LAST Week's State Budget contained very little for rural Victorians, says PETER RYAN

Country Victorians will be underwhelmed by this year's State Budget with very little new spending provided for agriculture, regional roads, rail and infrastructure.

The Budget is big on re-announcements, laced with overdue but under-funded promises and Federal Government bailouts and lacking in support for rural communities.

Even in an election year, Premier John Brumby has failed to provide country Victoria with the funding and resources it needs to grow and prosper.

Victorian farmers contribute about $20 billion to the state's economy every year and yet the farm sector has been largely overlooked in the Budget.

The overall budget for the Department of Sustainability and Environment has been cut by 3 per cent and funding for the Department of Primary Industries has dropped 2.5 per cent.

Locust plagues threaten havoc in northern Victoria yet there was no money to control locusts in the Budget.

We now hear South Australia expects to spend $5 million to control locusts next financial year.

John Brumby has lost touch with Victorian farmers. In his desire to win metropolitan seats at the November 27 election, country communities are being overlooked.

More funding is desperately required for country road safety works but the lion's share of funding has bypassed areas in need.

This is despite a warning in the Infrastructure Australia 2010 Report Card for major changes to ensure roads are brought up to standard.

The Government's Better Roads program will only deliver $9 million for regional road projects next year.

This falls well short of what is required to fix the major backlog in regional road upgrades created by 11 years of Labor Government neglect.

Labor's 1700 additional police officers form the central plank of the State Budget.

But it still falls well short of the Victorian Coalition's commitment of 2640 extra Victoria Police officers and Victoria Police protective service officers in one term of government.

Disappointingly for Victorians, the Government's long-awaited Regional Blueprint is yet to materialise, despite first being proposed by the Premier in February last year.

It is now to be released late next month.

Analysis of Budget papers shows Regional and Rural Development Minister Jacinta Allan has broken her promise to fully commit all of the $610 million allocated to the Regional Infrastructure Development Fund by June 30 this year.

Country Victorians have been short-changed $56 million, which the Government has channelled into 2010-11.

RIDF helps support infrastructure-building projects in regional Victoria yet the Government has been holding back on spending in times of need.

It is a concern for country Victoria that Labor has allocated no funding for fuel reduction burns or even established a target in this year's Budget.

In failing to do so, Labor has ignored recommendations made in 2008 by the Parliamentary Environment and Natural Resources Committee and, more recently, from lawyers for the Royal Commission to at least triple prescribed burning in Victoria.

Ratepayers in bushfire-prone communities will be left to foot the bill for Neighbourhood Safer Places after the Government provided just $500,000 in the Budget for the Municipal Association of Victoria to manage this task.

The MAV had asked for $12 million to cover estimated costs.

The Government refuses to change the Fire Services Levy, yet both the Henry Taxation Review and counsel assisting the Bushfires Royal Commission have recommended it be scrapped because it is inequitable and unfair.

Mr Brumby will not budge - without a doubt the levy will continue to be a burden on country Victorians, particularly small business.

Despite record income over Labor's 11 years in government, there is very little to show for it in regional and rural Victoria.

This is the Budget of a tired, lazy government that takes country Victorians for granted as it chases city votes.

Interestingly, the word "vision" is not in the Treasurer's Budget speech, and is it any wonder, this Budget has no vision and nor has this Government. It is time for a change.