The Victorian Government’s Regional Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) has leveraged
$1 billion in new investment in country Victoria, the Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney said today.
“Establishing the RIDF was one of the first acts of this Labor Government because we realised the importance of rebuilding infrastructure in regional and rural areas after many years of neglect,” Ms Tierney said.
“Since its inception in 1999, the RIDF has directly committed $370.8 million toward nearly 154 projects in regional and rural Victoria that have secured $1 billion in total new investment from project partners and directly created thousands of new rural and regional jobs.
“The RIDF has supported infrastructure projects across many industries and every region of the state that are delivering significant benefits to regional and rural Victoria.
“The RIDF has supported delivery of natural gas to 34 new towns, new and improved iconic tourism attractions, upgrades to regional airports and ports, as well as new education facilities, innovation and technology parks, redeveloped industrial estates, the upgrade of hundreds of cattle underpasses and rural showgrounds.”
RIDF projects that have been supported in the South West region include:
• $3,300,000 for the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village Redevelopment – Warrnambool
• $320,000 for the Warrnambool Regional Airport Redevelopment
• $1,525,500 for Local Ports – Port Fairy
• $220,000 for the Port Fairy Waste Treatment Plant Upgrade
• $850,000 for the Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail
• $916,542 for the Local Ports Program – Port Fairy
• $3,006,000 for the supply of Natural Gas to Port Fairy
• $405,200 for the Portland Aerodrome Improvements
• $500,000 for the Port of Portland Multi-Purpose Shiploader & Associated Infrastructure
• $100,000 for the DemoDAIRY Infrastructure Development Project – Terang
• $300,000 for the Heywood Industrial Corridor – Power Upgrade Project – Heywood
Ms Tierney said the RIDF, along with other Victorian Government initiatives, including the $502 million Provincial Victoria statement Moving Forward, had driven a renaissance in Victoria’s regions that has created record levels of jobs and investments.
“In the last eight years, the Government had helped to facilitate $8.3 billion in new investment in regional and rural Victoria and the creation of more than 131,000 new jobs,” she said.
More than 77,000 people have moved to regional and rural Victoria since 1999.
“One of the great strengths of the RIDF is that it is flexible enough to respond to the demands and challenges faced by different industry sectors across Victoria.”
For more information about the Regional Infrastructure Development Fund, visit the website: www.rdv.vic.gov.au
