Victoria Promises $230M for Australia's First Free Public Dental Clinics

Victorian Labor, under Premier Ben Carroll, has pledged $230 million for ten free public dental clinics if re-elected — an Australian first. The clinics would offer checkups, fillings, root canals, and extractions, serving over 100,000 Victorians yearly by mid-2027. Carroll calls it "structural cost-of-living support." The opposition notes Victoria's public dental wait sits at seven months, versus one in NSW.