RCV advocacy pays off with Coalition’s LRCIP commitment

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Regional Cities Victoria (RCV) welcomed today’s $1bn commitment from the Coalition for a revitalised Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program (LRCIP).

RCV has consistently advocated for more autonomy for councils to fix roads and invest in community infrastructure through non-competitive grants programs like the LRCIP.

“RCV’s persistence for greater, more flexible investment in regional Victoria in the lead up to the federal election is paying off,” RCV Chair Cr Shane Sali said today.

“Safer roads are a priority for RCV councils and the communities they support to ensure everyone gets home safely.”

Cr Sali said providing councils with a stream of funding for community infrastructure was vital for growing populations that rely on council-run facilities.

He said demand for services was placing an increasing burden on local government as population growth in regional cities outpaces all previous forecasts and the ability of councils to build and manage facilities – sporting, libraries, halls, parks, maternal health centres and kindergartens – was limited by revenue caps.

“Giving local councils the flexibility and the autonomy to direct funding where it’s urgently needed is the most efficient and effective way to improve liveability in our regional cities,” Cr Sali said.

“RCV’s vision is for prosperity and enhanced liveability through sustainable growth in regional Victoria, and we will continue to advocate for policies that invest in our economies to support the entire nation,” Cr Sali said.

State Priorities for 2025-26

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Regional Cities Victoria (RCV) is a leadership group dedicated to building a sustainable regional Australia by providing strategic advice, coordination, and advocacy to state and federal governments. We are pleased to submit our ideas and priorities for the 2025–26 Budget.

Comprising the Mayors and CEOs of the ten largest cities in regional Victoria – Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Horsham, Latrobe, Mildura, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Warrnambool, and Wodonga – RCV is focused on achieving real change in regional Victoria through policy development and implementation. We represent the more than 800,000 Australians that live in these municipalities.

Victoria’s regional cities underpin region-scale economies, liveability, and support the state’s economic growth. People living across regional Australia also rely on regional cities as ‘hubs’ for access to education, health, financial, transport and social services, as well as retail, sport and recreation, and cultural amenities.

Every single day, an extra 35 people call one of our regional cities home. Local governments are at the forefront of responding to this net population growth – in a tight fiscal environment coupled with cost-shifting and revenue caps – while maintaining the liveability for which regional Victoria is renowned.

Regional Cities Victoria’s vision is to develop and advocate for policies that invest equitably and sustainably in our regional cities to support a growing and prosperous Australia.