Thursday, 27 August 2026

 Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (09:53): I was elected to represent Northern Victoria with the Nationals at the state election in November 2022, and over the last nearly four years it has been frustrating to see the lack of investment in regional Victoria. Regional populations have been growing, but infrastructure has not kept pace. Our roads have been left to crumble, and public transport services are lacking. I have seen schools filled with portables and run on generators; jobs available but not enough housing; new developments being built without proper infrastructure; hospitals lacking staff and resources to meet increasing demands and thousands waiting for surgery; regional businesses keen to expand but nowhere they can expand to; our fire services putting their lives on the line in an ageing fleet and with poor facilities; and kids keen to play sport but community facilities not keeping pace. Police stations are closing when crime is out of control. To meet these demands, a Liberal and National government will deliver a fair share and lock in at least 25 per cent of new infrastructure investment for regional Victoria. According to the independent Parliamentary Budget Office, less than 12 per cent of new infrastructure spending has been allocated to regional Victoria under the Labor government. Twenty-five per cent of Victorians call regional Victoria home, and it is time that decisions made in this place are made for the whole of our state.