The Andrews Labor Government is accelerating regional Victoria’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic by investing in Eastern Victoria to create jobs and stimulate the local economy.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing today announced over $1.16 million in support funding for projects in various industries across Gippsland.

The allocation is part of a $10 million investment in more than 50 projects through the Government’s Regional Recovery Fund – designed to address community needs and help businesses thrive.

Recipients include:

• Latrobe City Council, who will receive $165,000 total funding to be allocated to tourism signage and the promotion of investment opportunities through Invest Gippsland.
• Lardner Park, who will receive $33,990 to ensure their facilities will be able to host large-scale events such as concerts;
• Omar Cheese Traralgon, who will receive $62,500 towards upgrading their facility in Traralgon to produce new lines of product;
• Pureharvest, who will receive $500,000 towards establishing a new UHT production and filling line in Drouin, creating 15 new FTE jobs;
• Radford & Sons, who will be receive $400,000 towards upgrades to their water supply systems.

The Regional Recovery Fund is designed to kickstart regional recovery by investing in locally identified projects that address each region’s unique and immediate socio-economic challenges, with a strong focus on creating jobs.

The fund addresses priorities identified by regional communities and is part of almost $30 billion invested by the Labor Government in regional and rural Victoria since 2015.

Successful projects were identified based on their ability to provide an immediate economic response and assist with recovery efforts while also laying the groundwork for future growth.

For more information visit: https://www.rdv.vic.gov.au/grants-and-programs/regional-recovery-fund

Quote attributable to Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas:

“We’ve heard directly from local communities about how the past year has impacted them and that’s why we are investing in projects which will boost jobs and improve the economy through our Regional Recovery Fund.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing:

“We are working to ensure our region has the support they need to move beyond last year’s challenges and thrive into the future, helping to make it an even better place to live, work, visit and invest.”

“This investment will ensure that Gippslanders have the resources they need to move forward and respond quickly to the impacts of the past year.”