Tuesday, 30 July 2024

Ministers statements: Tiny Towns Fund

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (14:01): Victoria’s tiny towns are truly incredible places. Each community is unique, with its own local history and character. With strength in local community and connection, every town has its own character. That is why the Allan Labor government is backing Victoria’s smallest towns through the $20 million Tiny Towns Fund. More than 180 new community-led projects are being celebrated across our regions, and local recipients are brimming with excitement. Karen Goltz from the Macedon community house, which I visited recently, said that the community house:

… serves as a place for connection where our local residents can come together to share their skills …

This can continue thanks to the Tiny Towns Fund, because it is supporting a new volunteer community gardening program. Warrenheip near Ballarat has received funding for a nature playground, with local Kelly Bevan saying:

It’ll be themed around Australian animals and totems and hopefully will help families to connect …

Debra Smith from the Simpson & District Community Centre said that she was very excited that the Tiny Towns Fund is supporting the installation of animal sculptures and cow-shaped seats she dubbed ‘cowches’ at Jaycees Park. These are the sorts of projects that celebrate each community’s local spirit and bring more visitors to our vibrant towns.

The Tiny Towns Fund is a part of the government’s record $45 billion investment over the past decade to help rural and regional Victoria continue to thrive. I look forward to making further announcements about further rounds of our Tiny Towns Fund, which has set the whole regional community in our tiny towns on an endeavour to ensure that they have got more and more suggested projects for their local communities.