RMIT experts are available for comment on the Victorian State Budget.

THE ECONOMY AND SOCIAL SERVICES

Emeritus Professor David Hayward (0416 174 833 or david.hayward@rmit.edu.au)

Topics:  Victorian economy, social service sector, social policy, employment

“Expect next week’s budget to be pretty much on par for a first budget of a second term of a Government that is well organised, with a little bit for social initiatives and a record spend on much-needed infrastructure.

“Warnings of gloom and doom are probably best understood as being part of the normal industrial relations argy bargy that accompanies the pay negotiations about to begin between the Government on the one hand, and the police, teachers and public service unions on the other. The latter will have etched into their ambitions the eye-catching 12% increase just won by the nurses’ union in a well-deserved deal. 

“Increases of that scale would most certainly put a big hole in the budget and that’s exactly what Treasurer Tim Pallas is desperate to avoid so he’ll have to manage expectations.

“All in all, it should be another good budget for Treasurer Tim. Whether public sector unions will believe that he has run out of luck is another matter altogether.”

Emeritus Professor David Hayward is an economist and was, until recently, the Director of the Victorian Council of Social Service RMIT Future Social Service Institute. Before that, he was the Dean of RMIT’s School of Global, Urban and Social Studies for seven years. He has undertaken extensive research around the funding of social services and social policy and is a regular media commentator on budgets and politics.

TRANSPORT, PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Dr Chris De Gruyter (0403 073 743 or chris.degruyter@rmit.edu.au)

Topics: transport planning, transport impacts of new land use development, public transport

“The state budget should include adequate investment for all transport users – pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users and motorists.

“Greater investment in high-quality public transport like more frequent bus services is needed in areas experiencing significant growth, such as Wyndham, Melton and Cardinia. These areas are expected to double their population over the next 20 years.

“Ambitious plans for public transport, such as the Suburban Rail Loop and Geelong Fast Rail project, should be applauded. But, without business cases, it’s not clear whether these projects are the best use of taxpayers’ dollars.

“The decision to fund transport infrastructure projects should only be made after a rigorous assessment is made of their costs and benefits, rather than decisions solely driven by political desires. Evidence-based decision-making is what’s needed, not decision-based evidence making.

“Melbourne Metro 2 and other projects on Infrastructure Australia’s list have undergone detailed assessment and therefore deserve appropriate consideration.  Planning for the east-west underground metro system that will run via Fisherman’s Bend, home to 80,000 people in the future, needs to start now.

“Finally, investment in safe cycling infrastructure is vital to ensuring a liveable and sustainable future. Sadly, this form of transport is often short-changed when it comes to funding. Cycling projects in Victoria typically represent 1% of total transport spending, well below the United Nations target of 20% dedicated to active travel.”

Dr Chris De Gruyter is a Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellow in the Centre for Urban Research at RMIT University. He is currently researching the impacts of new land use development on public transport. Prior to joining RMIT, Chris was a Research Fellow and Deputy Director in the Public Transport Research Group at Monash University. He also worked in transport planning for 12 years, both with the Victorian Government and in consulting at AECOM. Chris’ wider research interests span the areas of travel demand management, public transport and land use planning.

Associate Professor Andrew Butt (0408 369 097 or andrew.butt@rmit.edu.au) 

Topics: regional development, population, rural and peri-urban planning

“Population growth and the pressure this is creating in Melbourne and regional cities and towns has become a crucial factor in maintaining liveability. 

“We face two infrastructure strains in metropolitan Melbourne that need immediate action – pressure on the jobs-rich inner urban areas, and the need for access to work on the expanding fringes.

“Funding city-changing infrastructure must be a priority in this budget.  The Suburban Rail Loop offers this if it’s focused on suburbanising employment, but access to local work remains out of reach in many new and rapidly-growing fringe areas. Partnerships with industry, whether in advanced manufacturing, finance, education or other sectors, must be prioritised to create a better distribution of higher-value jobs.

“Commuting is core to the fortunes of many high-growth towns like places in West Gippsland and the Bellarine Peninsula for example. This creates two budget imperatives. Firstly, transport services, especially regional rail, need to be continually improved to meet growing demand, but also to change the direction of flows to improve access to regional cities for work and services. Second is the need to support transport, housing, education and other infrastructure that enables viability beyond metropolitan commuting.”

Dr Andrew Butt is an Associate Professor in Sustainability and Urban Planning at RMIT’s School of Global, Urban and Social Studies. His teaching and research focuses on rural and regional issues and growth issues on the metropolitan fringe.  Previously he was program manager of urban and regional planning at La Trobe University and has worked in planning practice in local and state government and in private practice in Australia and internationally since the 1990s.  He is presently a committee member of the Planning Institute of Australia (Victoria).

LAW AND ORDER

Dr Michelle Noon (0433 810 910 or michelle.noon@rmit.edu.au)

Topics: crime, law and order, crime statistics, offending behaviours, youth justice, youth crime, community safety and fear of crime

“Despite Australia spending about $30 billion a year – or almost 5% of its total expenditure - on public order and safety, international data tells us these kind of big spends don’t impact the homicide rate, and perhaps violent crime more broadly.

“The focus on more police and better technology is likely to continue this state budget. However, both investments are likely to increase, not decrease, reported rates of offending. For example, more cops on the streets with technology that can scan more cars is likely to lead to further detection of crime, and bump our crime rate up.

“Indeed, addressing crime directly may be less advantageous to our community than address a greater, more expensive, but less visible issue: how we feel about crime.

“Our fear of crime has great impacts on our physical and mental health, and our hip pockets, then actual criminal events.

“There is a strong argument for supporting people to feel safer, rather than be safer. Initiatives that help people know their neighbours or feel connected to their community are among the ways to achieve this. By the numbers, Victoria is already so safe.”

Dr Michelle Noon is a criminologist and psychologist, who started her career with Victoria Police and in Senior Advisory with KPMG. She now works with the clinically-dangerous, spending her days providing forensic assessment of Victoria’s prisoners. On her non-clinical days, she trains clinicians, cops and lawyers on working with complex trauma, collaborates with government on justice and clinical policy, and lectures in forensic interviewing at RMIT University. Her research area is the community’s fear of crime, and how reducing this fear can improve community wellbeing.

*Availability: If no answer, may be in a meeting with clients so please text and include deadline.

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