Victoria’s state budget, released on Tuesday, projects a smaller surplus for the next financial year than previously expected, while also outlining an intention to rewrite the state’s Sentencing Act. Multiple outlets report that the budget forecasts a surplus of about $900 million less than predicted for the next financial year. The budget also includes measures to extend stamp duty discounts. The reporting across outlets is consistent on these main points: the budget is delivered as part of Victoria’s planning for the coming financial period, it revises the outlook on the state’s finances downward by $900 million relative to earlier forecasts, and it pairs this change with policy announcements including further stamp duty relief and legal changes related to sentencing. While sources focus on the budget’s overall fiscal and policy directions, they do not provide additional details in the excerpts about the specific contents, timing, or scope of the Sentencing Act rewrite. Overall, the coverage presents the budget as combining a revised financial outlook with planned legislative reform and continued support for stamp duty through extended discounts.