Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas has revealed a big spending and a big debt budget hoping the state can spend its way out of the state's coronavirus-induced recession.
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But, what will it mean for Ballarat?
Here, The Courier looks at the projects that have funding locked in .
What has been announced for Ballarat?
The state government has already announced several key projects in Ballarat, as well as major initiatives affecting the entire state.
JOBS
Ballarat will share in a statewide program of $619 million. The Jobs For Victoria scheme will help those most impacted by the pandemic - women, young people and those without a formal qualification - find work.
It includes $250 million to partner with employers to subsidise the wages of at least 10,000 workers. At least $150 million of the subsidy support will go towards employing women, and $50 million of that to women aged over 45.
About $1 billion will be spent on TAFE, including up to 80,000 new subsided courses linked to jobs in health, community and disability services.
A New Jobs Tax Credit will be provided to encourage small and medium-sized businesses to rehire staff, restore hours and create new jobs.Eligible businesses will get a tax credit of 10 cents for every dollar they increase taxable wages, at a cost of about $836 million.
AIRPORT RAIL LINK AND OTHER TRANSPORT
On Saturday, the state government announced the Melbourne Airport Rail Link would be incorporated into the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project, as opposed to the dedicated new tunnel backed by the Committee for Ballarat and other regional organisations.
The connection will offer more options for regional travellers whether they are heading to the airport (change at Sunshine) or going into the city (linking into the metro line at Sunshine) but has not yet made it clear how it will solve Southern cross congestion.
Committee for Ballarat chief Michael Poulton expressed some disappointment at the option chosen but said they would continue to advocate for the next steps to ensure a faster service from Ballarat to Melbourne was a foreseeable reality
"Fast trains to Melbourne are only possible if you resolve the bottleneck in Melbourne, on the last 10km of the line," he said.
"In the instance where that doesn't happen, then electrification of the line, quadruplication of the line to Melton is crucial to speed up the direction of trains going to and from Melbourne.
"We think the game-changing projects is not the Western Rail Plan, not the current works on the line, it's not with V/Locity trains, it's with high-speed electric trains, the next generation, that's a 40 minute journey, not even a 58 minute journey.
The budget has also allocated $2.2 billion for the suburban rail loop and $2 billion for fast trains from Geelong to Melbourne.
The other rail project to get a win in western Victoria is the $48.8 million to fund the Victorian government's share of spending on the Murray Basin rail project.
PHOTO GALLERY
Among key announcements is the , $6.7 million was committed for a National Centre for Photography on Lydiard Street, building on the work from the Ballarat International Foto Biennale - the centre is tipped to bring in more than $75 million to the Ballarat economy over the next 15 years.
SOCIAL HOUSING
The headline announcement of $5.3 billion for social housing over the next four years will result in $80 million of new funding for projects in Ballarat, boosting the construction economy and providing desperately needed homes for the city's most vulnerable.
SCHOOL UPGRADES
Several schools have also benefited from funding announcements, including the Ballarat Specialist School, which received $10 million for upgrades and extra maintenance, and another $2 million for Linton Primary School
TOURISM
To boost tourism to regions hit by fire and pandemic, a voucher system has been announced - Victorians can apply for the $200 vouchers as long as they spend at least $400 on accommodation, attractions or tours in the state's regional areas.
There was also funding to upgrade and maintain tourism infrastructure across the state, $150 million regional tourism, and $58 million for new promotions and advertising.
MENTAL HEALTH
The state and federal governments jointly announced funding for a mental health and wellness facility to be built in St Kilda, named after Bungaree legend Danny Frawley, who was a tireless campaigner for mental health until his death in 2019.
This Budget aims to boost mental health support with an $870 million injection into the system. For Ballarat this includes extra clinical capacity for the base, in the Hospital Outreach Post-suicidal Engagement (HOPE) initiative.
RENEWABLES
About $1.6 billion will also be spent on improving energy efficiency across the state, including $540 million to establish six new Renewable Energy Zones across the state and $797 million to help lower-income families pay their energy bills. The detail of how this may translate for western Victoria and Ballarat, a wind energy centre, has not yet been made clear.
PROPERTY
The government will bring forward an expected cut to stamp duty for commercial and industrial property transactions in regional Victoria, with the 50 per cent concession to start from January 1, 2021.
OTHER ELECTION PROMISES
Several election promises have already been committed to Ballarat, including the upgrade of the Base Hospital, lighting around Lake Wendouree and Victoria Park, and upgrades to sporting facilities.
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