I have been asking local residents what questions they would like to see me ask, so I ask this constituency question to the Premier on behalf of Daniel from Prahran. The Prahran electorate is home to some of the most privileged in our society as well as some of the most needy. There are few other areas in Victoria where the contrast between those who are doing well, those who are doing okay and those who are doing not so well at all is so stark. We face a cost-of-living crisis fueled by greedy and unreasonable rent increases and a marked deterioration of healthcare services which are free and accessible. We are a progressive bunch, and I believe we all want to live in a community where we can live affordably, harmoniously and happily. This is increasingly at risk. So I ask: how can the government assure residents of Prahran that they take seriously the cost-of-living crisis, including local rents and access to affordable health care?
Response from the Premier
We know that rising costs of living are hitting Victorians hard. That’s why the Government is also helping Victorians by:
- Capping daily regional public transport fares to $10, the same price as the metropolitan daily fare,
- Providing $270 million for Free Kinder to help families with the costs of early childhood education in 2023,
- Establishing the State Electricity Commission to push more renewable energy into the system and drive down emissions and power bills,
- Providing $186 million to expand the eligibility criteria to access subsidised training courses.
In the 2023-24 State Budget, the Government also provided $69.5 million to continue the popular School Breakfast Club Program, and we have provided $2.2 million to FareShare to deliver expanded food relief support through the provision of nutritious meals to Victorians in need.
These initiatives are providing relief for Victorians in Prahran and across the state.
Through funding from the 2023-24 state budget, we are continuing to support the health of Victorians by establishing 20 new women’s health clinics, expanding school dental check-ups to low-fee Catholic and Independent schools, and investing in early prevention through community-based health care.
We are providing more places to live by building 12,000 social and affordable homes as part of the Big Housing Build. Through measures contained in the Housing Statement, we will protect renters by introducing a portable bond scheme to allow renters to transfer their rental bond from one property to another, extending the notice of rent increase to 90 days, and ban all types of rent bidding by closing loopholes.
