Under the Albanese Labor government, regional Australians are better off, and here's why. Bulk billing in the regions is higher now than it was two years ago. That's a fact, and the data makes it crystal clear. The Albanese government's record investment to strengthen Medicare has revived bulk billing and made it cheaper for people in regional Australia to see a GP. In regional Victoria alone, this has resulted in an additional 585,900 free visits to the GP just in the past year. That's something to celebrate, and it's remarkable. It reinforces the fact that regional Australians will always do better under Labor when it comes to Medicare and their health care.
This stands in stark contrast to the damning legacy of the former coalition government. We all know the opposition leader was overwhelmingly voted by Australian doctors as the worst health minister in living memory. It was the opposition leader who wanted to abolish bulk billing, which would have delivered terrible health and cost-of-living outcomes for regional Australians.
It's a similar story when it comes to the education sector. The Albanese government understands that regional economies are bolstered by investment in and support for their educational institutions, like Gordon TAFE and Deakin University in my electorate of Corangamite in regional Victoria. That's why we're backing in our regions, putting forward a policy that would see more Australians attend regional universities—studying, working and, hopefully, embracing and staying in regional areas.
The latest data backs this up. It shows that, under our education policy, regional university intakes would rise by 11 per cent above their 2023 international student levels, and 78 per cent above their estimates for 2024. This projected 78 per cent rise would be the economic boost these regional communities need. I know there are National Party MPs and senators who want this bill passed because it would benefit their regional communities, but, unsurprisingly, the Liberal Party are standing in the way of this bill. They're blocking our pathway to supporting regional universities, they're opposing a 20 per cent cut to student debt and they're now opposing free TAFE, a program that regional Victorians are taking up in droves.
When it comes to infrastructure, our record speaks for itself. We're progressively doubling Roads to Recovery funding to $1 billion annually. Under this program, Victoria will receive $895 million over five years—much more than the former coalition government proposed—with much of it going to regional roads. The Black Spot Program will also rise from $110 million to $150 million per year under Labor. In my regional, fast-growing electorate, this Labor government has in the last year rolled out more than $1.3 million for road projects alone on the Surf Coast, making our roads safer and reducing travel times for motorists. We're about to kick off, early next year, stage 2 of the Barwon Heads Road upgrade; this is a joint state-federal funding partnership, a $250 million project that will duplicate this busy arterial road in one of the nation's fastest-growing areas. And on Saturday we officially opened the Waurn Ponds rail duplication, with work now complete.
This contrasts sharply with the former coalition government, which took funds from regional Australia and put them into the North Sydney pool—so much for a coalition government that supports regional Australia! They have form. Do you remember, Deputy Speaker Claydon, when the former Abbott coalition government froze road maintenance funding back in 2014 and then did nothing for a decade? As a result, regional roads suffered and so did their businesses and local communities. But, luckily, things have changed. At the last election, the nation voted for a competent, compassionate government that is now getting on with the job for the people of my electorate, for the member for Gippsland's electorate and for all regional Australians.
