Victorian unemployment is at the lowest since current records began, and in regional Victoria it is even lower.
People are heading back into work, and visitors and students are returning to our state once again.
Our economy is bouncing back from the global pandemic – businesses are busy, restaurants are buzzing again, and there are growing job opportunities for Victorian workers.
It’s no accident that Victoria’s economic outlook is so strong.
Our record investments have delivered the jobs we needed in the short-term and they’re supporting our growing state into the future.
Our strong action to protect the health of all Victorians during the pandemic has helped shield our state from the very worst of this once-in-a-century event.
But our health system is under more pressure than ever due to the pandemic. From a sharp increase of critical COVID patients, disrupted care resulting in longer hospital recovery time or people delaying seeing their GP, the last few years have really knocked our health system around.
Which is why, in this year’s Budget, we’re putting patients first – with a Pandemic Repair Plan for more staff, better hospitals and first-class care.
This Budget invests to help our health system meet growing demand and ensure Victorians have the care they need close to home.
And when it comes to mental health, we held a Royal Commission to help us fix a broken system – one in which too often, Victorians in crisis ended up in an emergency department, or simply fell through the cracks because they didn't know where to turn, or who to turn to.
We're building a new mental health system from the ground up. A system where all Victorians can get the care they need much sooner and much closer to their families and communities.
We’re also building and upgrading schools, with a focus on special schools – because kids with special needs should have exactly the same opportunities as every other student in Victoria.
And we’re transforming the way people and freight move around our state, as well as investing in the industries and technologies of the future.
These investments will not only create decent, secure jobs right now, they will also support the growth of key industries and provide a stronger recovery that delivers more opportunities for workers into the future.
And we’re not simply getting back to where we were before the pandemic – this Budget keeps us on track to deliver our fiscal strategy while continuing to make Victoria stronger, fairer and more prosperous than ever.
We are building big, and we’re bouncing back.
Victoria has bounced back – and we’re still growing strongly
Media release
Reviewed 03 May 2022