Tuesday, 1 August 2023

Ministers statements: regional development

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Equality) (13:47): It is a pleasure to rise today as Minister for Regional Development to talk about the regional fund, which will deliver more than $2 billion across rural and regional Victoria to make sure that we are bringing forward investments from 2026 to leave an extraordinary legacy of social and affordable housing – more than 1300 permanent dwellings, energy-efficient, accessible, modern, fit for purpose, able to meet the challenges of population growth – as well as a Regional Worker Accommodation Fund of $150 million to make sure that we can address one of the most important issues raised consistently with all of us as regional MPs around shortage of workforce and of housing. It is absolutely vital that we continue these careful conversations, these partnerships –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Harriet SHING: Thank you very much. It was good, in fact, that the shadow minister for legacy referred to legacy as being the most important part of the games, because what I am here to actually do is continue to provide the house with information about what this extraordinary legacy will be. As I said, there is $1 billion in social and affordable housing, $150 million for regional workforce accommodation, $60 million for community sport and programs, $40 million for an all-abilities fund, $25 million for local councils which were hub locations, plus Shepparton, plus $2 million for grants to other councils, a Tiny Towns Fund of $10 million for towns of up to 5000 people – many of you would have a number of those in your communities – a $20 million First Nations economic diversification fund and $550 million for permanent sporting infrastructure, a fantastic series of projects and initiatives.