New Chair and Deputy Chair appointed to lead Regional Cities Victoria

A new Chair and Deputy Chair have been appointed to Regional Cities Victoria (RCV), a leadership group
comprising the Mayors and CEOs of the 10 largest cities outside Melbourne – Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong,
Horsham, Latrobe, Mildura, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Warrnambool and Wodonga.

The new Chair of RCV will be Cr Shane Sali, Mayor of Greater Shepparton City Council, with Cr Andrea
Metcalf, Mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo, to serve as Deputy Chair.

Cr Sali grew up in Shepparton, where he is now raising his three children with wife Lirie. Outside his
Mayoral role Shane remains very connected to the operations of his family retail businesses.

Shane is deeply committed to Greater Shepparton and regional Victoria and served as Deputy Chair of RCV this year, after becoming Mayor of Greater Shepparton in June 2022.

“It is an honour to be able to lead RCV for the next 12 months. I look forward to working with the group to
strengthen our regional economies and maximise regional liveability,” Cr Sali said.

“We will continue to work with and advocate to the State and Federal Governments to ensure regional
Victorians are not left behind, maintaining our focus on ensuring the infrastructure, services and amenities needed to accommodate new families and residents.

“I would like to thank Cr Andrea Metcalf for her leadership as RCV Chair during the past 18 months. RCV is the leading voice for regional communities and Cr Metcalf has been a strong advocate for the regions. I
look forward to continuing to work with her as Deputy Chair,” Cr Sali concluded.

Following Mayoral elections, RCV has also welcomed two new Mayors to the group, Darren Howe from
Latrobe City Council and Ben Blain from Warrnambool City Council.

RCV advocates for the sustainable growth of Victoria’s regions, and for policies and programs that help
attract business investment and a diverse workforce to regional Victoria. Collectively, these cities are home to more than 800,000 Victorians.

Media contact: Emily Broadbent – 0413 133 627