THE Allan government’s state budget is a disaster for regional Victoria.
As families struggle with the escalating cost-of-living crisis, this budget offers no respite, only more burdens.
With no meaningful relief in sight, households will bear the brunt of dramatic increases in taxes for fire services and waste.
Meanwhile, regional infrastructure suffers, with funding for crucial areas like road maintenance and agriculture well below previous levels.
Our roads, the lifelines of regional Victoria, are crumbling.
Despite promises from the Allan Labor government, road maintenance funding has been slashed by 16 per cent compared to in 2020.
The real cost of repairs has soared, leaving regional Victorians to navigate pothole-ridden roads for the foreseeable future.
The Nationals have pledged to allocate $1 billion a year on road maintenance, yet Labor can only pledge less than $700 million.
Agriculture funding is 30 per cent lower than it was two years ago.
It should be rising, not shrinking.
To add insult to injury, much-needed hospital projects in regional areas are delayed and hospital mergers loom, leading to the loss of local involvement in the management of health services.
The budget paints a bleak picture of Victoria’s financial future.
Our debt will balloon out to $179.2 billion by 2027.
By then we will be paying a whopping $25 million a day in interest.
The Allan government must prioritise the needs of regional Victoria in addressing the pressing issues facing our communities.
Labor can’t manage money, and regional Victorians are paying the price.
Peter Walsh
Leader of The Nationals
Member for Murray Plains
