Victoria\u2019s budget is on track to post a dramatically smaller surplus than previously expected as the state government struggles to balance cost-of-living relief with rising infrastructure-fuelled debt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Treasurer Jaclyn Symes will announce a projected $600 million operating surplus for 2025-26 in Tuesday\u2019s budget which, if delivered, would be the first time Victoria\u2019s day-to-day government sector running costs have been in the black since before 2020\u2019s COVID-19 lockdowns. The expected surplus is, however, $1 billion smaller than that forecast six months ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Symes will also outline projections for an average $1.9 billion operating surplus in the following years, peaking at a forecast $2.4 billion surplus in 2027-28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The positive annual balance sheet will still be overshadowed by the long-term costs Victoria continues to pay for massive infrastructure projects. When this expenditure is taken into account, the cash position of the budget remains in deficit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The size of the state\u2019s debt will continue to grow to an expected $187 billion in 2028, but Symes said its share of the overall economy will decline in future budgets. \u201cBy delivering a responsible budget, we can invest more in what matters most to Victorian families,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Symes will also outline projections for an average $1.9 billion operating surplus in the following years, peaking at a forecast $2.4 billion surplus in 2027-28.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":219728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[273,999,35],"tags":[993,8,16773],"class_list":["post-219727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia","category-australia-politics","category-breaking-news","tag-melbourne","tag-victoria","tag-victorian-budget-2025"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t