A new Family and Carer-led Centre in the Grampians region is one step closer with a service provider appointed. Minister for Mental Health Gabrielle Williams today announced Mind Australia will deliver support for Victorians across the Grampians region – with the centre to open later this year.
The Andrews Labor Government is doing what matters for families, parents and kids across regional Victoria, with a comprehensive package to give parents the support they need at the start of their life as a new family.
The Andrews Labor Government is doing what matters for regional Victorians - delivering cost of living relief, upgrading schools and hospitals and creating thousands of jobs across the state. Since we came to government, we have invested an average of $4.6 billion in each and every Budget in regional Victoria – and this year goes above and beyond to deliver for Victorians in every corner of our state.
Hundreds of Victorians with a passion for horses will have the opportunity to start a career in racing thanks to a program placing disadvantaged jobseekers into work with some of the state’s best stables. Minister for Racing Anthony Carbines today visited the Ballarat Turf Club to announce a $3.1 million investment from the Andrews Labor Government to deliver 200 jobs in the racing sector through Jobs Victoria.
The Ballarat Greyhound Racing Club (BGRC) is set to benefit from the construction of a new kennel building which will improve the quality and safety of racing and training infrastructure at Morshead Park. The Andrews Labor Government is supporting the upgrade with more than $1.6 million provided through the Victorian Racing Industry Fund with Greyhound Racing Victoria matching the contribution, bringing the total value of the project to more than $3.3 million.
The Andrews Labor Government is backing more locals to get involved in community sport at Wendouree West Recreation Reserve and nearby Victoria Park, with new facilities boosting sports from skateboarding to soccer.
The Andrews Labor Government is delivering a new community sporting venue at Miners Rest, that will support local sports clubs to train and compete ahead of the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games. The brand-new venue will be just ten minutes from Eureka Stadium and include a competition-grade oval and sports pavilion with carparking, amenities and changerooms all designed to accommodate local sporting activities.
The Andrews Labor Government will give motorists the option to carry their licence on their phone with a digital driver licence trial in Ballarat before a statewide roll-out by 2024. The new technology will give motorists the choice to store a secure digital version of their driver licence in the popular Service Victoria app or soon-to-be-launched my VicRoads app.
The Andrews Labor Government is another step closer to delivering a legacy of new and upgraded sporting facilities for the Ballarat community ahead of the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games. An Advance Tender Notice (ATN) has been released for a main works contractor to complete the upgrade to Ballarat’s Eureka Stadium.
The Andrews Labor Government is boosting education, skills and innovation in the heart of Victoria’s second biggest regional city, with the launch of Federation University’s Co-operative Centre of Excellence. Minister for Training and Skills and Minister for Higher Education Gayle Tierney today opened the new centre for industry and education in Ballarat’s CBD – made possible by a $9.5 million Labor Government investment.
Primary school students in Wendouree can look forward to brand new learning facilities, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government. Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins today announced Forest Street Primary School will be improved, with local builder Nicholson Construction appointed to carry out the works.
Geotechnical testing will begin at Eureka Stadium’s playing field this weekend as the Andrews Labor Government gets the ball rolling on works for the home of athletics at the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The Andrews Labor Government is getting to work on upgrading a major interchange in Ballarat which will improve traffic flow and cater to the demands of the growing residential community. The $5.6 million upgrade will build a new roundabout at the Western Freeway and Ballarat-Maryborough Road interchange, as well as install shared user path facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.
The Andrews Labor Government’s half-a-billion-dollar redevelopment of Ballarat Base Hospital is a step closer, with a builder appointed to deliver the next stage of the major project. Minister for Health Infrastructure Mary-Anne Thomas today announced John Holland has been appointed to deliver stage two of the $541 million redevelopment, which includes the new power supply building and support services building on Drummond Street.
The Andrews Labor Government is more than doubling the capacity of Victoria’s Youth Prevention and Recovery Care (YPARC) network, giving more young Victorians access to the mental health care and support they need. Acting Minister for Mental Health Colin Brooks today announced the sites for new YPARC centres in Heidelberg, Traralgon, Shepparton, Ballarat and Geelong.
Victoria’s strong economy is continuing to drive a dynamic labour market with the regional unemployment rate at a near all-time record low – and the lowest of all the states. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures released this week show that the regional unemployment rate is 2.9 per cent, while the national rate sits at 3.1 per cent.
New mums and dads across Ballarat will soon have better access to early parenting support in a state-of-the-art facility, with a site selected and works starting for the new multi-million-dollar Early Parenting Centre in Ballarat. Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas, Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison and Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle today turned the first sod and released the first designs of the new centre at 10 Fawcett Rd, Lucas.
The new trains will be manufactured in Dandenong and assembled in Alstom’s Ballarat factory later this year, bolstering the Labor Government’s commitment to support jobs across our state and continue the pipeline of local manufacturing.