The Andrews Labor Government is getting on with delivering on its election promises for our community – investing in what matters for the people of Sunbury.

We haven’t wasted a day delivering the services and projects that matter to Victorians. With the Victorian Budget 2023/24, we’re getting on with doing what we said we’d do.

Victorians remember the State Electricity Commission (SEC): it meant a fair deal on your power prices and good, stable jobs for workers.

That’s why we’re bringing it back – to drive down power bills and create thousands of jobs in renewable, government-owned energy.

An initial $1 billion investment in the SEC will help deliver 4.5 gigawatts of power – the equivalent replacement capacity of Loy Yang A – through renewable energy projects.

Bringing back the SEC won’t just mean more renewable energy, lower power bills and reduced carbon emissions – it’ll also help create 59,000 jobs.

Every family should have a great local school. As part of a more than $2 billion investment in Schools across Victoria, we’ll kickstart planning to upgrade Gladstone Park Secondary College, so students can get the world-class education they deserve.

We’ll make sure wherever you choose to send our kids to school, they have access to first-rate facilities. We’ll keep supporting the low-fee Catholic and independent sector to deliver great local schools, including $5 million towards a new campus of Holy Trinity Primary School, Sunbury.

With 90 per cent of a child’s brain developing before the age of five, early education has the most profound impact on how our kids develop.

That’s why we’re delivering Free Kinder for three and four-year-olds, establishing Pre-Prep, and upgrading or providing new equipment to Kinder across the state to make sure Victorian kids can get the best start for the best life.

With huge demand for a skilled workforce, the Labor Government is making sure Victorians can get the skills they need for the job they want.

Students and workers in Sunbury deserve access to the best training possible – a targeted investment of up to $25 million will deliver a new TAFE campus in Sunbury for Bendigo Kangan Institute, to make sure they can get it.

We know many apprentices scrimp and save as they start out in their careers. But when you rely on your vehicle to do your job every day, costs can quickly add up. We’ll ease the cost of living pressure for our hard-working apprentices, making rego free – saving eligible trade apprentices up to $865 every year.

We’ve made it free to study nursing and enshrined nurse-to-patient ratios in law. Now, we’ll do even more to give nurses the support they need to keep caring for Victorians.

More than $154 million will put more nursing staff in intensive care, high dependency and coronary care units – and more nurses and midwives in our maternity services.

As part of this package, we’ll make sure Victoria is the best place to be a nurse – with sign on bonuses for graduate nurses and midwives, funding to attract more international healthcare workers, scholarships for nurses to upskill and the recruitment of an extra 450 nurses.

As our neighbourhoods grow, it’s important we invest in quality recreation spaces. That’s why we’ll contribute $1.3 million towards water play equipment at the Sunbury Aquatic and Leisure Centre.

We’ll also keep backing the community organisations that provide support and services to help Victorians when they need it the most.

Locals know the contribution the Goonawarra Neighbourhood House makes, that’s why we’re backing them with a $100,000 grant to support their important work.

These are the things that matter – and the things we promised to Victorians.

And with this Budget, we’re getting on with delivering every election commitment we made at the last election.

Quotes attributable to Member for Sunbury Josh Bull

“Education changes lives and gives kids the best start for the best life. We’ll make sure that no matter where parents choose to send their kids to school, they’ll have first-rate facilities for a world-class education.”

“The new Sunbury TAFE facility will be a boon for our area – making sure new residents have access the quality facilities and training they need for the jobs they want, close to home.”