Chamber plea for state help in the regions
THE Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called on the State Government to speed up the growth in regional Victoria.
The chamber’s state budget submission called on the Government to invest in employment and the economic growth of the state’s regions — which it said should not be taken for granted.
Chamber chief executive Mark Stone said the regions had shown “outstanding resilience” in the face of trying economic circumstances.
“Economic and employment growth rates differ dramatically across Victoria’s regions and service demands are rising in the face of population growth,” Mr Stone said.
“Escalating energy prices are reducing regional industry competitiveness and gaps in the quality of infrastructure are impacting regional livability.”
The Victorian chamber’s budget submission called on the Government to fund stage 2 of the Shipwreck Coast masterplan.
It also suggested the Government encourage businesses to set up or relocate to regional areas by providing a 25 per cent discount on stamp duty applying to commercial and industrial properties.
It also called for the further decentralisation of key state government departments and agencies to regional locations.
Geelong has benefited from the decentralisation of the TAC, NDIS and WorkSafe to the regional centre, while a push is also under way to relocate federal agency Comcare to Geelong.
“Securing sustainable regional growth will require all arms of the Government’s economic management to be focused on growing new competitive opportunities across the state,” Mr Stone said.