Mental health support is the focus for Victoria's 2021-22 budget, but Ballarat will not receive any new facilities or specific programs.
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About $700 million in new regional programs, following recommendations from the recent Royal Commission and funded with a new payroll tax levy, will help thousands of people across the state, including new wraparound supports and additional placements for students entering the industry.
While there are big investments in other regional cities, it appears Ballarat has missed out in the first round - a 10-bed youth prevention and recovery care unit will be built in the Grampians region, with a community reference group to decide exactly where.
Wendouree MP Juliana Addison said the new facility will complement the adult PARC facility already in Ballarat.
"You don't want young people in an adult facility, this will be in everyone's best interest for them to be treated with other young people," she said.
"We're going to bring about lasting change that will save lives - Ballarat will not miss out."
The first round of "front door" local mental health care services have been funded, but only the first three fast-tracked locations - Benalla, Geelong, and the Latrobe Valley - have been identified.
Buninyong MP Michaela Settle said the mental health funding for schools would allow each school to tailor programs that best suit them.
"They're going to roll it out to regional and rural schools first," she said.
"For me, a lot of the announcements are for young people - there's $420,000 for a new BMX park in Meredith, and it's important we have things for our young kids in a town like Meredith, I know it was strongly supported by council and Victoria Police."
It's good news for Woady Yaloak and Forest Street primary schools, with a $14 million allocation for much-needed upgrades.
There's another $93.6 million to improve train services on the Ballarat and Geelong lines - trains to Melton, and Wyndham Vale, will be extended to nine-carriage VLocity sets.
That's on top of the previously-announced $130m for the Western Rail Plan, which is examining how to electrify the line to Melton, and eventually get V/Line trains moving faster.
The Western Highway intersection at Learmonth Road will be upgraded, with $4.64 million allocated for planning to make it safer for heavy vehicles.
The Keeping Ballarat Moving upgrades, targeting six intersections across the city, has been pushed back to the end of 2022 due to "complexity with relocating services".
Ballarat and Bendigo's free CBD wi-fi program received a $3.6 million seven-year extension, and another $73,000 will go towards public exercise equipment in Delacombe.
The Ballarat and Grampians Community Legal Service will receive $100,000 each year for three years for "legal assistance and critical early intervention support services".
The Ballarat Base Hospital's massive upgrade is now expected to be complete by the end of 2027, "due to COVID-19 restrictions on work sites impacting (the) overall program".
"The project's cashflow has been revised in line with a revised project schedule," budget documents state - $3.5 million has been spent on the project already.
The Alfredton Recreation Reserve will also receive $700,000 for a new netball facility.
There was no money specifically allocated for an upgrade of Ballarat's waste facilities, including for council's plans for a materials recovery facility in BWEZ.
Duplicating Dyson Drive will have to wait another year, with no specific allocation, nor was there any money for a new animal shelter in Ballarat.
However, there's some welcome news for the Horse Shepherd Equine Sanctuary in Gordon, which will receive new treatment equipment, sharing in $1.1m for six wildlife shelters across the state.
A $19.9 million commitment will begin development of a redress scheme for people affected by the Fiskville CFA Training College's contaminated site, and help clean up neighbouring properties.
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"This just continues the investment, Fiskville has been remediated through the EPA for some years now, this continues that work and allows us to invest in areas that abut the Fiskville site," Ms Settle said.
Elsewhere in the budget, firefighters will soon be upgraded to digital radios, the government's cut from wagering on horseracing will rise from 1.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent, there's $2 million for community leadership programs, and there will be 300,000 more tourism vouchers to attract more visitors to holiday in Victoria.
Earlier this month, the state government announced $10.5 million to reopen Lydiard Street and install boom gates to replace the heritage-style gates, and $968 million for 25 next-generation metropolitan trains at the Creswick Road Alstom factory.
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