Financial outlook
The table below sets out the department’s total funding as per the State Budget 2026-27. The State Budget 2026-27 Budget Papers provide detailed descriptions of objectives and outputs, and key performance indicators.
Victorians are the healthiest people in the world
| Output initiatives | 2026–27 budget ($million) |
|---|---|
| Admitted Services | 18,284.6 |
| Non‑Admitted Services (a) | 2,850.4 |
| Emergency Services (b) | 2,467.3 |
| Health Workforce Training and Development | 424.5 |
| Aged and Home Care | 725.8 |
| Home and Community Care Program for Younger People | 164.5 |
| Ambulance Services | 1,575.6 |
| Drug Services (c) | 415.5 |
| Mental Health Clinical Care (d) | 3,013.4 |
| Mental Health Community Support Services (b) | 236.6 |
| Community Health Care | 377.5 |
| Dental Services (b) | 239.3 |
| Maternal and Child Health and Early Parenting Services | 204.0 |
| Public Health | 406.1 |
| Small Rural Services (b) | 948.7 |
| Total | 32,333.8 |
Source: State Budget 2026-27 Budget Papers, 2026-27 Department Performance Statement, Department of Health.
Notes:
(a) The higher 2026-27 target is due to new funding provided for government policy commitments and a revision to estimated hospital revenue.
(b) The higher 2026-27 target is due to new funding provided for government policy commitments and increased contribution from Commonwealth Government.
(c) The higher 2026-27 target is due to new funding provided for government policy commitments.
(d) The higher 2026-27 target is due primarily to enterprise bargaining agreements and government policy initiatives.
Output initiatives – Department of Health ($ million)
The following table sets out the department’s output initiatives in the State Budget 2026-27.
| Admitted Services | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Additional paediatric planned surgery and specialist care (a) | .. | 17.0 | 22.0 | 30.1 | 40.2 |
| Better outcomes through early endoscopy detection | .. | 7.2 | 9.8 | .. | .. |
| Collaborative care through Local Health Service Networks | .. | 11.7 | 12.1 | 12.4 | 12.8 |
| Improving life-saving organ and tissue donation rates | .. | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.3 |
| Meeting the need for life-saving blood products | .. | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.4 |
| More support for Victorian patients (a) | .. | 394.4 | 404.2 | 414.4 | 424.7 |
| Public fertility care services for more Victorian families (a) | .. | 21.4 | 22.0 | .. | .. |
| Safe births for every Victorian woman and baby (a) | .. | 48.1 | 62.6 | 64.1 | 65.7 |
| Safer digital healthcare program 2026-27 | .. | 20.8 | .. | .. | .. |
| Strengthening access to life-preserving dialysis (a) | .. | 8.7 | 6.4 | 2.7 | 2.8 |
| Supporting older patients who do not have decision-making capacity | .. | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| Aged and Home Care | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strengthening public sector residential aged care services | .. | 35.7 | .. | .. | .. |
| Strengthening medication administration in non-government residential aged care services | .. | 2.8 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.2 |
| Victorian Aids and Equipment program | .. | 5.0 | .. | .. | .. |
| Ambulance Services | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| More accurate triaging and ambulance dispatch | .. | 4.9 | 4.8 | .. | .. |
| Preserving emergency ambulance availability | .. | 20.2 | 20.7 | .. | .. |
| Community Health Care | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community-based chronic disease program | .. | 4.3 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.8 |
| Preventative health support for Victorian women | .. | 9.8 | 0.6 | .. | .. |
| Urgent care in the community | .. | 10.0 | .. | .. | .. |
| Dental Services | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public dental in community hospitals | .. | 2.5 | 2.6 | .. | .. |
| Drug Services | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol and other drug community support services | .. | 14.9 | 16.8 | .. | .. |
| Footscray Hub | .. | 0.6 | .. | .. | |
| Public intoxication services | .. | 28.5 | 23.8 | .. | .. |
| Victorian Pill Testing Service | .. | 5.4 | 4.2 | .. | .. |
| Emergency Services | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening and operating hospital facilities (a) | 7.2 | 63.5 | 71.5 | 73.4 | 68.9 |
