RCV appointment to drought taskforce

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STATEMENT FROM THE CHAIR CR SHANE SALI, MAYOR OF GREATER SHEPPARTON

RCV has been appointed to the Victorian Government’s drought taskforce.

RCV is the trusted voice to government for the regions, their cities and the rural communities they support.

Our leadership group – led by the Mayors and CEOs of the 10 largest cities in regional Victoria – has provided strategic advice to government, ministers and industry stakeholders for the last 25 years.

When we are at the table, we are a direct report for our communities, our businesses and the industries that the state’s economy relies on.

I have called an extraordinary meeting of RCV Mayors for Monday to discuss the priorities we will take to next week’s inaugural taskforce meeting.

We’re all facing this challenge together, no regional city is immune from the consequences of drought.

While we acknowledge today’s announcements from the Victorian Government including the $37.7 million statewide drought package and the ESVF reprieve for primary producers, we are acutely aware of impacts from current policies for rural and regional Victoria.

Right now, we need to support our farming communities in drought, but we also need to see a broader reset on government investment priorities to capitalise on the economic opportunities the regions offer.

This is why we continue to advocate for the return of the Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund – a guaranteed $100m investment every year that our cities, industry and businesses could rely on to back projects that support growth.

Strengthening the Victorian economy will depend on genuine consideration of the regional and rural context.

MEDIA:
Emily Broadbent
0400 390 008

Regional Cities Victoria response to State Budget

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Regional Cities Victoria (RCV) Chair Shane Sali said today’s State Budget was another modest budget for regional Victoria, with missed opportunities for the regions.

While acknowledging investment in services statewide for health, education and transport, Cr Sali said strengthening the Victorian economy depends on genuine consideration of the regional and rural context.

“We need to see a reset on government investment priorities to capitalise on the economic opportunities the regions offer,” Cr Sali said.

“Many regional Victorians look at the tens of billions being spent to ease growth pains in metro Melbourne and wonder about the potential of some of that level of investment in growing our regional cities.

“Today’s State Budget is a missed opportunity to provide dedicated investment in Victoria’s regions.

“The introduction of the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund levy at a time when regional and rural Victorians are experiencing significant cost of living pressures and concerningly dry conditions will continue to further impact the regions.

“There is so much opportunity outside Melbourne to give rise to new and emerging industries, create more jobs, more affordable housing, and stronger communities,” Cr Sali said.

“Regional Victoria is ready to go. Our governments need to look beyond metropolitan areas. Collectively we must raise aspirations for our regional cities,” Cr Sali said.

RCV’s 2025-26 State Priorities missing from the budget include:

• a new grants-based community infrastructure fund to establish partnerships with federal government for large-scale projects such as arts or aquatics centres, interchanges etc.
  
• a new enabling infrastructure fund to unlock housing supply in regional Victoria, boosting affordable and diverse housing types by directly funding the design and construction of water, utilities, and sewerage upgrades, upgrading local roads and intersections, and other housing-related infrastructure through grants.
  
• expansion of existing programs to address critical workforce shortages so more planners, building surveyors and civic engineers enter the rural and regional local government workforce.

Introduction of the ESVF

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Regional Cities Victoria (RCV) member councils are bracing for a $60m hit to communities next financial year from the Victorian Government’s Emergency Service Volunteer Fund (ESVF) levy.

RCV Chair Cr Shane Sali, Mayor of Greater Shepparton, said Mayors and CEOs across the cities hold significant concern about the financial impact on residents, primary producers and regional businesses already struggling with cost-of-living pressures and dry conditions.

“Farmers can hardly afford to feed and water their stock at the moment – and now they’re being slugged the ESVF. The new levy is tone deaf to the situation in the regions. It really feels like the Government’s not getting it,” Cr Sali said.

“We are the nation’s food bowl – the Government should be pouring money into our regions not taking it out.”

Instead, in this term of government alone, the regions were stripped of the Commonwealth Games – costing the state $600m, and the Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund – which provided $100m annual investment in the regions.

Councils are also picking up an increasing tab for the State for libraries, school crossings, maternal child health services, kindergarten infrastructure, waste services and environmental protection.

Meanwhile on the eve of next week’s State Budget, regional Victorians look at the tens of billions being poured into metro projects – like $13.48bn for Metro Tunnel, $11bn for West Gate Tunnel and $216bn for Suburban Rail Loop (east/north) – and wonder about the potential of some of that investment in our regions.

The ESVF is another ongoing cost to local government too, when the revenue base of local government is already unsustainable.

“It’s concerning that ensuring someone answers the phone at Triple Zero relies on regional and rural communities being slugged this new levy,” Cr Sali said.

“Councils have a rate cap – this government needs a tax cap.

“This consistent cost shifting from the State is ultimately borne by our ratepayers, and it has to stop,” Cr Sali said.

With the levy now due to come into effect on 1 July 2025, councils are still yet to receive advice on implementation of the levy, and whether their existing administrative systems can facilitate the process.

RCV is a powerful assembly representing the Mayors and CEOs of Victoria’s 10 regional cities – Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Horsham, Latrobe, Mildura, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Warrnambool and Wodonga.

ESVF will take $60m from regional cities next year

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Debate is scheduled to continue Tuesday in Victorian Parliament’s Upper House on legislation to introduce the new levy.



Regional Cities Victoria (RCV) – a powerful assembly representing Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Horsham, Latrobe, Mildura, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Warrnambool and Wodonga – wants the levy dumped, expressing significant concern for residents already struggling with cost-of-living pressures.

RCV has strongly objected to the legislation to the Government, Opposition and the cross bench, warning the ESVF also represented an ongoing and increased cost to local government, both as landowners and in the administering of a significantly more complex program.

Councils will incur costs to alter rates notices and to implement the system changes needed to administer the changed land classifications and proposed exemptions.

It has not gone unnoticed that the first year of the new levy will collect approximately $600m – basically covering what it cost to cancel the Commonwealth Games on regional Victorians.

COMMENTS FROM RCV CHAIR CR SHANE SALI, MAYOR OF GREATER SHEPPARTON:

“Our member councils hold significant concern about the financial impact on residents already struggling with cost-of-living pressures.

“The ESVF is another ongoing cost to local government too, when the revenue base of local government is already unsustainable.

“Councils are already picking up an increasing tab for the state for libraries, school crossings, maternal child health services, kindergarten infrastructure, waste services and environmental protection.

“Meanwhile, regional Victorians look at the tens of billions being poured into metro projects and wonder about the potential of some of that investment in our regions.

“This consistent cost shifting from the state is ultimately borne by our ratepayers, and it has to stop.”

RCV congratulates Albanese Government on re-election 

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Regional Cities Victoria (RCV) congratulates Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Party on success at the 2025 federal election.

RCV Chair Shane Sali said RCV cities have the space to grow and prosper.

“What we need is equitable and sustainable investment to fast-track construction of more homes, fill critical jobs, improve resilience to natural disasters and ensure councils are financially sustainable so we can deliver services people rely on,” Cr Shane Sali said.

“RCV has consistently advocated to our federal representatives for policies to address critical workforce shortages, upgrade local roads, and build more homes.”