THE Coalition government may seek to assert its presence in Ballarat by transferring a newly elected member of parliament into the region.Member for Western Victoria Simon Ramsay has requested a transfer to Ballarat to improve government representation in the regional electorates.Mr Ramsay's election follows the retirement of Western Victoria MP John Vogels, whose office was in Warrnambool.Mr Ramsay said the swing away from Labor in the Ballarat East and Ballarat West electorates indicated voters wanted a Coalition presence in their districts."It tells me the community is looking and wanting to have Coalition representation in the Ballarat community," he said.Labor has a strong presence in the region, with the party retaining the Ballarat East and Ballarat West districts in the November 27 poll. The federal electorate of Ballarat is held by Labor MP Catherine King.Mr Ramsay's transfer request has yet to be approved, but he told The Courier he formed a "significant network" across western Victoria, including Ballarat, in his former role as president of the Victorian Farmers Federation.Mr Ramsay said he had met with the Committee for Ballarat and the Ballarat City Council during his candidacy to get a stronger understanding of issues and community needs in the region."My passion has always been about regional development. Part of that is a decentralised approach." Building transport infrastructure in regions such as Ballarat would help to stimulate industry and jobs, Mr Ramsay said. He pointed to Coalition plans to build the Ballarat Western Link Road between the Western Freeway and Remembrance Drive as an example of the government's commitment to transport infrastructure.