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| Regional Cities Victoria | |
|---|---|
| Name | Regional Cities Victoria |
| Formation | 2010s |
| Type | Lobby group |
| Headquarters | Victoria, Australia |
| Region served | Victoria (Australia) |
| Membership | Regional cities |
Regional Cities Victoria is an Australian peak body representing major urban centres outside Melbourne. It engages with state and federal entities such as the Parliament of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, and agencies including VicRoads and Major Transport Infrastructure Authority to promote investment, infrastructure and services for provincial urban centres. The organisation liaises with councils, regional development bodies and peak bodies like Local Government Association of Victoria, Regional Development Australia and Australian Local Government Association.
Regional Cities Victoria formed amid debates over the Regional Growth Fund (Victoria), responses to the 2010 Victorian flood recovery and ongoing regional planning discussions led by the Victorian Planning Authority. Founding members included council leaders from centres with links to earlier initiatives such as the Regional Cities of Australia concept and reports by the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission. The group evolved through interactions with premiers including Denis Napthine, Daniel Andrews, and infrastructure ministers who oversaw projects like the Regional Rail Link and the expansion of Highways in Victoria.
The organisation advances objectives around infrastructure investment, service decentralisation and economic development in centres that interface with agencies such as Department of Transport (Victoria) and Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (Victoria). Activities include submission drafting to inquiries at the Parliament of Victoria, policy forums with think tanks like the Grattan Institute and events aligned with conferences such as the Victorian Regional Cities Summit and the National General Assembly of Local Government. It also develops position papers engaging with institutions such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Reserve Bank of Australia regional studies and the Productivity Commission.
Member councils represent provincial hubs across Gippsland, the Barwon South West (region), Loddon Mallee, Hume (region), and Goulburn Valley. Typical members include councils from Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Warrnambool, Shepparton, Mildura, Wodonga and Latrobe Valley municipalities. Governance arrangements mirror other peak bodies such as Local Government Association of Queensland and incorporate elected mayors, chief executives and executives who engage with bodies like the Municipal Association of Victoria. The organisation coordinates with regional development bodies like Regional Development Victoria and statutory authorities including the Country Fire Authority for resilience planning.
Advocacy priorities have intersected with statewide initiatives such as the Victorian Transport Plan, the Victorian Renewable Energy Target discussions and federal funding programs administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. The group has made submissions to parliamentary inquiries including those by the Victorian Legislative Council and the House of Representatives, and has lobbied ministers across portfolios including health ministers responsible for agencies like Barwon Health and education ministers overseeing institutions such as Federation University Australia and Deakin University (Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus). It engages with national campaigns alongside bodies such as the Regional Australia Institute.
Initiatives have targeted transport schemes like upgrades related to the Princes Highway, regional rail improvements tied to the Regional Rail Revival, and economic diversification projects aligned with the National Broadband Network rollout. The organisation has promoted precinct development models like those pursued in Geelong Waterfront regeneration, advocated for tertiary partnerships with universities such as La Trobe University and Swinburne University of Technology (Hawthorn) satellite campuses, and supported tourism strategies connected to attractions like the Great Ocean Road and the Murray River corridor.
Funding sources have included member subscriptions, project grants from the Victorian Government and competitive grants under federal schemes such as the Building Better Regions Fund. Partnerships have spanned collaborations with development agencies like Infrastructure Victoria, research organisations including the Institute of Public Affairs and industry groups such as the Australian Industry Group and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Victoria. The organisation has also coordinated with philanthropic entities and university research centres including the Centre for Regional and Rural Futures.
Supporters credit the organisation with raising the profile of provincial capital needs in debates over projects such as the Inland Rail and rural health workforce reforms promoted after reviews by the National Rural Health Alliance. Critics argue the body can prioritise growth agendas similar to submissions to the Productivity Commission while sometimes overlooking smaller shires and indigenous governance bodies like Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages and local Aboriginal advisory groups. Commentary in outlets such as The Age and regional papers like the Geelong Advertiser has oscillated between praise for coordinated advocacy and concern about representation and transparency.
Category:Organisations based in Victoria (Australia)