Tag: victoria

New Business Levy to Fund $3.8B Mental Health Reform: Victorian Budget

Victorian-based businesses will be levied with a new surcharge to rebuild the state’s “broken” mental health system, according to the state’s newly released 2021-22 budget. On Thursday, Treasurer Tim Pallas revealed the state of Victoria’s economy, which is expected to reach a net debt of $102.1 billion this year and increase to $156.3 billion in…


Victorian Government Pledges $1B to Build New 25 Trains

The Victorian Labor government has pledged almost $1 billion from the state budget to build 25 new “reliable and energy” efficient trains. Speaking in Ballarat on May 18, acting premier James Merlino said the state government’s project would create almost 750 jobs—including 150 jobs at Ballarat’s Alstom factory—in manufacturing and across the supply chain in…


Victorian CHO Says Australia Can’t Pursue CCP Virus Elimination

Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has told healthcare workers at a private seminar that Australia should not pursue a CCP virus elimination strategy but instead prepare the public to accept that community transmission will occur even when enough are vaccinated, and international borders reopen. Sutton believes Australians may not feel an urgency about the…


New Victorian Land Taxes Prompt Heavy Criticism

The Victorian government’s latest economic recovery plan for bigger taxes on higher-end property owners is unpopular with real estate and business advocates. New taxes to hit wealthier Victorians are proving controversial with the state’s peak real estate body calling the measures an “assault” on property owners. The Victorian government announced on Saturday it would raise…


Victoria Records New Case of COVID-19

Victorian health authorities are confident a Melbourne man picked up COVID-19 during his two weeks in South Australian hotel quarantine. The man in his 30s returned to his home in Wollert, in Melbourne’s north, on Tuesday last week and developed symptoms on Saturday. He has since returned a positive result after testing on Monday, with…


Victoria’s Hotel Quarantine Manager Stood Down After Breaching Infection Control Protocols

A senior public servant who was responsible for managing infection control protocols for Victoria’s hotel quarantine program has been stood down following reports of alleged compliance breaches. Matiu Bush, who has been involved in the program since June, was stood down by Victorian Police Minister Danny Pearson on May 4 after it was revealed by The…


Victorian Government Criticized for Confusing Electric Vehicles Policies

The Victorian Labor Government has pledged that $46 million (US$36 million) will go to grants encouraging Victorians to purchase zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). The funding is part of the Victorian Government’s emissions reduction strategy, which seeks to halve emissions (from 2005 levels) by 2030, aiming for 50 percent of all new vehicle sales by 2030 to…


Victorian Government Criticised for Confusing Electric Vehicles Policies

The Victorian Labor Government has pledged that $46 million (US$36 million) will go to grants encouraging Victorians to purchase zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). The funding is part of the Victorian Government’s emissions reduction strategy, which seeks to halve emissions (from 2005 levels) by 2030, aiming for 50 percent of all new vehicle sales by 2030 to…


Victoria Institutes World Leading Legislation to Halve Emissions by 2030

The Victorian Labor Government has positioned itself as Australia’s most ambitious climate change state, becoming one of the first jurisdictions in the world to legislate a net-zero emissions target and promising to halve emissions by 2030. The announcement is part of the state government’s new Climate Change Strategy (pdf) to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, which…


Victoria Promises World Leading Legislation to Halve Emissions by 2030

The Victorian Labor Government has positioned itself as Australia’s most ambitious climate change state, becoming one of the first jurisdictions in the world to legislate a net-zero emissions target and promising to halve emissions by 2030. The announcement is part of the state government’s new Climate Change Strategy (pdf) to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, which…