THE Victorian Opposition has pledged to spend 25 per cent of infrastructure spending in regional Victoria if it is elected to government in November.
The Nationals’ state leader Peter Walsh announced at the National Party state conference in Shepparton on Saturday that he and Victorian Liberals leader Matthew Guy had signed a regional infrastructure guarantee.
“If we’re elected to government, 25 per cent of infrastructure spending in Victoria will go into regional Victoria in our first term of government,” Mr Walsh said.
“It’s Australia’s first regional infrastructure guarantee.”
Mr Walsh said the Victorian Government was not delivering regional Victoria its fair share of spending.
“Regional Victoria hasn’t had its fair share of its infrastructure spending. In the 2021-22 budget, just 11.4 per cent of infrastructure spend was spent in regional Victoria.
“In the 22-23 budget, just 13 per cent was in the regions. The rest in Melbourne.
“The Labor government spends $15,000 per head in Melbourne and spends $7000 per head in regional Victoria.”
Mr Walsh said the commitment would ensure regional Victoria had the hospitals, schools, roads and rail services the community deserved.
However, he did not provide details on how spending would be delivered across regional Victoria.
The Victorian Government delivered its 2022-23 budget, which included $5.7 billion in dedicated funding for health, roads and rail in regional Victoria, in May.
Mildura received a $36 million for an alcohol and drug residential rehabilitation facility, while a $300 million was established for a regional health infrastructure fund for upgrades to regional and rural health services.
Another $12 billion was set aside for a pandemic repair plan with funding for hospital upgrades and mental health services.
A spokesperson said the Victorian Government had spent $36 billion in regional Victoria since 2015 and 40 per cent of the $2.9 billion investment in the 2022-23 budget was marked for regional Victoria.
Victoria’s independent infrastructure advisory body, Infrastructure Victoria, made 41 capital infrastructure recommendations in its 2021-51 infrastructure strategy report.
The report recommended a 10-year regional road maintenance funding program and said the Victorian Government should fund a 30-year regional freight rail maintenance program and social housing.
It said integral infrastructure developments for the Mallee included freight and transport and improved mobile and digital connectivity.
