The Albanese Labor Government has handed down its Budget, and families and businesses across Ballarat will benefit says Catherine King, Member for Ballarat.
“This is a Budget that delivers on our promises, and provides cost of living relief for our community,” Minister King said today.
In addition to its existing measures on cheaper child care and cheaper medicines, Labor has announced a new Energy Price Relief Plan that will provide relief for more than 1.3 million households in Victoria. Eligible residents will receive $250 towards their energy bills from the Federal Government in addition to the existing State Government’s $250 Power Saving Bonus.
The Government is also making an historic investment to strengthen Medicare, tripling bulk billing incentives, which will see immediate benefits to more than 11 million Australians. This will provide an immediate benefit to 74,710 people in Ballarat.
The Albanese Labor Government is also helping with cost of living pressures through increases to working-age and student payments and Commonwealth Rent Assistance, as part of a $14.6 billion Budget package.
In Ballarat
- 8,040 people in total will receive an increase in their fortnightly payments.
- 7,155 people will receive a $40 increase in their fortnightly payment.
- 415 Jobseekers aged 55-59 will have their payment increased by $92.10 per fortnight.
- 470 single parents on Jobseeker with children aged 8 to under 14 will move from JobSeeker to Parenting Payment (Single), giving them an extra $176.90 per fortnight.
The Albanese Government is also helping 1.1 million low-income households facing the rising cost of rents. 7,615 households in Ballarat will benefit from a 15% boost to the maximum rates of Commonwealth Rent Assistance.
Starting in July 2023, the Albanese Government’s childcare package is expected to make around 4,200 families in Ballarat better off. For the average Australian family on about $120,000 with a child in care three days a week, the changes deliver real cost of living relief of about $1,700 a year.
The Government is making hundreds of common medicines cheaper, by allowing millions of Australians to buy 2 months’ worth of medicine for the price of a single prescription. The change applies to more than 300 PBS medicines for chronic conditions where a GP assesses a patient’s condition as stable. It is estimated that this change will benefit more than 41,135 people in Ballarat.
The Albanese Government is also investing an additional $328.1 million in the 2023-24 Budget to support the more than 340,000 veterans and dependants, including 3,525 veterans in Ballarat accessing services through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA).
Also set to benefit Ballarat and other regional areas, is the newly announced Growing Regions Program. The program will invest in critical regional infrastructure and community projects across regional and rural Australia through two $300 million funding rounds. Local government entities and not-for-profit organisations will be able to apply for grants of between $500,000 and $15 million through the program, which will be open, competitive and merit-based.
The Albanese Government is also focused on delivering its fully funded election commitments across the Ballarat electorate. These include upgrades to recreation reserves or sporting facilities in Linton, Woady Yaloak, Maude, Glenyon and Creswick.
The Redan Wetlands will also be remediated and made more accessible through funding from the Urban Rivers and Catchments program.
Additionally, communities will benefit from the Mineral Springs Reserves Development Program, the rebuild of the Sebastopol Senior Citizens Centre and the establishment of an Urgent Care Clinic in Ballarat.
Quotes attributable to Member for Ballarat Catherine King
“This Budget is about addressing our immediate challenges and creating more opportunity.
I understand that some people in Ballarat are doing it tough. This budget is about supporting the vulnerable in our community, and balancing cost of living relief with responsible economic management.
After a decade of mismanagement under the Liberals and Nationals, this Budget sets our nation up for the future.”
Media contact: Kallista Kaval | 0474 048 152 | kallista.kaval@mo.infrastructure.gov.au