Victoria has cancelled plans for a taxpayer-funded bronze statue of former premier Daniel Andrews, estimated to cost $134,000. Premier Ben Carroll said the automatic commissioning policy for long-serving premiers no longer reflected community expectations about public spending, ending a proposal that had drawn political and public opposition.

The statue had been planned for Treasury Place in Melbourne under a policy applying to premiers who served more than 3,000 days; Andrews served nine years before resigning in September 2023. A poll cited in the article found 74 per cent opposed proceeding, while 19 per cent supported it. Carroll’s government will also review how Victoria honours prominent figures through state funerals and memorial services, including their scale and cost.