The Victorian Budget has a strong focus on immediate, statewide measures for Victorian households to reduce the cost of living, alongside strengthening community safety under the headline banner of “Easier. Safer. More Affordable”.
The Government has positioned their Budget as both a response to current financial pressures and a strategic set of investments to build the state’s future economic prosperity and safety.
Future funding to continue free weekend public transport for holders of the Victorian Carer Card (announced some months ago) was the main carer-specific initiative, with an over $2B investment in disability inclusion in Victorian schools likely to deliver significant benefits to students with disability attending those schools, as well as their families and carers.
A targeted increase in funding to Financial Counselling Victoria is welcome at a time when so many carers and other Victorians are under financial pressure, as are the population-wide financial relief measures around free/reduced cost public transport until the end of 2026, and 20% reduction for 2026 car registration costs.
A package of additional funding for Palliative Care is also welcomed, with those funds supporting both an expansion in community palliative care but also various other supports including bereavement services and a specific allocation to Motor Neurone Disease Victoria.
Carers Victoria welcomes these initiatives and looks forward to seeing all political parties commit to practical initiatives that are targeted to the recognition and support of the more than 1 in 8 Victorians who are unpaid carers.
Further information about our pre-election asks can be accessed here.
Further information
The Victorian Budget Papers can be accessed here and include information about what government is planning to spend across a wide range of departments and areas.
The State Government is continuing to fund disability inclusion initiatives for Victorian schools, with new funding of $2.1 billion over four years. The Budget also includes a commitment to jointly fund Foundational Supports, including funding for Thriving Kids to support children aged 0-8 years with developmental delay and/or autism, with $2.4 billion over five years. The Budget Papers did not detail how much of this money will be spent over the forward estimates. More information will be available once the bilateral agreement between Victoria and the Commonwealth is reached.
As Carers Australia's budget guide points out, the federal Budget also included $2 billion over five years to establish the Thriving Kids program, which is part of the $5 billion Foundational Supports commitment to be matched by the states. The $2 billion funding in the federal budget includes:
Carers Australia has also prepared an analysis of the federal budget handed down on May 12, which can be accessed here.
We have compiled a list of key state budget measures below. While not directly targeted at carers, a number of these measures may be relevant to some carers depending on their individual circumstances.
| Proposed item | Funding |
| $750 million in foregone revenue |
| $432 m |
| $1.3 m |
| Proposed items | Funding |
| $67.4 m |
| $10.3m |
| $6.4 m |
| $4.3 m |
| $4.9 m / $20.2 m |
| $17 m |
| $4.9 m |
| $8.7 m |
| $5 m |
| Proposed items | Funding |
| $3.5 million $6.4 million |
| Proposed item | Funding |
| $265.2 m $700,000 $39 m |
Continued support for Victorians with disabilityFunding is provided to maintain critical supports for people with disability, including:
| $26.3 m |
| $4.3 m |
| $22.5 m |
| Proposed item | Funding |
| Support older patients in hospitals who do not have decision-making capacity and have no family or legal guardian to act on their behalf. This will include providing guardians from the Office of the Public Advocate, appointed by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, with the power to make decisions for the patient. This function will also support the timely discharge of older patients to improve hospital ward patient flow. | $1.2 m |
| Continue the Residential in Reach program, bringing hospital care to older people at residential aged care facilities. | $4.1 m |
| Support multicultural seniors’ groups in Victoria, with a focus on helping older Victorians reduce isolation by strengthening connections with the community through regular social outings, cultural events and activities and promoting health and wellbeing. | $2.7 m |
| Proposed item | Funding |
| $3.2 m |
| Proposed item | Funding |
| Continue to mitigate harms related to alcohol and other drugs across Victoria. This includes the Aboriginal Metropolitan Ice Partnerships program, measures to address pharmacotherapy service gaps, the provision of take-home Naloxone, continuing services at the Melbourne Drug Court, and supporting First Step to provide mental health and addiction support services. Additional support will be provided to reduce drug harms through the delivery of a low-dose methadone trial, and initiatives to support the continued implementation of the Statewide Action Plan and the Victorian Alcohol and Other Drug Strategy. | $14.9 m |
| Proposed item | Funding |
| $1.3 m |
| $5.4 m |
| $2.7 m |
| $9.8 m |
| Support continued operations of the Statewide Intake Hotline, the Wellbeing Support Program, and the continuation of four Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs in Cowes, Warrnambool, Horsham and Ballarat. | $4.9 m |
| $0.7 m |
