2026-27 Victorian Budget 

On Tuesday 5 May 2026, Treasurer the Hon. Jaclyn Symes MLC delivered the 2026-27 Victorian Budget. This Budget is the third delivered by the Allan Government, and the twelfth consecutive budget of the Victorian Labor Government. 

The 2026-27 Victorian Budget continues the fiscal position established in last year’s Budget, which marked the first return to surplus since the pandemic. This Budget maintains investment in cost-of-living measures for Victorian families and households, alongside further funding for frontline services including health, education, crime management, and emergency services. The Budget also reflects the Government’s continued focus on responsible financial management and the long-term sustainability of Victoria’s finances. 

As the Treasurer said in her speech today, this budget is about “real help, right now, and real confidence in what comes next”. The 2026-27 Victorian Budget is framed around the financial pressures facing Victorian households, which the Treasurer attributed in part to global economic factors and geopolitical tensions. In response to these pressures, the Budget directs funding towards a range of cost-of-living measures, including a 20% rebate on motor vehicle registration, half-price public transport fairs for the remainder of the year, and the continuation of existing programs across health, education, and early childhood services.   

Beyond this, the Budget also includes a range of localised funding commitments directed at communities across Victoria, spanning metropolitan and regional areas. These investments cover local infrastructure, community facilities, and service improvements, and are intended to complement the broader cost of living measures by addressing the specific needs of individual communities and improving access to services at a local level. 

The Budget also outlines Victoria’s fiscal position, confirming an operating surplus of $727 million for the current fiscal year, with surpluses projected to average $1.7 billion across the forward estimates period. Net debt is forecasted to be lower in each year of the forward estimates compared to the previous budget update. The Government attributes this fiscal position to expenditure restraint and consolidation measures undertaken in recent years. 

This will be the last Budget of the current parliamentary term, in the lead-up to the Victorian state election in November 2026. 

The Treasurer’s Budget speech is available here.  

The 2026-27 Victorian Budget is available in full here. 

Budget Outlook 

Victoria’s economy is growing, and the labour market is in a sound position with employment and participation rates at historically high levels, and unemployment below long-term averages. The Government is presenting this Budget as evidence that its five-step fiscal strategy, introduced in 2020, is being delivered.  

This Budget displays how the responsible expenditure management over the past several years has returned the Budget to a surplus, stabilised debt, and created the fiscal capacity to fund cost-of-living measures without compromising the state’s long term financial position. Operating surpluses are forecast to grow steadily across the forward estimates, and net debt as a share of the economy is projected to decline each year.  

2026-27 Victorian Budget Commitments  

Health, Disability and Aged Care 

Services 

• $10 million to continue the ambulance transfer pilot 

• $10 million to Victoria’s Urgent Care Clinics 

• $192 million for critical services 
  • $35 million to boost critical blood, organ and tissue services 
  • $27 million to provide greater access to endoscopies 
  • $21 million to provide care for people living with chronic illnesses 

• Access to women’s contraceptive pills at local chemists from July 2026 without a prescription from the GP 

• $299 million for maternity services 

• $133 million to deliver hospital-level care in patients’ homes through home visits and virtual care. 
  • $10 million to deliver dialysis services at home 

• $104 million to reduce alcohol and drug harm 

Hospital Funding 

• $284 million to open and operate hospitals across the state. 

• $145 million to hospital upgrades 
  • $75 million for the Regional Health Infrastructure Fund 
  • $35 million for upgraded medical equipment across public hospitals 

Workforce 

• $76 million to strengthen the workforce 
  • $26 million to support 250 nurse graduate positions
  • $25 million for a dedicated Psychiatry Training pathway 
  • $11 million for a Psychology Registrar program 

• $51 million to help paramedics and Triple Zero Victoria triage patients 

Mental Health  

• $30 million for new and existing mental health Hospital in the Home beds 

• $5.4 million to continue the Youth Outreach and Recovery Service, Victoria’s dedicated statewide outreach service for young people with complex mental health challenges 

• $4.9 million to support Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals and Hubs 

Aged Care 

• $80 million in additional funding to continue support for residential aged care facilities and services 
  • $36 million to sustain public sector residential aged care services 
  • $17 million to deliver hospital care at residential aged care facilities 

