Regional infrastructure
Rikkie-Lee TYRRELL (Northern Victoria) (17:22): (424) The action I seek today is a request of the Minister for Regional Development. After being largely overlooked in the state budget, regional areas find themselves struggling to acquire funding for vital infrastructure upgrades. For example, one council in my region wishes to erect a roof over their livestock exchange for the wellbeing of both animals and people but is unable to find any suitable grants for which to apply. To remain competitive in this space, the Bendigo Livestock Exchange needs to be able to offer the best possible service to deliver stock in the best possible conditions. In order to do this, their facilities are required to remain at a standard that is on par with both the Ballarat and Shepparton exchanges. Noting that submissions to the Regional Infrastructure Fund under the regional economic development strategies closed in 2022, I request that the minister advocate to re-establish a similar program to support regional communities.