13 February 2015
Daniel Andrews and the Labor Government should be ashamed of their hypocrisy in announcing a review of regional Victoria’s priorities while at the same time drastically cutting regional Victoria’s funding.
If Daniel Andrews knew anything about regional Victoria he would understand communities want safer roads new recreation centres and public halls and stronger local businesses – not advisory panels and months of round-table discussions that lead to nothing.
Through the Regional Growth Fund the Coalition Government worked with regional communities to help fund the priorities they had identified. Locals are the best people to decide what their community needs.
Today’s announcement shows again that Daniel Andrews doesn’t know anything about the real needs of regional Victorians.
Background:
The Coalition’s Regional Growth Fund gave almost $500 million to local communities over four years which was spent on upgrading roads improving facilities like town halls CBD streetscapes and footy grounds and expanding local businesses.
These were priority projects chosen and led by the local communities – not by city bureaucrats.
They were projects that made regional Victoria an even better place to live.
In comparison the Daniel Andrews and his metro-focused Labor Government are:
- Cutting regional roads funding by $375 million a year;
- Cutting the $1 billion Regional Growth Fund;
- Refusing to commit to the important Mildura rail line standardisation; and
- Without any vision for rural and regional Victoria’s agricultural industries.