Rural and regional Victorians have been robbed in the state budget, says the opposition.
The opposition said the budget sent a clear message the government was out of money and raiding the pockets of country families, farmers and small business owners.
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Nearly $285 million had been slashed from regional development and $61.3 million cut from the agriculture budget.
Opposition Agriculture spokesman Peter Walsh said there had been cuts to biosecurity, no new money to fix crumbling regional roads and millions of dollars plundered from regional public transport to pay for trains in Melbourne.
"Labor is taxing regional Victorians more, but giving us less," Mr Walsh said.
"Victorian families and small businesses are shouldering the burden of Labor's waste and mismanagement of major infrastructure projects in Melbourne.
"Record numbers of people are moving out of our capital cities and into the regions, but Labor's lack of vision for regional Victoria risks us missing out on reaching our full potential."
In a blow to our farmers and farm businesses,crying out for new export opportunities to fill the void left by trade tensions with China, the government had shaved 63 per cent from Victoria's trade programs.
In the 2021-22 State Budget, Labor had also:
- Failed to provide the final $5 million for planning on the Murray Basin Rail Project,
- Cut $66.7 million from trade and global engagement,
- More than halved efforts to develop new strategies to maintain and/or grow export opportunities,
- Failed to invest a single cent in new residential rehabilitation beds in rural and regional communities,
- Ignored key infrastructure projects, like the Shepparton bypass, while others like the Echuca Bridge and Kilmore Bypass suffer huge cost blowouts,
- Cut $2.54 million from community grants that support the fight against Queensland fruit fly,
Mr Walsh said the cuts came as the government's cost blowouts on major projects swelled to $22.3 billion, including $10.79 billion on Melbourne's North East Link and $3.43 billion on the Metro Tunnel.
Opposition Treasurer Louise Staley said regional Victorians were being slugged the highest taxes in the country.
"The sickest people in our community are waiting longer and longer for an ambulance, but we're handed scraps off the table," Ms Staley said.
"Given the government tripled the debt when the pandemic struck, where will it turn if there's a financial meltdown, another wave of the pandemic, or some other unforeseen shock?
"Taxing Victorians to pay for Labor's massive debt is a huge risk to our post-COVID recovery."
