NEWSLETTER

WELCOME

The 2020/21 Victorian Budget was released last week, containing extraordinary expenditure across infrastructure projects and services, much of it under the auspices of an economic response to the coronavirus pandemic. I am encouraged by a substantial commitment to early intervention investment, for which I have repeatedly called since my election, in order to reduce crime and improve community safety.  I am also heartened by the delivery of some important projects for Northern Victoria across health, schools, roads, and community services.  However, I will continue to scrutinise the detail closely and continue to campaign for projects that are still awaiting funding.

In Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party, there has been further substantial work in recent weeks with victims of crime and their families across a whole range of issues.  The ongoing prioritisation of the rights of offenders over victims has been tragically illustrated, once again, through the loss of Celeste Manno.  My deepest condolences and thoughts are with Celeste's family and friends as they laid her to rest this week and our commitment continues to do whatever we can to improve community safety.

 - Tania

BUDGET WIN ON EARLY INTERVENTION

The Victorian Government has announced a commitment of $335 million to transform the child and families systems with a focus on early intervention and prevention – including funding for family preservation and restoration programs. This is a fantastic development, for which I am very grateful, as it represents my advocacy for this specific funding.

In October, I directly raised with the Treasurer, in Parliament, the urgent need for this approach. In particular, I spoke about two landmark Social Ventures Australia (SVA) Consulting reports, which support a focus on early intervention in the child protection and out-of-home care systems. I also asked the Treasurer to what extent the Government supported the principles found in those reports and called for funding and resourcing to implement those findings.

More broadly in Parliament, I have repeatedly (23 times to be exact) called for a focus on early intervention, including systemic changes to focus greater funding on addressing the issues that lead to poor outcomes and crime. We need to do this much better – and earlier – to bring about the lasting generational change that is required to reduce the number of people ending up in our justice, out-of-home care, and residential care systems. The potential benefits are plentiful – improved wellbeing, less trauma, fewer children in
out-of-home care, and reduced crime. By investing at the right end, we can save time and money later in health systems, our courts, and prisons.

In respect of the Budget announcement, this advocacy would not have been possible without the tremendous collective work of the service providers who engaged SVA Consulting and the Macquarie Group Foundation to sponsor and undertake modelling that made a very clear and convincing case for critical funding to prevent 1,200 children a year from entering out-of-home care. I had the pleasure of meeting with many of these organisations where we shared an understanding for a critical systemic change – Berry Street, Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, VACCA, OzChild, Anglicare Victoria, Mackillop Family Services, Mallee Family Care, Queen Elizabeth Centre, Uniting, and Youth Support and Advocacy Service.

I sincerely thank them, and I thank the Treasurer, Tim Pallas, and the Minister for Child Protection, Luke Donnellan, for listening to our collective calls, committing to this desperately needed investment, and steering the child and families systems towards targeted early intervention. I am very hopeful that these changes will decisively reorient these systems and thereby deliver more effective solutions and outcomes in the future for vulnerable Victorian children and families.

BUDGET 2020/21 FOR NORTHERN VICTORIA

Some of the funding across Northern Victoria is listed below.  Because the Budget was delayed from May due to COVID-19, there are numerous items previously announced by the Government and spending is already underway. A full link to budget information is HERE.

• $6.6m to expand roadside drug testing, with an additional 150,000 tests
• $300m to mobile blackspot funding
• $7.7m Wangaratta Hospital
• HOPE Post-Suicide funding for Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton, Mildura
• Wangaratta alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility
• Shepparton Family Drug Treatment Court
• Social housing build
• Air-conditioning in public housing
• Murray River Adventure Trail, Mallee Silo Art, Sea Lake Visitor Centre, Mildura South Regional Precinct
• Nagambie 24-hour ambulance services
• Borinya Wangaratta Community Partnership
• Projects across multiple primary and secondary schools
• Specialist school projects in Benalla, Cobram and Swan Hill
• GoTAFE, SuniTAFE, Wodonga TAFE
• North East Rail line level crossings
• WHGNE funding for mental health outcomes as part of Women's Health Services
• Management of fruit fly and other pests
• Benalla Gallery, foreshore and splash park
• Streetscapes in Maldon, Buloke, Pyramid Hill, Mallee, Cohuna CBD and waterfront
• Seasonal worker accommodation
• University of Melbourne Dookie Campus accommodation
• Euroa community cinema, Ned Kelly Glenrowan project development, Tawonga caravan park, Prosecco Road food and wine trail early works, Falls to Hotham crossing

WORK IN PARLIAMENT

Bills debated in the Legislative Council

Human Tissue Amendment Bill 2020 -PASSED
Energy Legislation Amendment (Licence Conditions) Bill 2020 - PASSED
Food Amendment Bill 2020 - PASSED
Justice Legislation Amendment (Drug Court and Other Matters) Bill 2020 - PASSED
Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 - PASSED