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.