A COALITION Government in Victoria would spend $1 billion over eight years on regional development, it was announced in Wangaratta on Saturday.
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Victorian Nationals Party leader Peter Ryan revealed the planned policy at the Nationals State Conference in the North East city this morning.
“Regional Victoria contributes more than $20 billion through food production and $3.4 billion in tourism every year to Victoria’s economy but under John Brumby regional and rural communities simply haven’t received their fair share," he said.
“We believe regional cities and country communities are future drivers of growth and prosperity in Victoria, but to achieve this we must provide a strong foundation for growth.
“The Regional Growth Fund will promote a grass-roots approach to identify community projects and provide flexible funding through five regional development committees that will help communities fix gaps in services and infrastructure and create job opportunities."
Mr Ryan said 40 per cent of the proposed fund would be directed towards community-identified projects nominated through the development committees.
Sixty per cent would be allocated to "larger-scale, strategic regional infrastructure that is a priority for regional Victoria".
“Over the coming months we will be meeting with communities, local government, health and education associations, industry and business groups to discuss local priorities and how the fund could help grow their individual regions,” Mr Ryan said.
Victorian Rural and Regional Development Minister Jacinta Allan said regional Victorians ought not to trust the Nationals' proposed "slush fund".
"The National Party cannot escape its past of selling out rural and regional Victoria in order to obey their Liberal masters in Collins Street," she said.
Ms Allan said the Nationals' scheme "bastardised" policy the Brumby Government had already put in place for rural and regional Victorians and would ignore regional cities such as Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong in favour of safe National Party seats.
"Only the Brumby Labor Government has the right long-term plans for growth in rural and regional Victoria and to deliver communities their fair share," she said.
More details in Monday's The Border Mail.