The Andrews Labor Government will today bring together more than 200 community leaders from across regional and rural Victoria for the inaugural Regional Futures Summit in Bendigo.
The Labor Government is getting on with the job of transforming regional Victoria into a place that has the best of everything. It follows on the Regional Statement launched late last year by Premier Daniel Andrews which highlighted the challenges and opportunities facing regional Victoria.
The Labor Government’s vision is that every Victorian should have the same access to quality services and job opportunities, regardless of where they live. It’s why the government has established the nine new Regional Partnerships to fundamentally change the way the state of Victoria makes decisions about infrastructure, programs and services for our regions.
Regional Futures participants will hear from leading demographers, academics and experts in health, education and employment on success stories and challenges facing regional Victoria.
Regional migration is also a key factor in population growth for regional Victoria, and the Summit will explore this with keynote addresses from the Victorian Multicultural Commission and the Regional Development Company.
The government is building a thriving and prosperous regional Victoria by investing in the key drivers of population attraction – infrastructure, jobs, education and liveable communities. As part of this, the Labor Government’s $500 million Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund is funding the infrastructure projects and programs needed to make our rural and regional communities even more stronger.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Development Jaala Pulford
“Regional Victoria is a great place to live, work and invest. The Regional Futures Summit is about how we showcase regional Victoria to the world – to potential visitors, residents and investors.
“Regional Futures is also about working together to ensure that we retain and support our current populations, attract new families, support new business growth and jobs, and promote the opportunities in our regions.”
“The Andrews Labor Government wants make our regional and rural communities even stronger and whether it’s our Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund or ongoing partnership work, we will do just that.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020