| Health Workforce Training and Development | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strengthening health workforce sustainability (a) | .. | 28.7 | 2.6 | .. | .. |
| Home and Community Care Program for Younger People | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supports for people with disability outside of the NDIS | .. | 22.5 | .. | .. | .. |
| Maternal and Child Health and Early Parenting Services | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victorian Early Parenting Centre service network | .. | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| Mental Health Clinical Care | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expanding mental health Hospital in the Home (a) | .. | 13.3 | 16.4 | .. | .. |
| Expanding Thomas Embling Hospital (a) | .. | 9.6 | 36.3 | 39.1 | 40.1 |
| Mental Health Tribunal | .. | 3.5 | .. | .. | .. |
| Strengthening mental health workforce sustainability (a) | .. | 11.6 | 17.6 | 9.2 | 6.5 |
| Supporting groups disproportionately impacted by suicide | .. | 5.4 | 1.1 | .. | .. |
| Mental Health Community Support Services | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Improving Victoria’s mental health crisis response services | .. | 2.7 | 2.8 | .. | .. |
| Mental health and wellbeing care in the community (a) | .. | 9.8 | 0.2 | .. | .. |
| Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs | .. | 4.9 | .. | .. | .. |
| Mental health support for diverse and marginalised communities | .. | 0.7 | 0.1 | .. | .. |
| Non‑Admitted Services | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Care and support for people born with variations in sex characteristics | .. | 0.2 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
| Hospital care for older people at residential aged care facilities | .. | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.4 |
| Improving care closer to home | .. | 67.4 | 65.9 | .. | .. |
| Strengthening palliative care for Victorians (a) | .. | 10.3 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.8 |
| Public Health | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health emergency management capability | .. | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Investing in cancer care, research and outcomes | .. | 5.0 | 5.3 | .. | .. |
| Protecting the health of priority populations (a) | .. | 6.4 | .. | .. | |
| Reducing and eliminating blood-borne viruses and sexually transmitted infections | .. | 0.8 | 0.8 | .. | .. |
| Responding to public health threats | .. | 0.5 | 0.5 | .. | .. |
| Vaccines for Victorians | .. | 7.8 | 1.2 | .. | .. |
| Victoria’s frontline public health system | .. | 34.5 | .. | .. | .. |
| Department of Health | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total output initiatives | 7.2 | 1,000.4 | 869.6 | 681.0 | 697.9 |
Notes:
(a) These initiatives contribute to activity that attracts Commonwealth Government funding under the National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA). Estimates of the Commonwealth Government’s contribution are included.
Workforce outlook
Our workforce is vital to delivering this plan. We will focus on building our workforce’s capability and capacity. We will also create a great employee experience using culture, development, and inclusion.
We will do this through initiatives that employ and retain great people. This includes projects that improve workplace culture, health, safety, and wellbeing. It also means engaging and enabling our workforce and growing and developing our people.
Examples of our work in this area include uplifting our leadership capability, improving our writing capability across the department, and continuing our culture journey and wellbeing work. We will develop a culture where people get the job done and do it well, strive for excellence, work as a team, solve problems and think outside the box, and develop others.
We also know that support for diversity, inclusion and cultural safety is essential. Our approach to creating a great employee experience is underpinned by complementary initiatives such as:
- Aboriginal workforce strategy
- Getting to work: disability employment implementation plan
- Gender equality action plan
- LGBTIQA+ inclusion strategy
- Health safety and wellbeing framework
- Victorian Public Sector Commission employment guidelines.
Asset outlook
The department has an asset total estimated investment (TEI) of $13.6 billion in planning and delivery as detailed in State Budget 2026–27 Budget Papers, Budget Paper 4.
