11 quirky things in the budget you probably haven’t heard about
We’ve heard about all the big ticket items in Treasurer Tim Pallas’s State Budget, but 3AW Mornings Senior Producer Heidi Murphy has uncovered some of the more unusual items not covered in yesterday’s announcement.
She says she’s looked for the little things that could irritate people, things that have been campaigned on and issues we have discussed.
Click PLAY below to hear her discussion with Neil this morning
HEIDI’S BUDGET ODDITIES
- The “African Communities Action Plan” is getting $8.6 million, $3.6 million of it in the 18/19 financial year and the other $5 million in the 2019/20 year.
- $300,000 will be spent next year to recruit “Multicultural Safety Ambassadors”
- How about half a million dollars every year from now on to plan LGBTI festivals? $500,000 every year over forward estimates for: A Pride Events and Festivals fund for LGBTI events in Victoria.
- And $500,000 in this approaching financial year, coincidentally in time for an election, for translation services funding – to improve communication in languages other than English for all major policy and program announcements.
- An Independent Remunertion Tribunal is being set up to set state pollie and top level public servant pay rates. Good right? It isn’t cheap though – $8.5 million to set up and run.
- Pollies have given themselves a little more cash to spam us, they’ll share an annual $300,000 boost to their communications budgets, on top of one they gave themselves last year too.
- Station Pier is finally getting cash to sort out facilities for cruise ship customers, $5.8 million to upgrade it.
- A Pet Exchange Program coming as part of $4 million in animal welfare funds. This will be huge in Albury Wodonga, they’re spending $800,000 to set up a Cross Border Commission to sort out cross border issues.
- There’s a $600,000 Food Next Door program, a demonstration farm they’re paying for in the Mallee Region to teach migrants about farming.
- Silo Art, there’s $300,000 to come up with a business case to build a whole thing around the silo art in the Mallee.
- $500,000 to get women working in the construction industry.