Regional Victoria has been one of the biggest losers after a year of Liberal-National Government, Shadow Minister for Rural and Regional Development, Jacinta Allan, said today.
Ms Allan said it had taken the Baillieu-Ryan Government just 12 months to wind back 11 years of regional development, growth and prosperity under Labor.
“In 12 months, the Baillieu-Ryan Government has done nothing to make sure regional Victoria continues to prosper,” Ms Allan said.
“All it’s done is abolish a dedicated regional infrastructure fund and abandoned regional communities by no longer focussing on creating jobs.
“It has stripped Regional Development Victoria of its significant job creation role, and has no regional jobs plan despite job losses in Geelong, Ballarat, the Goulburn Valley, Bendigo and the La Trobe Valley.
“The Government’s sham Regional Growth Fund, which will also be available to parts of metropolitan Melbourne, will also allocate funds for things like schools and hospitals, which are normally funded out of the relevant government departments.
“Mr Ryan and Mr Baillieu have failed to explain why the touted $1 billion fund only has $500 million in it.”
Ms Allan said the former Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett infamously referred to regional Victoria as the “toenails of the state”.
“The Baillieu-Ryan Government has done very little to show it thinks any differently,” she said.
Ms Allan said Mr Baillieu had also failed to:
- Implement all 67 recommendations from the Bushfire Royal Commission despite promises to do so “lock, stock and barrel”;
- Stopped funding FoodBankVictoria’s Rural Outreach workers, who support rural families in tough times to access basic food provisions;
- Refused to fund the award-winning Bsafe program protecting hundreds of families inVictoria’s north from domestic violence;
- Refused to fund $2 million for the occasional child care program, Take a Break, which threatens the closure of a number of regional centres in the coming months; and
- Hit regional apprentices with fee increases and slashed the subsidy to employers to help them hire apprentices.
To mark the Baillieu Government's first anniversary, the State Labor Opposition has launched a new website and booklet outlining the many failures of the Baillieu Government.
Visit springst.com.au or danielandrews.com.au