Leaders link into virtual roundtable

Abroad cross-section of people from across the Wimmera and southern Mallee will gather for a virtual roundtable discussion next week as part of a statewide probe into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The meeting is one of many across the state involving Victorian Regional Partnerships and coincides with the appointment of more than 40 Regional Development Australia members in five regional Victorian committees.

RDA members will join in the roundtable discussions to help work towards aligning Victorian and national efforts across the three tiers of government.

The State Government, confident regional communities were best placed to understand their own challenges and opportunities, established nine partnerships, including the Wimmera Southern Mallee, in 2016.

Wimmera Southern Mallee partnership chairman David Jochinke said the roundtable discussion presented a good chance to explore the impact of the pandemic across the region.

“It also provides an opportunity to explore not only how we can recover, but how we can recover to be in a stronger position than before,” he said.

“What’s happened during the pandemic has definitely changed how we do things and how we look at things as well. Next week’s discussion will provide further insight.”

Regional Development Minister Jaclyn Symes said the discussions would help the State Government identify unique challenges and opportunities in driving social and economic recovery.

“Regional and rural communities are best placed to tell us how we can help stimulate their economies, bring visitors back to the region and strengthen local communities,” she said.

“It’s tremendously beneficial to hear directly from regional leaders and these roundtables and the ongoing advice we will receive from our local communities will be critical as we move to the other side of the crisis.”

Since its inception, Wimmera Southern Mallee regional partnership has explored and acted on socio-economic priorities such as a By Five program, aiming to improve health and education of the region’s children by the time they are five.

More information about the regional partnerships is available online at rdv.vic.gov.au/ regional-partnerships.

“What’s happened during the pandemic has definitely changed how we do things and how we look at things as well” – David Jochinke