million to make sure students at Somers Primary School have the outdoor spaces they deserve.
Students and teachers at Somerville Primary School are also set to benefit from this year’s Budget, with the Labor Government providing $1 million to deliver basketball covers at the school.
We're ensuring women and their health are given the focus, funding and respect they deserve.
A new comprehensive women's health clinic at the Frankston Hospital will change the way women’s health issues are treated, providing care and support for conditions like endometriosis, pelvic pain, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), perimenopause and menopause.
We've made it free to study nursing and enshrined nurse-to-patient ratios in law. Now, we’ll do even more to give nurses the support they need to keep caring for Victorians.
More than $154 million will put more nursing staff in intensive care, high dependency and coronary care units – and more nurses and midwives in our maternity services.
As part of this package, we’ll make sure Victoria is the best place to be a nurse – with sign on bonuses for graduate nurses and midwives, funding to attract more international healthcare workers, scholarships for nurses to upskill and the recruitment of an extra 450 nurses.
We’re also providing a $30,000 grant to Peninsula Home Hospice – so they can keep providing specialist palliative care in the home to our local community.
Commuters in Hastings deserve a great public transport network that gets them where they need to go – and this Budget will kickstart planning for a cross-Peninsula Bus Service.
Investing in safer boating facilities is a win for all water users and local businesses in the area. This Budget includes $900,000 to replace the boat ramp at Tankerton, improving boat launching and retrieval for users across Hastings.
We’re backing the community organisations that provide care, support and services to help Victorians when they need it the most.
Everyone in Hastings knows what a massive contribution the Community House Network in the Southern Region makes to improving local lives, that’s why we’re ensuring they can keep supporting our community with a $100,000 grant.
We’ll also deliver on our election commitment of $100,000 to the McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park – strengthening local creative and cultural experiences across Hastings.
These are the things that matter – and the things we promised to Victorians.
And with this Budget, we’re getting on with delivering every election commitment we made at the last election.
Quotes attributable to Member for Hastings Paul Mercurio
“Victoria is already the renewable energy capital of the country, and now Hastings will become the offshore wind hub of the state – with the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal unlocking jobs of the future right here in our local community.”
“With this Budget, we’re doing what matters and delivering on every election promise we made to the people of Hastings.”
