Regional Cities unite with housing industry leaders to drive Victoria’s growth agenda

COMMUNIQUE

Regional Cities Victoria (RCV) convened a strategic forum today at Victoria’s Parliament House with leading housing and infrastructure industry organisations including the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA Victoria), Housing Industry Association (HIA), Master Builders Victoria (MBAV), Property Council of Australia (Victoria Division), and the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV).

The forum was held in the spirit of collaboration and forward planning to shape a unified vision for Victoria’s growth over the next 25 years, with a specific focus on ensuring regional cities are part of the state’s long-term economic, housing, and infrastructure agenda.

Discussion highlights:

Industry leaders and RCV agreed that regional cities can play a central role in accommodating population growth sustainably and affordably with the right investment.
Challenges identified included a shortage of skilled professionals and constrained enabling infrastructure funding (water, sewerage, power, roads, public transport) contributing to delays in development of more homes.
The shortage of skilled workers is exacerbated by housing availability and affordability, highlighting the need for worker accommodation.
Participants noted the contrast between metropolitan Melbourne’s “Big Build” funding and the limited support for growth projects in regional cities acknowledging the loss of the Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund (RJIF) has left a significant gap in opportunities to anchor long-term regional investment.
Internal migration trends from metro capitals to cities like Geelong, Bendigo, Latrobe and Wodonga, signals the urgent need to align infrastructure with demographic momentum for sustainable growth.

Points of Consensus:

Focus investment in enabling infrastructure to unlock zoned land for housing in regional cities.
Improved transport infrastructure and connectivity locally, between cities and to metropolitan Melbourne.
More cross-sector action to address critical skill shortages; including in urban planning, surveying, civil engineering and building assessment.
Broad agreement on the need for renewed regional economic development funding – building on the legacy of RJIF – and restoring confidence for councils, businesses, and investors.
That Victoria’s future prosperity depends on a whole-of-state approach – one that enables regional and metropolitan growth to complement, not compete.

RCV and industry shared commitments 2025-2026:

Continuation of joint advocacy efforts in the lead-up to the November 2026 Victorian State Election, ensuring the sustainable growth of regional cities is acknowledged across party platforms.
United voices that with the right investment regional Victoria is an affordable solution to Victoria’s housing pressures.
Collaboration and data sharing around market trends, migration insights, and development constraints to support joint policy and investment outcomes.

RCV Chair Cr Shane Sali, Mayor of Greater Shepparton said the forum was a powerful demonstration of what’s possible when regional leaders and the housing sector come together with a shared vision.

“We know that the future of Victoria depends on strong, confident, connected regional cities and today we took an important step toward that future. Our cities are ready to grow, and we welcome the industry’s insights to making that a reality,” Cr Sali said.

“Our collaboration today reaffirms that regional Victoria isn’t just a beneficiary of the state’s growth, it is central to how that growth will be delivered.

“With the right investment regional cities are ready to grow and ready to go – and industry stands with us.”

Cr Shane Sali is Mayor of Greater Shepparton and Chair of Regional Cities Victoria – an assembly that represents Victoria’s 10 largest regional cities: Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Horsham, Latrobe, Mildura, Shepparton Wangaratta, Warrnambool and Wodonga.

Media: Emily Broadbent 0413 133 627.