Nominations are being sought for the 2013 Regional Achievement & Community Awards, officially launched in Morwell today.

Minister for Local Government Jeanette Powell today announced that the Victorian Coalition Government would provide $100,000 towards planning for the future of Ocean Grove's town centre.

More than 600 homes and businesses in Winchelsea will be connected to natural gas, giving residents access to cleaner, more reliable and cheaper energy.

The new $277 million Epworth Geelong hospital will receive a $2.85 million boost from the Victorian Coalition Government's Regional Growth Fund, Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan announced today.

An 11 kilometre section of the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail will be upgraded , creating a high quality shared-use pathway for walkers and cyclists between the communities of Tinamba, Heyfield and Cowwarr.

The Maffra Cheese Company will embark on a $380,000 expansion, a project that will create 10 new full-time jobs and enable the company to promote its brand on the international market.

Moonee Valley hosted Australia’s largest annual gathering of community sector workers, volunteers and community development practitioners, for the 2013 Communities in Control Conference today.

The curtain will soon be raised on a 1,000 seat theatre adjacent to Bendigo Senior Secondary College, thanks in part to a $10.5 million investment from the Victorian Government.

A $545,000 upgrade at Morwell’s Pinegro plant will create 10 new jobs and inject $2.5 million a year into the local economy.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan visited Morwell today to announce the Victorian Coalition Government would contribute $250,000 towards the upgrade.

A $1.1 million expansion at Elite Pack in Drouin will create 10 new full-time jobs, boost the local economy and help offset some of the recent job losses at Drypac in Warragul.

More than 1,400 homes and businesses in Bannockburn will soon have access to cheaper and cleaner energy, with the Victorian Coalition Government and SP AusNet reaching an agreement to connect the town to the state’s natural gas network.

Marysville has taken another big step on the road to bushfire recovery.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan has written to all Victorian Coalition Government Ministers, asking that they “ensure government departments and agencies, where possible and practical, purchase Victorian and Australian produced food products”.

More than 700 properties and businesses in Avoca will have access to natural gas for their cooking, heating and hot water needs for the first time.

Deputy Premier and Member for Gippsland South Peter Ryan today visited Lightfoot and Sons winery at Calulu to inspect important work being undertaken to slow down river bank erosion.

The Loddon Mallee, in Victoria’s north-west, is a top location for career opportunities in public administration, trade and tourism, Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan said today.

The Goulburn, Ovens and Murray regions, in Victoria’s north-east, are top locations for career opportunities in education, healthcare and agriculture, Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan said today.

Gippsland is a prime location for career opportunities in tourism, administration and professional services, Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan said today.

Ballarat and the Central Highlands are top locations for career opportunities in tourism, arts and retail, Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan said today.