Thursday, 30 October 2025

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:06): (1102) My question is for the Minister for Regional Development. Minister, the Regional Development Victoria annual report tabled this week revealed that grants to support jobs and community infrastructure fell by $15 million, or 11 per cent, on the previous year, yet employee expenses rose $4 million, or 17 per cent. Why have you cut regional development funding, penalising country Victoria?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:07): Ms Bath, the investment in regional Victoria under this government is topping $47 billion, and in terms of the regional development portfolio, this is all about creating jobs. It is why we have one of the lowest unemployment rates across Australia. In regional Victoria we are leading the states with the lowest unemployment rate of 3.6 per cent. We exceeded, in the annual report you will see, all of our BP3 targets, and we continue to work with businesses across the state to grow regional jobs and opportunities.

When it comes to investment in regional Victoria, what I hear about and what we spend a lot of time on when we are out and about is indeed opening new schools, pointing to potholes that we are fixing. In relation to health care –

Members interjecting.

Jaclyn SYMES: $1 billion! Ask Ms Lovell. She sees all of the roadworks and repairs on her way back to Shepparton, because they are constantly, always there.

We are a government that is right behind regional Victoria. It is the heart of Victoria in relation to being the best place to live, the best place to work, the best place to invest, and we will continue to back them every step of the way.

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:08): Minister, you did not go within a bull’s roar of answering this question as to why you have cut regional development funds for country Victoria. Four years ago Regional Development Victoria had a total grants pool of $370 million. Last financial year it was just $118 million. Why has the government cut support to regional Victoria by nearly 70 per cent?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:09): Unfortunately, Ms Bath, our investment in regional Victoria spans a whole-of-government approach. So in relation to Regional Development Victoria, I would point to the programs. I attribute the Tiny Towns Fund to Minister Tierney. It is a funding bucket that is incredibly popular, a $20 million fund. So many successful programs are going around. The Regional Worker Accommodation Fund, Ms Bath, is delivering amazing opportunities for people to live and work in and attract employees to regional Victoria. That is a $370 million investment. There are so many exciting opportunities ahead in relation to the regions, and we will continue to back them with funding, not just from the regional development portfolio but right across every minister’s portfolios, because we will back regional Victoria every day.

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:10): I move:

That the minister’s response be taken into consideration on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.

The PRESIDENT: Yesterday’s question time was pretty rubbish. I thought about it myself, and I take a lot of responsibility for that. It is just the noise level and people being shouted down from all sides. I do not particularly want to name names, but Mr McIntosh and Mr Davis, you are very loud people. It is not helping the chamber.

While I have got your attention, I did not recognise him straightaway because of his beautiful long locks, but we have a former member of this chamber Mr Rod Barton in the gallery.