Premier Ted Baillieu and Victoria’s Liberals holding their 155th State Council at the Mercure.
PREMIER Ted Baillieu said his government was committed to developing Victoria’s regional economy during his address to yesterday’s Liberal Party State Council sitting in Ballarat.
The Liberal Party of Australia’s Victorian Division held its 155th State Council at The Mercure at the weekend, with Victorian government ministers converging on the Ballarat hotel to participate in a series of policy forums and motions.
Mr Baillieu used his state address to highlight the achievements of his government, while praising Ballarat as a major contributor to the state’s economy through its manufacturing, education and food and fibre industries.
He said the 2012-13 Budget included a record investment of $199 million for regional areas with a focus on hospital upgrades, employment, infrastructure, manufacturing and making regional areas more commercially competitive through freight transport incentives.
“We’re getting on with what we said we would do – accelerating growth in regional and rural communities is critical to Victoria’s long-term prosperity and the key to a competitive economy,” he said.
Mr Baillieu said with Ballarat’s population set to swell by 25,000 people in the next decade, the government was continuing to deliver key infrastructure to the city and there was an investment plan to accelerate growth.