New projects
| Project name | Total estimated investment ($ thousand) | Estimated completion date |
|---|---|---|
| Better outcomes through early endoscopy detection (statewide) | 10,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Dandenong Hospital Redevelopment (Dandenong) | 305,000 | qtr 4 2031‑32 |
| Engineering Infrastructure Replacement Program 2026-27 (statewide) | 20,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Gippsland hospitals upgrade program (regional) | 65,000 | qtr 4 2029‑30 |
| Medical Equipment Replacement Program 2026-27 (statewide) | 35,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Capital Renewal Fund 2026-27 (statewide) | 10,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Metropolitan Health Infrastructure Fund 2026-27 (statewide) | 15,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Minor Capital Works Renewal Program – public sector residential aged care 2026-27 (statewide) | 7,500 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Regional Health Infrastructure Fund 2026-27 (statewide) | 75,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Safe births for every Victorian woman and baby (statewide) | 8,251 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Safer Digital Healthcare Program 2026‑27 (statewide) | 16,153 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Total new projects | 566,904 |
Source: State Budget 2026–27 Budget Papers, Budget Paper No. 4, Department of Health
Existing projects
| Project name | Total estimated investment ($ thousand) | Estimated completion date |
|---|---|---|
| A new ambulance station for Armstrong Creek (Armstrong Creek) | 30,400 | qtr 2 2028-29 |
| Additional acute mental health beds in regional Victoria (various) | 195,834 | qtr 4 2028‑29 |
| Austin Hospital Emergency Department Upgrade (Heidelberg) | 275,000 | qtr 2 2028‑29 |
| Ballarat Base Hospital mental health, alcohol and other drugs emergency department hub (Ballarat) | 5,400 | qtr 4 2027‑28 |
| Ballarat Health Services expansion and redevelopment and the new Central Energy Plant (Ballarat) | 650,388 | qtr 2 2027‑28 |
| Barwon Women’s and Children’s Hospital (Geelong) | 514,102 | qtr 2 2028-29 |
| Better aged care services for regional Victorians (regional various) | 162,246 | qtr 1 2028‑29 |
| Building a world class hospital for Frankston families (Frankston) | 1,120,084 | qtr 3 2027‑28 |
| Building emergency departments kids and families can count on (statewide) | 46,517 | qtr 2 2028-29 |
| Community hospitals to give patients the best care (statewide) | 869,986 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Contemporary information architecture for mental health and wellbeing (statewide) | 60,761 | qtr 4 2027‑28 |
| COVID catch‑up plan (statewide) | 121,637 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Dandenong and Districts Aborigines Co‑operative accommodation (Dandenong) | 9,710 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Early Parenting Centre – Shepparton (Shepparton) | 25,000 | qtr 2 2026‑27 |
| Emergency Departments Expansion Program – Casey Hospital and Werribee Mercy Hospital (Casey) (Werribee) | 279,921 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Engineering infrastructure and medical equipment replacement program 2020‑21 (statewide) | 85,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Engineering infrastructure and medical equipment replacement program 2021‑22 (statewide) | 85,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Engineering infrastructure replacement program 2022‑23 (statewide) | 20,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Engineering infrastructure replacement program 2024‑25 (statewide) | 40,000 | qtr 4 2029‑30 |
| Engineering infrastructure replacement program 2025-26 (statewide) | 61,750 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Forensic Mental Health Expansion Project Stage 1 and 2 (Fairfield) | 462,457 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Harm reduction initiatives (metropolitan) | 36,400 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
Hospital Infrastructure Delivery Fund (statewide) – A new hospital for West Gippsland to put patients first – A new Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Melbourne’s East – Dandenong Hospital and Wonthaggi Hospital redevelopment | 15,691 | qtr 2 2026‑27 |