• $30 million to strengthen palliative care 

Disability 

• $4.7 billion for Victorians with disability 
  • $2.4 billion over five years to jointly fund the Foundational Supports program introduced by the Commonwealth Government. This includes funding for Thriving Kids 
  • $42 million for advocacy, support and liaison services for Victorians with disability 
  • $20 million to support people in home and aged care with disability outside of the NDIS 
  • $19 million to make sure our specialist disability accommodation is safe, compliant and fit for purpose 

Energy, Environment and Climate Action 

Agriculture 

• $16.8 million towards safeguarding the future of Victoria’s agriculture sector and supporting animal welfare 

Energy 

• $10 million to support action on energy efficiency by the community housing sector 

• $14.7 million to meet the State Governments contribution towards National Energy Market Bodies 

Fire and Emergency Management 

• $26 million to build new CFA stations 

• $147 million for specialised aerial firefighting fleet 

• $100 million for new and improved trucks and pumpers for the CFA 

• $45 million to upgrade Forest Fire Management Victoria emergency vehicles 

• $22 million for assisting CFA Volunteers and safety improvements 

• $10 million to FRV for new ultra-large and heavy pumper appliances 

Management of Public Lands and Forests 

• $10 million to continue the Future Forests program 

• $29 million for the maintenance of critical assets for emergency and land management 

• $15 million for Zoos Victoria Kids Go Free program 

Solar Victoria 

• $28 million to help up to 27000 eligible households install an energy efficient hot water system 

Education 

Additional Supports for Students with Disabilities 

• $265 million for disability inclusion in schools 

• $79 million for the students with disabilities transport program   

Early Childhood Supports & Kindergarten Delivery 

• $187 million to deliver 27 new and expanded kindergartens and childcare sentences 

• $71 million to deliver five Government-owned Early Learning Victoria centres where demand for childcare outstrips the places available 

• $26 million across four years to deliver the Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority 

Promoting Equal Access to Education 

• $112 million towards regional education 

• $28 million to meet demand for the English as an Additional Language program 

• $56 million over the forward estimates to support families with the cost of education 

• $13 million to continue connecting early school leavers with further education, training or employment pathways 

• $16 million to continue and expand the Glasses for Kids program 

School Education 

• $10 million to continue Vocational Education and Training (VET) and applied learning in schools 

• $26 million to deliver career education and work-based learning programs in schools, linked to the Government’s Early Intervention Investment Framework 

• $84 million for school enrolment-based funding 

Support for Schools and Staff 

• $49 million to support the rebuilding of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) 

• $15 million towards securing school IT systems 

School Infrastructure 

• $552 million for school building, maintenance and compliance 

• $295 million for 31 school upgrades across Victoria 

• $217 million to deliver the Modular Classrooms Program 

• $104 million to acquire land for new schools and campuses 

Transport and Planning 

Public Transport 

• $433 million for half-price public transport from June to 1 January 2027 
  • $155 million to make public transport free for everyone in April and May 

• $481 million for regional transport services 
  • $318 million for upgrades that will reduce delays and improve reliability on the regional rail passenger rail network 
  • $127 million to improve regional freight rail infrastructure  

Roads and Vehicles 

• $560 million in additional funding for road maintenance, bringing this year’s total to a record $1 billion 
  • $73 million for regional roads 

• $759 million to provide 20 per cent rebates on Victorian light vehicle registrations for up to two cars per person 

• $5 million is provided for the Fair Fuel Plan 

Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions 

Businesses 

• $19 million in new initiatives aimed at cutting red tape, supporting business capability and transition 
  • $12 million to ensure Victorian workers and businesses are given more opportunities to benefit from government procurement 
  • $3.3 million for the Skills Solutions Partnerships program to design and pilot new training approaches in priority areas, including AI, leadership and technology adoption 
  • $1.2 million for the Small Business Activation Fund 

• $2.4 million to strengthen Victoria’s international relationships and attract trade and investment opportunities 

Jobs 

• $8.2 million to fund the Digital Jobs – AI Career Conversion Support 

• $459 million investment in skills and training 
  • $244 million to deliver government-subsidised training, including Free TAFE 
  • $87 million for the TAFE Services Fund 

Resources 

• $2.1 million to continue unlocking Victoria’s critical mineral resources 

Families, Fairness and Housing 

Prevention of Family Violence & Child Safety 

• $100 million for prevention and response activities 
  • $74 million for family violence prevention and response activities including: 
    • family violence core and cluster refuges, providing up to 229 families a safe place to live each year 
    • 12,093 emergency crises support packages and specialist case management for 4 766 victim survivors per year 
    • specialised, trauma-informed counselling recovery programs for 915 children and young people each year. 
  • $23 million to continue the Central Information Point 
  • $2.2 million for Sexual Assault Services Victoria 

