I rise to speak in support of the 2025–26 Labor state budget, a budget that meets Victorians where they are and offers support where it is needed. In my community and indeed across the state, families are juggling the cost of living, caring for loved ones and worrying about the future. They do not ask for much. They are the things they all expect: a safe place to live, a school that gives their child the best start, a hospital that is there when they need it and a government that is on their side. This Labor state budget is focused on exactly that: the things that matter. It is a budget that backs Victorians, whether they are in our regional areas or at home in Northcote, by helping people with cost-of-living relief, strengthening the services we rely on and investing in a fairer, stronger future.
I am proud to be part of a Labor government that listens to what matters most and acts with purpose, and I am proud to represent a community that knows we are at our best when we back each other and bring everyone with us. Everywhere I go in Northcote, whether it is the school gate, Northcote Plaza or High Street on a Saturday morning, I hear the same thing: people are doing their best, but it is hard. That is why this budget delivers targeted cost-of-living relief – relief that people will really feel. When we tip into 2026, public transport will be completely free for every Victorian under 18. That means students in Northcote, from Fairfield to Preston, can travel to school, sport, dance class or their after-school job without it costing a cent. It means more freedom for young people and more breathing room for parents, with a saving of over $700 a year per child. For a community like ours in the inner north that relies heavily on public transport, with two train lines, two tram lines and multiple bus routes, this is a big deal. We are also extending free weekend travel to all seniors card holders, helping grandparents stay connected to the people and places they love.
I have heard from so many people in our community who are struggling with the cost of groceries, rent and power bills, so I am delighted that we are continuing the $100 power saving bonus for concession card holders. The initiative has only just opened this week, and already my office has been assisting locals in my community to put their applications in and benefit from this bill relief. Residents are also being encouraged to check their energy deal on the Victorian Energy Compare website, another initiative of the Labor government. If they switch to a cheaper offer, they can save on average $240 a year, but in many cases it is much more than that. Our budget also expands our solar homes rebates so more Victorians can switch to energy-efficient hot-water and heating systems to make their homes more comfortable and affordable to run.
Recently I had the opportunity to meet again with Darebin Climate Action Now, along with you, Acting Speaker, the member for Preston. DCAN continues to play such an important role in our community, and it was a good, robust policy discussion. They welcomed the government’s strong record on electrification and highlighted further opportunities to support households and renters in moving away from gas, particularly in areas like cooktops and space heating. They also raised the importance of community education and accessible resources so people have the confidence to make the switch. Importantly, DCAN put forward a practical idea, shifting the daily gas connection charge from renters to landlords. They pose that this would create a real incentive for rental providers to disconnect from gas, while ensuring renters, who often have the least power to make those changes, are not left unfairly carrying the burden. I want to acknowledge DCAN’s thoughtful advocacy. These are the kinds of conversations that strengthen our collective resolve to not only cut bills and reduce emissions but ensure the transition is fair and leaves no household behind. That principle is at the very heart of the Allan Labor government’s reform agenda.
Adding to our cost-of-living initiatives we are also doubling our community food relief program, because for some a food parcel or a hot meal can be the difference between going hungry and getting through. Here in Northcote we have groups like Bridge Darebin, DIVRS and the Alphington Community Centre doing incredible work feeding families; meeting people with dignity, not judgement; and being the safety net our community depends on. Having been to quite a few of these community lunches, I can tell you that these initiatives mean so much to people. Just the ability to come along, sit down with others, share a meal, have a chat and feel welcome is immense.
We all know what it means to rely on our health system. When someone you love is sick, when you are sitting beside a hospital bed or waiting anxiously by a phone, nothing matters more. That is why this budget delivers record investment in health. Almost a third of the entire budget is dedicated to health and wellbeing. We are boosting emergency care, increasing the number of mental health beds, improving ambulance response times and making it easier to get treatment locally without the stress of long waitlists or costly appointments. That includes expanding our virtual emergency department and urgent care clinics, initiatives that are already taking pressure off our emergency departments and making a real difference. The virtual ED – what an incredible initiative. We are tripling its capacity in this budget so more Victorians get that free, 24-hour care from home. It has already helped over half a million people, including many in my community in the inner north, but also very importantly many people in regional areas. In this year’s budget we are expanding it to reach almost 1800 people every single day. That is less pressure on our hospitals and more care in our community. Now with the expanded and permanent role for community pharmacists, Victorians can access free care for more everyday health needs too, including oral contraception, UTIs, allergies, asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure, without seeing a GP or paying extra. That is smart reform. It supports our workforce to work at the top of their scope and gives Victorians faster, more convenient access to care no matter where they live. As the daughter of a pharmacist, I have seen firsthand the role that pharmacists play in our healthcare system, from trusted advice to life-saving care. It is special to see our Labor government backing their role in this way.
For families with little ones in Northcote, we are doing something truly transformative. With a $5 million boost in this budget, we are delivering a brand new early parenting centre right at the end of Green Street in Northcote. This will be a haven for local families – a place where new parents can access day programs and overnight stays and get support with sleep, settling, feeding and bonding. Those early weeks and years are tough, and help should just be around the corner. With this centre, it will be.
