About this submission
In presenting this document, COTA Victoria has provided a select list of funding initiatives that warrant serious consideration across Victorian Government portfolios. We have focussed on five priority areas that require support in the 2024/25 Victorian State Budget. We see these as the key pillars that support ageing in Victoria.
These pillars build on issues profiled in COTA Victoria’s Submission for the Victorian State Budget 2023/24, as well as our broader work in the last 12 months. These recommendations have been informed through engagement with the community and the sector. We believe the identified proposals offer a key opportunity to strengthen existing supports and initiatives to support older Victorians as well as deliver a broader social and economic dividend.
Further information on the costings and/or estimates can be provided on request. The proposed funding for a number of the initiatives are described as ‘discretionary’. These proposals are essential; however, this recognises that the scale of the change, process and funding is at the discretion of the Victorian Government. Some of these proposals relate to internal processes, which relevant departments are better placed to cost.
Executive summary
| Priority | Recommendations | Budget impact |
| An informed plan for older Victorians | Update the Ageing Well in Victoria Action Plan 2022-2026, including an outcomes measurement framework. | Discretionary – no direct outlay |
| Resource an annual engagement process with older Victorians to inform implementation and monitoring of the Action Plan. | Estimate: $0.6m over three years from 2024/25 | |
| Expanding our integrated response to elder abuse | Increase recurrent funding for SRV services to meet expressed demand for non-legal support for older Victorians experiencing elder abuse. | $2.01m over three years from 2024/25
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| Renew and expand the Integrated Services Fund (ISF) for SRV and other community legal centres and Aboriginal Legal Services. | Estimate: $1m over four years from 2024/25 (for SRV ISF activities) | |
| Improving the health and wellbeing of older Victorians | Fund the creation of an Older Victorian Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Action Plan. | Discretionary |
| Fund Victorian local councils and associated community organisations to engage with older Victorians to shape the next Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plans. | Discretionary | |
| Addressing housing and cost of living issues for older Victorians | Increase investment in proactive housing support, tenancy advice and individual advocacy for older people at risk. | Discretionary |
| Fund additional community education, outreach and sector development capacity for COTA Victoria to engage older people and sector organisations to provide advice and advocacy for access to financial supports and related supports to help people age well in their homes. | Estimate: $1m over 4 years from 2024/25 | |
| Undertake a comprehensive overhaul of the Victorian Household Concessions Program. | Discretionary – no direct outlay | |
| Increasing opportunities for economic participation | Fund COTA Victoria to deliver its Reach, Train and Employ (RTE) program in new metropolitan and regional areas, as well as a new round of older person specific place-based re-skilling, job readiness and placement support initiatives. | Estimate: $0.8m over 2 years from 2024/25 |
