The Victorian Nationals party has pledged at least a quarter of all new government infrastructure spending will go to the state’s regions if it’s elected in November.
Ahead of the election at the end of the year, the party says regional Victoria only receives 12 per cent of infrastructure funding despite constituting 25 per cent of the state’s population.
The party has launched a new fair share guarantee that will see infrastructure funding, including for bus networks, increase across regional areas.
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“Over the past decade, regional Victorians have watched services be stretched, infrastructure neglected, and roads quite literally fall apart,” Victorian Nationals leader Danny O’Brien says.
“Regional Victorians have been neglected. And there’s a simple reason why. The independent Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) has found that 12 per cent of infrastructure funding goes to regional Victoria, despite being 25 per cent of the population.
“That means less investment in our roads, putting our families at risk. It means less funding for our schools and hospitals and it means less funding for police stations and fire brigades, putting pressure on essential services.
“Our fair share guarantee will mean safer, smoother roads. Better healthcare closer to home. More housing and stronger local services to help regional towns not just survive, but grow. We’ve always fought for people who live outside of Melbourne. The Nationals in government will make sure we get our fair share.”
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