• $165 million for social and community services workers to help families with children who are at risk of abuse or neglect 

• $126 million to modernise digital systems that support services for at risk-children, young people and families 

• $71 million to make sure child protection services and carers are ready to support children in need 

• $208 million in compensation for Victorians who experienced abuse in institutional care as children prior to 1990 

• $8.4 million will support the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority to continue delivering regulatory functions and ensure Child Safe Standards are met 

• $5.1 million will strengthen the Social Services Regulator’s collection and management of data under the Reportable Conduct Scheme, to enable better intelligence and stop child safety information falling through the cracks 

• $17 million so that Working with Children and NDIS checks can be processed effectively 

Housing 

• $97 million to continue delivering housing reform and improving confidence in the building industry 
  • $16 million to protect consumers and raise standards in the building industry 

• $37 million is being put towards unlocking better uses of Victorian land in this Budget 
  • $16 million to continue delivering on our 10-year plan for Melbourne’s greenfields 
  • $11 million to update Victoria’s planning legislation 
  • $9.8 million for the Development Facilitation Program to continue its work to fast-track significant housing projects 

• $860 million over five years into the Social Housing Growth Fund 

• $6.1 million to support vulnerable renters to maintain tenancies 

Homelessness 

• $26 million for additional emergency accommodation and nine new outreach teams to expand support for rough sleepers 

• $15 million to provide stable, long-term housing with flexible wraparound supports for people experiencing homelessness, across five supportive housing sites in Victoria. 

Government Services 

Customer Services to the Community 

• $10.3 million to maintain Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria 

• $5 million to invest in Victoria’s Digital Future, allowing Service Victoria to deliver new products and services, and for the Department of Government Service establish an AI Advisory Committee. 

Justice and Community Safety 

Policing 

• $62 million to recruit up to 200 police reservists for police station counter duties, freeing up frontline police 

• $55 million to support Victoria Police operations 

• $51 million to deliver 50 new PSOs 

• $41 million to refresh Victoria Police’s information technology infrastructure and cyber security 

• $38 million to upgrade Victoria Police’s information system to integrate with the National Firearms Register 

• $35 million for 3000 mobile devices for specialist police, and equipment upgrades 

• $13 million to enforce new tobacco enforcement laws 

• $9.9 million for critical upgrades to maintain police custody cells 

Community Safety & Corrections 

• $229 million to increase capacity in the corrections system 

• $125 million for 40 new forensic mental health beds at Thomas Embling Hospital 

• $43 million to deliver programs within prisons to reduce reoffending. 

• $23 million to provide educational support and guidance for young people who are at risk of or already in contact with the justice system 

• $9.5 million for Blue Light Victoria to mentor children and young people at risk of offending 

• $9.1 million to support students’ engagement with the education systems 

• $33 million for the Violence Reduction Unit to support initiatives 

Court Services 

• $117 million for a specialised, fast-tracked youth court list in the County Court. 

• $11 million for maintenance, repair and renewal works of courts 

• $7.3 million to continue fast-tracking homicide cases straight to the Supreme Court 

• $6.8 million to provide more legal assistance for vulnerable Victorians 

Victims of Crime 

• $10 million provided for the Office of Public Prosecutions and Victorian Legal Aid 

• $8.7 million to continue providing financial assistance for victims of crime 

• $6.3 million to continue the Victims’ Legal Service 

Tourism, the Arts, and Sport 

Tourism and the Arts 

• $29 million to continue the delivery of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation project 

• $27 million to attract new international productions, digital games and visual effects through the new Victorian Screen Incentive stream of the Victorian Investment Fund 

• $23 million to continue to attract business events to Melbourne and regional Victoria 

• $4.3 million to maintain state-owned cultural facilities across the state 

Sports 

• $92 million to the State Sport Centres Trust and the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust to continue community access to sporting facilities 

• $25 million investment in community sport 

Further Information 

For more information, please contact Hawker Britton’s Partner’s Emma Webster at [email protected] and Andy Gargett at [email protected] or +61 427 552 980 

Additional Occasional Papers published by Hawker Britton are available here.