| Improving Energy Efficiency in Public Hospitals (Melbourne) | 40,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Improving safety in mental health intensive care areas (various) | 61,138 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Medical equipment replacement program 2024‑25 (statewide) | 35,000 | qtr 4 2027‑28 |
| Medical Equipment Replacement Program 2025-26 (statewide) | 52,250 | qtr 4 2026 27 |
| Meeting ambulance response times (statewide) | 177,317 | qtr 4 2027-28 |
| Mental health and alcohol and other drugs residential rehabilitation facility – Mildura (Mildura) | 36,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Capital Renewal Fund 2023-24 (statewide) | 10,000 | qtr 4 2026-27 |
| Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Capital Renewal Fund 2024-25 (statewide) | 10,000 | qtr 4 2027-28 |
| Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Capital Renewal Fund 2025-26 (statewide) | 10,000 | qtr 4 2026-27 |
| Metropolitan Health Infrastructure Fund 2020‑21 (metropolitan various) | 187,000 | qtr 4 2027-28 |
| Metropolitan Health Infrastructure Fund 2022‑23 (metropolitan various) | 25,000 | qtr 4 2027-28 |
| Metropolitan Health Infrastructure Fund 2023‑24 (metropolitan various) | 40,000 | qtr 4 2027‑28 |
| Minor Capital Renewal Program – public sector residential aged care (statewide) | 7,500 | qtr 4 2026-27 |
| Monash Medical Centre Redevelopment (Clayton) | 535,000 | qtr 4 2028‑29 |
| More hospital and aged care beds for Melbourne’s East (Angliss Hospital Expansion Stage 2) (Upper Ferntree Gully) | 112,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| More PET scanners for Victorian hospitals (statewide) | 69,623 | qtr 4 2029‑30 |
| New Melton Hospital (Cobblebank) | 1,487,719 | qtr 1 2029‑30 |
| Northcote – Early Parenting Centre (Northcote) | 20,000 | qtr 4 2027‑28 |
| Northern Hospital Redevelopment (Epping) | 812,500 | qtr 2 2029‑30 |
| Parkville Precinct Redevelopment (Parkville) | 2,338,000 | tbc |
| Redevelopment of Thomas Embling Hospital Stage 3 (Fairfield) | 53,196 | qtr 4 2026-27 |
| Regional Health Infrastructure Fund (regional various) | 250,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Regional Health Infrastructure Fund 2019‑20 (regional various) | 100,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Regional Health Infrastructure Fund 2020‑21 (regional various) | 120,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Regional Health Infrastructure Fund 2022‑23 (regional various) | 300,000 | qtr 4 2027‑28 |
| Royal Children’s Hospital expansion (Parkville) | 55,812 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Royal Melbourne Hospital Critical Infrastructure Works (Melbourne) | 57,439 | qtr 4 2028-29 |
| Rural and Regional PSRACS Revitalisation Strategy Stage 1 (2022‑23) (regional various) | 142,845 | qtr 4 2027‑28 |
| Rural residential aged care facilities renewal 2020‑21 (regional various) | 10,000 | qtr 4 2026‑27 |
| Supporting the next generation of paramedics (statewide) | 3,200 | qtr 4 2026-27 |
| Sustaining statewide health service delivery at The Alfred (Prahran) | 118,000 | qtr 2 2029‑30 |
| Swan Hill District Hospital emergency department upgrade (Swan Hill) | 65,700 | qtr 2 2026‑27 |
| The Alfred Hospital urgent infrastructure (Prahran) | 174,500 | qtr 4 2029‑30 |
| Warrnambool Base Hospital redevelopment (incl Warrnambool Logistics Hub) (Warrnambool) | 396,100 | qtr 3 2027-28 |
| Total existing projects | 13,086,123 | |
| Total Health projects | 13,653,027 |
Source: State Budget 2026–27 Budget Papers, Budget Paper No. 4, Department of Health
Approved use of accumulated State Administration Unit
The Resource management framework (section 3.5.2) sets out the order of funding for approved asset investments.
The department follows this order. If required, funds will be drawn down from accumulated State Administration Unit (SAU) funding, after seeking approval from the Treasurer as required under s. 33 of the Financial Management Act 1994. Any funds accessed from accumulated depreciation funding will be reported each yea
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