Victoria Budget 2023

Significant Initiatives

Victorian State Disability Plan

$3.9m for 2023-24 ($8.3m/3 yrs) will be invested to deliver a range of initiatives including the continuation of Disability Liaison Officers to identify and address barriers for people with disability in accessing health services.
Funding for the Victorian Disability Advocacy Program to support people with disability through access to advocacy and ensuring equitable access to services, including the NDIS.

Specialist forensic mental health services

Funding is provided to Forensicare to continue the Community Forensic Disability Mental Health Service. This falls under the $13.5m in 2023-24 ($81.3/4 yrs) funding to expand the forensic community mental health workforce supporting adults with serious mental health needs who are in contact, or at risk of coming into contact with the justice system.

Expanding tax concessions for families providing a home for a relative with a disability

$1.2m for 2023-24 ($5.4m/4 yrs) of foregone revenue to support families providing a home for a relative with severe disability through land transfer duty and land tax relief that will be provided in circumstances where the occupant is eligible to be a beneficiary of a Special Disability Trust.

In education and training, this budget provides:

$29.6m for 2023-24 ($177.4m/4 yrs) funding for ‘fighting for students with disability and their families’ including
– in continued funding for the Outside School Hours Care program
– Introducing NDIS Navigators into each government specialist school
– Supporting the engagement of TAFE Disability Transition Officers to provide specialized and intensive support for secondary school students transitioning to TAFE.
Continued funding of the Students with Disabilities Transport program ($31.9m for 2023-24) which provides transport assistance for students with disabilities to attend specialist schools.
$4.5m for 2023-24 ($18.1m/4 yrs) funding to support inclusion in kindergarten for children with additional needs.
$5m for 2023-24 ($10m/2 yrs) funding for an Accessible Buildings program to continue to improve access to school facilities for students with disabilities and additional needs. Facility modifications may include ramps and handrails, alterations to toilet and shower facilities and adjustments for students with vision or hearing impairments.
$26.1m in 2023-24 ($170.1m/4 years) funding through the Building Better TAFE fund for a Disability Services Hub and Student Hub at The Gordon TAFE Geelong.

Reducing future justice demand and keeping the community safe.

Under $8.5m for 2023-24 ($24.2m/4 yrs) funding for ‘Reducing future justice demand and keeping the community safe’, there is some funding for forensic disability and complex needs services for people with cognitive disabilities who have been in custody.

Pathways to home

$9.1m for 2023-24 funding is provided to transition those, including Victorians with disabilities who are well enough for discharge from hospital into home-like settings that are equipped to meet their needs.

More details (off-site)