Making it easier to invest in Victoria
Delivery of key supports for innovation and commercialisation, together with ongoing management of existing investments, will be consolidated – bringing together the capabilities of Breakthrough Victoria and LaunchVic.
The government will continue to ‘crowd-in’ private capital to turbocharge investment in Victoria, while reducing overall investment and the level of risk exposure from direct equity investments, including closing the Equity Investment Attraction Fund pilot program and reducing funding allocated to Breakthrough Victoria.
As part of its Economic Growth Statement, the government announced a single-entry point for business on all investment-related engagements through Invest Victoria. This investment ‘front door’ is intended to provide dedicated facilitation support to businesses looking to invest in Victoria. An Investment Coordinator General role was also established to help ensure regulators and agencies meet approval deadlines.
Building on these measures, the recently released Victorian Industry Policy provides a coherent framework for the government’s relationship with industry – focused on competitiveness, productivity and economic resilience.
Strengthening our TAFE network
Free TAFE has helped more than 212,600 students get the skills they need for the job they want. It also ensures we have the right skills mix for in-demand industries, supporting economic growth.
The Review recommended targeted mergers of TAFEs – something this government will only support when they are voluntary.
Improving digital infrastructure and administrative functions means TAFEs can operate more efficiently and focus on student outcomes. The government will strengthen the role of the Office of TAFE Coordination and Delivery to drive innovation across the TAFE network.
The government continues to work collaboratively with the TAFE Network to maximise value for money and student outcomes, including through sale of underutilised assets to support re-investment in the sector. This strategy, co-designed with the TAFE Network, is underway and seeks to protect training provision and plan and respond to growth.
The Labor Government has a track record of building better TAFEs: upgrading facilities, modernising learning spaces, and building brand new campuses in our growing suburbs.
The government will undertake a targeted approach to land sales, informed by the TAFE Network Asset Strategy, which is unlikely to produce the revenue identified by the Review.
Investing in Education
Victoria is proudly the Education State.
We have nation-leading NAPLAN results, and more than half of all new government schools built in Australia over the past decade are here in Victoria.
The government supports many of the Review’s recommendations to improve backroom efficiency and make sure education funding is directed where it’s needed most.
The School to Work program connects students with valuable real-world learning opportunities. But take-up is low.
In line with the Review’s recommendations, we will look at more efficient and effective ways to deliver the program, making sure it reaches more students.
We will also make changes to the funding model for the English as an Additional Language program so that it is focused on those who need it.
However, some of the Review’s recommendations are not accepted.
Programs like Doctors in Secondary Schools make sure vulnerable and disadvantaged students can access the health and mental health care they need at their school.
The Smile Squad is saving families time and money on trips to the dentist, while supporting good oral health in young Victorians.
The government will look to improve access to the Secondary Instrumental Music Program, which gives students the opportunity to learn to play an instrument – even if their families can’t afford it.
Providing affordable and accessible childcare
Affordable and accessible childcare is vital to Victorian families. The Labor Government’s Best Start, Best Life reform is giving women more options – meaning they have more economic power – and driving gender equality across every aspect of work and life.
To help address the current shortage of available childcare places, the government will continue its commitment to establish new integrated childcare centres in areas where it is most needed to deliver childcare, kinder and Pre-Prep. Where possible, Victoria will leverage the Commonwealth’s Building Early Education Fund.
Early Learning Victoria’s centres have been established by the government in areas with the greatest need for available and affordable childcare.
The government does not support the recommendations to pause the rollout of these centres or transfer the operation of existing centres to private sector providers.
Water corporations and catchment management
The government does not support the compulsory merger of water authorities or Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs), though there are opportunities for more sharing of back-office functions.
The services provided by individual water corporations vary significantly – particularly across regional Victoria, reflecting the different needs and infrastructure requirements of local communities.
Similarly, CMAs have deep local connections, including with Traditional Owners, overseeing things like native vegetation restoration, pest and weed control, riverbank stabilisation, and fencing waterways to benefit both farmers and the environment.
Reducing office accommodation costs
The Victorian Government will legislate a right to work from home, two days a week.
This reflects the conditions of the public service.
Working from home works for families and it’s good for the economy.
As the Review identified, it also delivers savings for government, requiring less office space for the public service.
We have already taken steps to consolidate office space across the Treasury Precinct, and will continue to reduce office costs.
Adopting new technologies
The Victorian Government will always look to adopt new technologies that help to make services better, fairer, and more efficient. New technologies have the potential to improve service delivery, reduce administrative costs and improve productivity.
Investment in critical digital infrastructure and skills is already improving how government works together to meet the needs of the Victorian community by:
- developing new shared services through the Common Corporate Platforms to standardise human resources and payroll platforms across government
- delivering a significant ICT shared services strategy to drive efficiency through greater standardisation of digital services across the public sector
- scaling up digital customer services through Service Victoria, which already delivers over 140 government services online.
We support the recommendation to develop a structured roadmap for digital reform. A roadmap will make sure that new technology is used to gain efficiency, while maintaining and improving services provided to the community.
AI has the potential to transform how government works, making us more efficient, and better able to deliver the services Victorians rely on.
It can streamline processes in the back office that allow more focus on the frontline.
We’re already investing in new ICT services and AI – as part of the Economic Growth Statement we’ve provided specific funding for departments and agencies to implement new AI technologies.
An AI Centre of Excellence will drive implementation and adoption of AI across the VPS, as well as uplift the skills and capabilities needed. The government will look at models for AI Centres of Excellence across Australia and the world, and we will have more to say about it in due course.
Victoria is positioned to be a national leader in the AI evolution. We have already announced a $5.5 million investment to become the data centre capital. The Sustainable Data Centre Action Plan will leverage our critical assets – land, energy and talent – to unlock projects worth up to $25 billion in potential capital expenditure.
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