State Treasurer Tim Pallas has drafted a service-focused budget with less infrastructure spend than his predecessors and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Nearly $4 billion was allocated for education with 67 schools statewide to be upgraded, including 10 new schools as part of $569 million for government school works. Yesterday it was unclear whether any south-west schools would be the beneficiaries.

In his budget speech, Mr Pallas keen to highlight that Labor would fund three full years of the Gonski education agreement, despite uncertainty from the federal government over its commitments.

A blast from the classroom past was also bankrolled. The first technical schools, a key election promise, will not be opened for at least two years. $12 million has been allocated for the planning. The schools will be built in areas with marginal constituencies such as Ballarat, Geelong and south-east Melbourne.

Health was also a key portfolio. A hundred new hospital beds are set to be opened over the next year, mostly based in Melbourne. 

Hospitals in Melbourne’s expanding suburbs will be able to share in a $560 million cash pool to cope with increased demand.

Sadly, but unsurprisingly, South West Healthcare’s second stage overhaul of the Warrnambool Base Hospital was not funded and is unlikely to be over the next four years. 

Former premier Denis Napthine pledged to spend $100 million on the hospital project during the final weeks of the state election campaign, with work set to start in the 2017-18 financial year. 

Given the inevitable delays associated with planning and preparation, the much-needed rejuvenation of the base hospital is now likely to be on the back burner until the mid-2020s.

Five million dollars towards the Warrnambool Special Developmental School’s relocation and $4 million for the National Centre for Farmer Health in Hamilton were at least  glimmers of good news.