Gippsland › Latest news › One Gippsland
Plan from Gippsland One to get region on the political agenda in December 2021
One GIppsland makes a bid for federal and state budget funding, putting Gippsland on the political agenda.
Despite the ongoing pandemic restrictions of the past few months, the One Gippsland board has continued to advocate across all levels of government and industry to help make the case to kick-start our region's economy.
Good mobile connectivity is fundamental to facilitating good emergency response capabilities, attracting investment to the region and improving liveability for those that reside there
Tourism
Our Board has been focusing on our region's tourism industry, meeting with the Hon Dan Tehan MP Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment to discuss stimulus initiatives and highlight the impact of event cancellations on Gippsland's economy.
We also met with the Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport, Major Events, Industry, Support and Recovery, the Hon Martin Pakula MP to champion the region's tourism and economic potential.
Freight
Freight and transport connections are on the agenda as the region continues to grow, and to ensure we support our local industry to supply materials for Melbourne's Big Build. We held productive discussions with the Hon Melissa Horne MP, Minister for Ports and Freight, the Hon Jacinta Allan MP, Minister for Transport Infrastructure and Suburban Rail Loop and the office of the Hon Ben Carroll MP, Minister for Public Transport, Roads and Road Safety.
Federally, we also briefed the Hon Catherine King MP, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. We also met with Louise Staley MP Shadow Minister for Transport, Infrastructure, Roads and Regional Recovery to discuss regional freight and transport issues. At each of these meetings we highlighted a number of shovel and planning-ready road freight projects required to get Gippsland moving.
Housing
The regional migration boom continues to strain the supply of affordable and social housing across Gippsland. We recently met with the Hon Jason Clare MP, Shadow Minister for Housing, Homelessness, Regional Services and local government ahead of the federal election.
We also met with Bill Tilley MP, Shadow Minister for Regional Cities, Decentralisation, Mr Richard Riordan MP, Shadow Minister for local government and Resources and the Hon Ryan Smith MP, Shadow Minister for Planning, Heritage and Housing to discuss housing, skill shortages and regional migration.
Digital Connectivity
With digital connectivity building as one of the highest priorities for Gippsland, we have made the case to the office of the Hon Jaala Pulford MP, Minister for Digital Economy, Small Business and Bridget Vallence MP, Shadow Minister for Industry and Digital Economy.
Stimulating economic growth across the region is a key priority for our Board and we were pleased to host meetings with representatives from Regional Development Victoria and the Industry Capability Network to promote local investment and contractor opportunities for Gippsland infrastructure projects.
One Gippsland has identified four priority investment areas that will enable a kick-start to the economic recovery of the region, they are freight, tourism, digital connectivity and job creation
Pre-budget submission
One Gippsland has put forward a Pre-Budget Submission to both the federal and state governments, detailing the investment required in the key areas of:
- Freight
- Tourism
- Digital connectivity
- Job Creation
It also outlines a number of important local projects across each of the six council areas that will increase the liveability and productivity at a local level. Our board will spend the coming months meeting with political leaders to discuss the details behind our budget submission and advocate for greater investment for our region.
Digital connectivity is a major issue for Gippslanders - even more so with the uptake of people working and learning from home. One Gippsland recently made a submission to the federal government's Regional Telecommunications Review, putting forward a total of 19 recommendations to improve both mobile and fixed-line coverage in the region.
We backed that up with a submission to the Regional Connectivity Program Round 2 Grant Opportunity Draft Guidelines, advocating that regions with poorer digital connectivity are prioritised for investment. One Gippsland also developed an Affordable and Social Housing Policy. Data analysed by One Gippsland has identified an almost 50% (48.43%) decrease in available affordable rentals in Gippsland over the past 12 months, contributing to an increased risk of homelessness across the region.
Pictures from One Gippsland Facebook page and One Gippsland website.
Source: http://gippsland.com/
Published by: news@gippsland.com
Allan Labor government ignores Gippsland's east, failing to deliver new rail services for Sale and Bairnsdale commuters
Danny O'Brien joins community celebrating completion of long-awaited new McLoughlins Beach jetty after years of campaign
Danny O'Brien urges Allan Labor government to fund long-overdue Mirboo North stadium rebuild for schools and community
Bass Coast Shire Council endorsed eight draft strategic plans, inviting community feedback to guide future priorities
David Littleproud criticises Labor diverting farmer hardship funds to address South Australia's algae bloom crisis
East Gippsland Council commissions safety inspection, launches aquatic strategy shaping future of Bairnsdale Outdoor Pool
Gippsland Lakes program restores habitats, protects wildlife, and sustains ecosystems through collaborative projects
Labor fast-tracks Bairnsdale solar farm and battery project lowering energy bills, powering Gippsland homes, and creating jobs
Martin Cameron said an independent investigation is vital to address systemic failures threatening the most vulnerable
