The Victorian Government’s 2026-27 budget has been on the books for three months, but with the state election now looming, the Brolga is taking stock of what was actually committed to Western Victoria.
Money for schools, roads, hospitals, tourism and emergency services top the list, but the region was largely left without major new commitments for some of its biggest infrastructure and transport priorities.
So, with voters set to head to the polls in November, what did Western Victoria actually get from the last state budget before the election?
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Emergency services
Emergency services received a large statewide funding package, with some of the money directly reaching Western Victoria.
The government allocated $26.2 million for Country Fire Authority station builds, planning, land acquisition and upgrades. This includes funding to plan and design a new CFA station at Barongarook West.
A further $100 million will fund new CFA tankers and pumpers, providing longer-term certainty for the brigade’s rolling fleet replacement program. The budget also includes $422 million to help communities respond to and recover from the January 2026 bushfires.
Tourism
Tourism and the visitor economy received some of the more specific regional commitments in the budget.
A $7.9 million allocation will fund restoration of the historic Cape Otway Lightstation, renewal of parts of the Twelve Apostles Precinct and other upgrades along the Great Ocean Road coast and parks.
The funding was welcomed by the council as one of the few dedicated investments for the Colac Otway area.
Roads
Road funding is one of the biggest headline investments in the budget, but it remains unclear exactly where much of the money will be spent across Western Victoria. The government has described the package as the “biggest road blitz in the state’s history”, with $1.04 billion allocated to roads and 70 percent of that funding going to regional Victoria.
The package includes $36.9 million to clean up the state’s 10 busiest freeways, with Princes Highway West among those listed.
The only specific Western Victorian road project identified in the budget was the Western Highway and Jackmans Road intersection upgrade at Dadswells Bridge.
The upgrades will improve turning areas, stagger side roads and widen shoulders to make turning safer. The amount to be invested is unclear.
Public transport
Public transport was one of the areas where Western Victoria received comparatively little new funding to other areas of the state.
The budget included $2 million for V/Line to improve safety at Ballarat, Little River and Beaufort stations through installing more CCTV. However, the Warrnambool train line was largely overlooked, with no dedicated funding for line improvements, carriage upgrades or additional services.
Polwarth MP Richard Riordan said in a statement in May the lack of funding for the Warrnambool line was disappointing, having advocated for three extra carriages after the discontinuation of locomotive-hauled six-carriage trains.
🗣️ “We’re 10,000 seats a week short at the moment which is important to get fixed and wasn’t funded,” Riordan said.
Public transport across the state will remain half-price until the end of the year.
Health and mental health
The budget includes $75 million for the Regional Health Infrastructure Fund, which will be used to renew and upgrade infrastructure across rural and regional health services.
The funding includes redevelopment work at Ballarat Base Hospital and Warrnambool Base Hospital.
The budget also references funding for Warrnambool’s mental health and wellbeing hub, although an exact figure for that component was unclear.
Ballarat Base Hospital is in its third phase of construction, which will include 100 new beds, a new emergency department and a new helipad as part of the refreshed multi-level building.
School funding
The Victorian Labor government allocated $95 million to upgrade nine schools, including Ararat Primary School, Bacchus Marsh College, Daylesford Primary College and Stawell Primary School.
Upgrades include $9.36 million to build a new “learning facility” at Ararat Primary School and $19 million to build a new learning hub at Bacchus Marsh College.
For Western Victorian schools not included in the funding, there were no major new commitments outlined in the budget.
Politicians respond
Some in favour: Labor member for Ripon, Martha Haylett, highlighted the budget’s “real outcomes across our region, including major school upgrades and cost of living relief”.
Haylett applauded the 20 percent car registration rebate, cheaper public transport and the Ararat Primary School project as well as other upgrades for early childhood education in other areas of the electorate.
Labor member for Eureka, Michaela Settle, also welcomed the budget’s investment in regional schools, particularly the Bacchus Marsh College upgrade.
🗣️ “This is a big win for Bacchus Marsh and a great outcome for students and families,” she said. “This investment will make sure our growing community has the modern facilities it needs.”
And those against? For Polwarth MP Richard Riordan, the budget was missing key investment.
🗣️ “There is a Colac Otway shaped black hole in the 2026-27 Victorian Budget, with little dedicated funding set aside for the region’s priority projects,” Riordan said in a statement in May.
Riordan said he believed there was a lack of funding for local schools, roads and public transport, and renewed funding was needed for agencies including Parks Victoria and the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority to support flood and visitor economy recovery.
Speaking in parliament in May, Nationals member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, argued the budget would leave regional Victorians paying more in taxes and receiving less in services.
Kealy did welcome funds for Stawell Primary School, Dunkeld Consolidated School and safety upgrades at various intersections in the electorate.