It follows extensive consultation with businesses across Regional Victoria, including roundtable meetings, focus groups and member surveys ahead of the State Election on November 26.

As Victoria’s peak business body representing 50,000 members and clients, the Victorian Chamber has made 17 recommendations to help grow Regional Victoria, including:

• Creating a housing development scheme to expand housing supply and planning in Regional Victoria
• Funding a targeted, industry-led `Work in the Regions’ initiative to encourage new regional Victorian and young people to work in industries with labour shortages
• Creating an Agriculture Passport to allow seasonal employees to work across growers and farms
• Increasing the payroll tax threshold from $700,000 to $1.2 million across Victoria and decrease the rate from 1.21 per cent to zero in Regional Victoria to make it more attractive for business investment
• Developing a 10-year experience economy strategy focused on tourism and events that will attract visitors to Regional Victoria ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games
• Building a Regional Victorian Manufacturing Strategy and Fund to boost Victoria’s local manufacturing industry and capabilities
• Commissioning a state-wide review of local content procurement processes in collaboration with the State Government and at least six regional councils to drive regional business growth

Growing Regional Victoria is one of the four key pillars of the Victorian Chamber’s State Election Platform: Powering Victoria’s Future. The other pillars are Strengthening Victoria’s Jobs and Skills, Building Victoria as the best state to operate a business and Driving Victoria’s economy.

To view Growing Regional Victoria, email the media team at media@victorianchamber.com.au

To be attributed to Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Paul Guerra:

“Regional Victoria is the lifeblood of Victoria’s economy and its growth will play a key role in powering Victoria’s future.

“Our regions are home to one in four Victorians and account for 700,000 jobs and almost 40 per cent of the state’s small businesses. Victoria is also Australia’s biggest food producer and in 2026 will host the first truly regional Commonwealth Games.

“Generating $72 billion annually and contributing nearly 20 per cent to Victoria’s economy, Regional Victoria also provides a third of the state’s total exports, and it’s crucial that we empower our regions to continue to grow and innovate.

“For Victoria’s regions to prosper we need to invest in infrastructure, transport and housing and ensure we are developing a skilled workforce for the future.”