Education changes lives. It did for my parents, it did for me and it must for every child in Northcote and in our state. That is why I am proud that Labor has delivered free kinder for every three- and four-year-old, making enormous investments in our local schools. We are continuing free TAFE to make sure Victorians have the skills they need for the jobs they want. Nothing brings me more joy than visiting one of our early learning centres in the inner north, where dedicated workers are giving children the absolute best start. We have been really proud to invest in those centres with important upgrades to expand their capacity and make their facilities more inclusive.
As with any Labor government budget, this one provides real support for school-aged kids. We are boosting the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund to $400 per eligible student, because no student should miss out on the chance to go on a camp. We are investing in literacy and numeracy with year 1 numeracy checks and free advanced maths camps. We are supporting pathways for high-school students with dedicated careers coordinators in government schools to help kids discover the future that they want and deserve. To make sure that every child gets the support they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond, we are completing the rollout of the disability inclusion reforms.
Sport is a part of who we are in the inner north. That is why we are delighted to hear about the $15 million Get Active Kids vouchers to cover kids’ uniforms, gear and club fees. But very excitingly, I am delighted to inform the house that the Allan Labor government has committed $100,000 for new coaching boxes and team shelters at Pitcher Park in Alphington. It was really special to join Parkside junior footy club to share the news with them a few months back. The club embodies what a thriving community looks like: proud kids, volunteers on the barbecue and families coming together, all cheering each other on. It is those connections that matter. It is why this investment in coaches boxes is not just about fixing some pretty shoddy, run-down local infrastructure, it is about showing the value that we place on community clubs and the role that they have in our society. I wish Parkside all the best with this project, and it will be wonderful to see it come to life.
In a similar vein, we are backing our multicultural seniors groups too, with public liability insurance covered and more upgrades for community facilities. We are also giving $50 million to boost public aged care, with more beds and nursing resources, and another $25 million to help seniors live independently at home. That is very important. We are improving roads, transport and pedestrian safety, with almost $1 billion in roads maintenance, new bike lanes, station accessibility upgrades and safer crossings. And with the Metro Tunnel opening later this year, unlocking faster, more reliable journeys, our city will be better connected than ever. We are also continuing to invest in community safety, with record numbers of frontline police and emergency services personnel along with increased support – nearly $800 million – for family violence prevention, crisis care and recovery, because everyone deserves to feel safe.
The values in this budget are the values of Northcote: fairness, community and showing up for each other when times are tough. That is why this budget delivers more support for housing, renters and people experiencing financial stress. We are building more social and affordable housing by unlocking government land and fast-tracking public housing renewal. We are investing in services like Mortgage Stress Victoria and the Good Money program, and we are extending off-the-plan stamp duty concessions for a further 12 months, making it easier for first home buyers to get into the market. As Parliamentary Secretary for Renters I am really proud of the work that we are doing to strengthen rental rights and fast-track tenancy disputes through the new Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria service that we launched this year – because a stable home is not just about bricks and mortar, it is about stability and dignity.
The budget puts people first, and it does so responsibly. We have returned the budget to surplus. We are delivering savings and efficiencies across government, and we are continuing to invest in what matters while keeping debt in check and backing economic growth. We are backing small businesses and new industries with the new Victorian Investment Fund and support to take Victorian products to the world, and we are creating jobs in construction, transport, health care and clean energy, building the workforce we need for the future.
The people of Northcote across Alphington, Fairfield, Thornbury, Northcote, Westgarth and Preston expect their government to show up and deliver, and that is what this budget does for our community. It delivers free public transport for kids and seniors; more help with power bills and energy upgrades; support for food relief and household essentials; better schools and disability inclusion; stronger health care, including women’s health, which is really important; support for renters; and new housing supply. These are not just abstract ideas. These are policies that you can feel at the kitchen table, at the tram stop, in the schoolyard and in your home. They are practical, they are progressive and they are fair. This is what Labor stands for. We believe in a fair go. We back working families. We strengthen public services. We invest in our communities. And we believe that every Victorian, no matter where they live or what they earn, deserves the support to thrive.
I am proud to be part of a government that does not walk away from challenges. There are those on the other side that want to create division and have that be their mantra, but we are not about that. We are about creating unity in our state and supporting people that are doing it tough and not marginalising and stigmatising people in our community and not pandering to extremist elements in our society and not platforming them in our Parliament. I am really proud of this Labor budget and what it means for Victorians right across the state but of course in my community in Northcote, where I know that life can get hard and there are challenges before us. There are challenges before us as a community in Victoria, but we are up for the challenge. We are up for that fight. We are up for backing Victorians in and making life better and doing the hard work to get us there. We are not about slogans. We are not about just politicising every single issue. We are about supporting people. We face our challenges with compassion, with courage, with care and with commitment to making life better for the people that we represent.
For that reason I commend the Victorian state budget 2025–26 to this house. We are already seeing the benefits of it in the Northcote electorate and across the state. May we have many more budgets of the Victorian Labor government in this state, because that is what we are about. We are about supporting Victorians, making sure we have the services and infrastructure that we need for the future, making sure we are planning for our future in our state and the population growth that is going to happen in our state, and we are doing it, I think, very well in this budget. I commend the budget to this house.
