The Andrews Labor Government is putting patients first in Tarneit.

Across our nation – and around the world – the pandemic has put unprecedented pressure on health systems. From a sharp increase of critical COVID patients to disrupted care, resulting in longer hospital recovery times, the last two years have really knocked our health system around.

When we came to government, we put an end to the war on our paramedics. We took ambulance response times from the worst in our history to the best. Now – just like we did before – we’ll ease the pandemic pressure on our hospitals and our healthcare workers.

The Victorian Budget 2022/23 will invest over $12 billion to put patients first, with a Pandemic Repair Plan for more staff, better hospitals and first-class care.

Our healthcare workers have been on the frontline of this pandemic, and we know how important it is that we support them into the future.

We’re backing our healthcare workers with training and the extra pair of helping hands they need, so they can give you the very best care.

That’s why the Budget is delivering funding to train and hire up to 7,000 new healthcare workers, including 5,000 nurses.

We’ll provide 1,125 new Registered Undergraduate Nursing Positions and 75 new Registered Undergraduate Student of Midwifery roles over the next two years, and we’re also recruiting up to 2,000 ex-pat and international healthcare workers through a global workforce recruitment drive.

Right around the nation, demand for emergency services is at an all-time high. Our Triple Zero call-takers and dispatchers are dealing with unprecedented call volumes.

But when you call for an ambulance, every Victorian should have the confidence one will arrive. That’s why we’re delivering another 90 paramedics - which means we've added 790 extra paramedics to the workforce since we came to government.

And to help our frontline workers reach Victorians who need help faster, we’re investing $333 million to add nearly 400 new staff to increase Triple Zero call taking and dispatch capacity for Triple Zero services, including ambulances, and training more operators to allocate calls across the state.

We’re also going to make sure that every local community gets the health infrastructure and services they deserve. That’s why this Budget invests $2.9 billion to build new hospitals and deliver upgrades to health services in every corner of our state.

By expanding our emergency departments, adding more surgical beds to get more elective surgeries done and increasing maternity care services – this Budget will ensure more Victorians get the very best of care, close to home.

We're also addressing significant demand for emergency services in our West by redeveloping and expanding the emergency department at Werribee Mercy Hospital as part of a $236 million package. This will ensure locals get the very best healthcare, while giving our nurses and ED staff, extra resources and rooms to treat more patients.

As we roll-out our Pandemic Repair Plan to make sure people in Tarneit get the care they deserve, we're also getting on with delivering the schools, roads and public transport services they rely on.

Local families deserve great local schools and in Tarneit we are funding four new schools to open in Term 1, 2024. This budget funds three brand new schools in our growing communities; Riverdale Secondary School (interim name), Tarneit North Primary School (interim name) and Truganina North Primary School (interim name). We are also funding the next stage of construction at Truganina North Secondary College, which will receive $41.1 million to complete works on the junior campus and construct a learning neighbourhood, STEM centre, a gymnasium and performing arts building at the senior campus. These four new schools will give our kids great classrooms and creative spaces for a great education – and at the same time create local jobs to build them.

We’re also planning for the future of Victorian families in the growing community of Tarneit – securing land for Riverdale North Primary School (interim name), so that more kids get to go to a great school, with great teachers, close to home.

Students with special needs should receive the same opportunities as every other student in our state. In this Budget, we're upgrading 36 special schools, including including Warringa Park School – which will receive $14.6 million for an upgrade – giving students new permanent buildings at the Bethany Road campus and the Warringa Park Crescent Campus. This will mean every single special school in Victoria will have received funding for a major upgrade since we came to government.

To make sure every young Victorian gets the education they need for the career they want, the new VCE Vocational Major and Victorian Pathways Certificate will replace VCAL, offering students more choices, a higher-quality curriculum and better workplace experiences – preparing students to jump into further study, training at TAFE or work as soon as they leave school.

The VCAL reforms will save many Victorian families up to $1,000 by cutting out-of-pocket costs, with students no longer having to pay for essential learning materials for VET studies.

Better roads get us where we need to go sooner and safer - and building them creates new jobs for Victorians. It's why this Budget delivers funding to upgrade the intersection of Derrimut Road, Hopkins Road and Boundary Road in Tarneit by installing traffic signals to improve the safety and operation of the intersection for locals crossing and driving.

In this Budget, we’re getting on with supporting our creative industries and artists in the West with a $2.4 million investment. As part of the Go West fund, creatives and community groups will be supported to hold festivals, family activities and performances and access more affordable creative spaces - taking creativity to the next level, in the west. We’re also investing $500,000 to plan for a new Tarneit Community and Performing Arts Centre which will provide a range of community spaces to help nurture creative talent in the West.

We know that many Victorians are still paying too much for their energy bills – that’s why we’re stepping in to help families get the best deal. We're providing a once-off $250 payment for all Victorian households that use the Victorian Energy Compare (VEC) website – the Victorian Government’s independent price comparator website – to search for the cheapest electricity plan that suits their needs.

With this Budget, we’re getting on with delivering for all Victorians.

Quotes attributable to Member for Tarneit Sarah Connolly

“Our emergency departments treat thousands of local patients every year. While we can’t ever thank our hardworking nurses for what they have done for us these past few years, we can give them the spaces and equipment to keep giving Victorians the care they need.”

“Tarneit is growing and we’re not wasting a single minute in building local schools for local kids. I’m proud to deliver new schools in Truganina and Tarneit that will give our kids the opportunity to reach their full potential.”