For many it’s not just a lack of community consultation, but meaningful engagement – not just ticking a box to say it’s done, but actually listening and taking into consideration the specific issues related to the project.
It was interesting to note that Horsham Mayor Brian Klowss and chief executive Gail Gatt joined municipal leaders from fellow regional cities such as Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Latrobe, Mildura, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Warrnambool and Wodonga at Parliament House last week as part of a Regional Cities Victoria, RCV, advocacy program.
As part of the delegation, regional leaders met with Liberal leader Jess Wilson and Nationals leader Danny O’Brien to discuss priorities, opportunities and challenges facing regional communities.
And while the regional leaders met with Minister for Regional Development, Agriculture and Water Michaela Settle, along with senior representatives from State Government departments, there was no other ministers or the premier present. I would have thought it was in the best interests of ministers responsible for key regional issues such as energy, roads and housing to spend time hearing directly from key regional Victorian representatives.
RCV used the event to outline its priorities ahead of the upcoming state election, advocating for increased investment in regional roads and infrastructure to help communities attract residents, support businesses and plan for long-term growth.
RCV says billions earmarked for Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop could be redirected to regional roads, housing, infrastructure and jobs, declaring it is time to rebalance Victoria’s infrastructure priorities.
RCV chair and Warrnambool mayor Ben Blain said regional communities had watched billions of dollars flow into major metropolitan projects while regional roads deteriorated, the Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund was scrapped and councils were asked to shoulder increasing costs.
“People want to live in regional Victoria. The opportunity is already there – what we are missing is the investment to match it,” he said.
“If the Suburban Rail Loop is abandoned, I can tell the next government exactly where to start with some of those billions.
“Give regional Victoria $2-billion over four years to fix our roads and $1-billion toward infrastructure to unlock housing and kick-start job-creating precincts. That $3-billion that could start changing regional communities immediately.”
Cr Blain said the state election presented an opportunity to reset the relationship between Spring Street and regional Victoria after years of frustration over the balance of government investment.
While the government has spent an enormous amount of money on infrastructure projects in Melbourne, regional Victoria can’t even get the potholes fixed properly, let alone proper investment in road maintenance.
Cr Blain also reiterated the sentiment of the government not listening, saying ‘too often regional Victorians feel their concerns aren’t being heard’.
“The next government has the opportunity to right those wrongs,” he said.
The RCV delegation not having the ears of the premier and key ministers is a far cry of the days when the government used to bring their entire ministry to regional areas for community cabinet meetings.
I recall 19 ministers visited Horsham in 2003, where they not only held a regular Cabinet meeting, but community groups, council representatives and individuals could put submissions before the ministers.
While it was no doubt a PR exercise, it was an opportunity for ministers to hear firsthand about the issues facing regional Victoria, and allowed people and leaders to feel they were being heard, and consulted.
They may have even actually learnt a thing or two about regional life and issues – something that is slipping further and further away from metropolitan-based MPs.
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