Dan Andrews | Politician

Dan Andrews

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21.01.2022 I know everyone’s hanging out for this one so I’ll cut to the chase. Victoria will move to the Last Step from 11.59pm tonight. That’ll mean more people can get together 15 visitors to your home and 50 outdoors in a public place.... Numbers at gyms will increase to 150 with group limits of 20 and venue density limits. Hospitality also increases to 150 inside for larger venues and 50 for smaller ones with density limits based on their size. Up to 150 people can attend weddings and funerals. And the number caps will be increased for other venues community centres, galleries, museums and more. I'll put all the details in the comments. There will be a staged return to offices for staff who've spent the past six+ months in Zoom meetings too with up to 25 per cent able to come back onsite at any one time. Everyone else will need to keep working from home. We’re also changing the rules around masks. They’ll still be mandatory indoors and on PT but you won’t need one outside, so long as you’re able to keep a safe distance from others. To put it into context, that means wearing a mask if you’re at a busy outdoor market or event but not if you’re out walking the dog. You'll need to carry a mask at all times for when it's required. I’m sure some people think everything should be thrown open completely now that we’ve gone three weeks without a case. But that’s precisely the point. We’ve only got to zero cases because of masks and distancing and everyone playing their part. Keeping these protections around a bit longer means that if we were to get a case, the risk of it spreading faster and wider will be much lower. And most Victorians would agree it’s a relatively small imposition for a potentially huge benefit. Just finally, to everyone looking ahead to Christmas and planning how many seats at the lunch table you'll be able to have 30 visitors at home, including kids. We'll have more to say on other settings soon, based on the latest public health advice. This has been a year like no other and one most of us would probably rather forget. Victorians have sacrificed so much and done it so tough. But even in the darkest of winter days, we stuck together and supported each other. And for that I am so grateful and so very proud.

21.01.2022 These jokes are terrible. But the good news is that you can torture up to 30 visitors with them on Christmas Day.

19.01.2022 Building a rail link to the airport is something that's been talked about for over 60 years. And it's something that generations of travellers have dreamt about while stuck in freeway traffic. We've always known that airport rail needed to be as fast, as convenient and as affordable for Victorian families as possible.... That's why today we announced that trains to the airport will run through the Metro Tunnel and we'll be providing $5 billion to get the project off the ground. That means if you live on the Pakenham or Cranbourne lines, you'll be able to go straight to the terminal no changes. And nearly everyone else will only have to change trains once - including those coming from regional Victoria. It will mean you can get to the city from Tullamarine in less than 30 minutes. Trains will depart every 10 minutes and drop travellers off exactly where they need to be whether you're here for work, travel or just coming home. But this project isn't just about building the best airport rail for Victoria. It'll create 8,000 local jobs too. All with the tap of a Myki.

16.01.2022 The scars of this pandemic won't just disappear when the virus goes away. And if we want to truly recover, we need to not just build big but care strong too. That's why today we announced over $235 million to employ, train and upskill a Recovery Workforce of mental health professionals, disability support staff and child protection workers and create 500 new jobs.... That includes developing 240 Family Violence and Sexual Assault trainees, and providing funding to retrain Victorian nurses in mental health. We're providing new child psychiatry registrar positions for junior doctors, and almost 100 new alcohol and drug recovery coordinators. And we know that those who've been through it, understand it best that's why we're training and deploying a lived experience workforce of Victorians who've tackled mental health in their own lives, to help those doing it tough right now. We're working with Victorian Aboriginal health services too, and creating a $40 million fund to enable Aboriginal healthcare providers across Victoria to support and care for their communities. And because every Victorian child deserves to feel safe and cared for, over $132 million will massively expand our state's child protection workforce too boosting their capacity to protect and improve the wellbeing and safety of Victorian kids and their families. For too many Victorians, going back to 'how things were' before the pandemic means going back to an unsafe home or inaccessible mental health care. And that's just not good enough. As a state we'll come out of this stronger than ever but only if we bring everyone along with us.

16.01.2022 Big news for families with little ones: We're providing grants to start new out-of-hours care programs at up to 400 government schools giving parents and carers more options when it comes to work, study, training or reentering the workforce. We're also covering the cost of funded kinder in sessional and long day care which means it will be free for families in 2021.... I know this pandemic has been tough on parents particularly mums who have had to juggle work, childcare and learning from home. And that balancing act doesn't always get easier even with kids back at kinder and school. But this is one less thing for families to worry about.

13.01.2022 The RSL might be a little quieter this year but that doesn't make the significance any less. Wherever you are, remember the sacrifice they made and the enormous price they paid. And never, ever forget.

12.01.2022 The Taipan snake is one of the deadliest in the world. And the anti-venom for its bite was discovered right here, in Victoria saving thousands of lives. It's just one of the countless incredible breakthroughs that have made our state the centre of medical research in Australia.... And as we work our way out of this pandemic we have no intention of slowing down. That's why today we announced funding to start work on a brand new Australian Institute for Infectious Disease in Parkville. This project will create thousands of new local jobs. And when complete - will provide state-of-the-art research facilities for the Doherty Institute, Burnet Institute, the University of Melbourne, CSL and many more. It will bring together the best and brightest minds in the country. I can't wait to see what they discover next.

05.01.2022 Without a doubt - this has been a tough year for many Victorians. And the pandemic has made clear some of the very real cracks in our mental health system. It's why we announced Australia's first Royal Commission into Mental Health in 2018 - and why we promised to implement every single one of its recommendations.... Today's $868.6 million investment will deliver on the Interim Report findings - and go even further. We know this is a problem that can't be solved overnight. And there's still a long way to go before we have the system we need - and Victorians deserve. It's a big job but it can be done. It has to be.

05.01.2022 Otto's been tending the vines here at Dal Zotto for over 30 years. He and Elena started the winery back in 1986, and over time they've become one of Victoria's best Prosecco producers. My Mum and Dad were members of their local wine club for years we've always had a bottle of Dal Zotto around the house.... And they've always been a North East business too they create jobs, they employ locals, and they support the community. But like so many other regional wineries and tourism operators, the last year hasn't been at all easy. First the bushfires came through and forced them to shut their doors then the pandemic hit and the customers dried up. They rely on visitors from the city and tourists from around the country to turn a profit, and without them it's tough. Businesses like Dal Zotto are why we're investing over $460 million to boost regional Victorian tourism. The funding includes $4.3 million for King Valley's 'Prosecco Road', to help local wineries improve their facilities and recover quicker. And for Dal Zotto, it'll help build new accommodation - so visitors can stay in the community, and spend money in the community too. But we don't just want these businesses open we want them thriving, and local economies booming like never before. So if you're thinking of taking a break over the holidays, get out and see the best that Victoria has to offer. Spend money in small communities, support the businesses who've faced all these challenges this year. And don't forget to try some Victorian wine too there's none better.