Victorian Labor vows free dental clinics for all if re-elected

At a rally less than 100 days before the state election, Premier Ben Carroll pledged $230 million to establish ten publicly run dental clinics throughout Victoria, offering free check-ups, fillings, root canals and extractions. Seven sites will be in Melbourne and three in regional districts where dental services are scarce, and the clinics will stay open from 9 am to 9 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 5 pm on weekends, accepting patients without appointments.

Health minister Ingrid Stitt described the initiative as the dental counterpart to urgent-care clinics, emphasizing that access should not depend on income or location. Once fully functional, the network is expected to serve more than 100,000 Victorians each year. The plan marks Labor’s first major election commitment and is billed as an Australian-first, structural cost-of-living support, though it remains unclear whether federal funding will be sought.