Still more to do to meet housing demand in regional Victoria

VIEW THE PDF HERE

Regional Cities Victoria (RCV) has welcomed the Allan Government’s announcement that land around some of our major regional centres will be protected for agricultural and industrial uses, but warned that major obstacles remain if Victoria is to meet its targets for new housing.

RCV had hoped Plan for Victoria would express a vision that put regional Victoria at the heart of the state’s growth strategy and encouraged a greater proportion of the population to live in our regional cities.

“Regional cities see an opportunity to attract the key workers we need in our regional hospitals, schools and local businesses, while easing the pressure on housing in Melbourne at the same time,” said Cr Shane Sali, RCV Chair.

RCV’s submission to the government called for a broad plan that would drive decisions and investment to attract more people to live and work in regional Victoria; better connect our regional cities to Melbourne and each other; coordinate housing growth with infrastructure investment; protect rural amenity and support resilient, healthy communities; increase housing choice and diversity; and address housing affordability for locals.

A New Plan for Victoria: Submission from RCV

VIEW THE PDF HERE

Victoria is changing. Over the next 30 years, our population is set to grow by around 320 people every day – to more than 10 million.

One in four people live outside of Melbourne. And around half of all regional Victorians – more than 800,000 people – live in one of our ten regional cities. These ratios haven’t changed in decades.

The new plan for Victoria is an opportunity to ensure that regional Victoria is part of the state’s growth strategy and home to a greater proportion of the population and economic prosperity.

As we imagine the future of our regional cities, the Victorian Government’s plan for Victoria must be more than a target for new dwellings. It must be a plan for growth and larger communities that supports the whole of Victoria and its economy. Success will depend on genuine consideration of the rural and regional context.

Each of our regions is unique. Some will house a significant portion of Victoria’s new residents. Others must be supported to ensure stable populations that service and underpin rural industries and regional economies.

Councils have invested significant resources and undertaken extensive community consultation and research to develop long-term housing and growth strategies that will better serve current and future residents, businesses, and visitors.

Our vision is a plan for Victoria that reflects these strategies and articulates clear actions that will drive decisions and investment to attract more people to live and work in regional Victoria; better connect our regional cities to Melbourne and each other; coordinate housing growth with infrastructure investment; protect rural amenity and support resilient, healthy communities; increase housing choice and diversity; and address housing affordability.

Transformative investment in regional cities can benefit the whole state.

RCV takes workforce shortage concerns to Canberra

A delegation from Regional Cities Victoria (RCV) is in Canberra today for high-level pre-Budget meetings to discuss federal priorities for regional Victoria.

RCV Chair Cr Shane Sali – Mayor of Greater Shepparton, and Deputy Andrea Metcalf – Mayor of Greater Bendigo will lead talks, outlining to Ministers and members of Parliament that regional Victoria is facing unprecedented workforce shortages critical to delivering federal policies like boosting housing.

“Demand for workers in regional areas is at an all-time high,” Cr Sali said.

“Regional businesses are suffering from skills and labour shortages across a range of sectors including health, early childhood education, aged care and disability services, agriculture, construction, accommodation and food services, and education and training.”

The local government sector in regional Victoria is itself experiencing extreme workforce challenges due to a statewide shortage of planners, building surveyors, and engineering staff. These workers are critical to delivery of housing policies like the National Housing Accord.

“The Australian Government can play a greater role in attracting critical workers to the local government sector to not only boost housing, but support local economies and plan the future,” Cr Sali said.

RCV’s 2025 agenda also includes new flexible funding for urgent roadworks, guaranteed annual billion-dollar spend for regional infrastructure programs, recurring funding for enabling infrastructure programs and ensuring communities can build back better after natural disasters.

“We’re not looking for sugar hits. We’re looking for certainty – and consistent investment for the long-term is key,” Cr Sali said.

“Our cities are at the forefront of responding to population growth and maintaining the liveability for which regional Victoria is renowned.

“Recurring funding, instead of one-off commitments, gives us a reliable foundation to build sustainable cities and the confidence to commit ratepayers’ funds to projects that will grow our regions.

“We will continue to work with our federal colleagues to develop policies that not only invest equitably and sustainably in our regional cities but ultimately support a growing and prosperous Australia,” Cr Sali said.