Cabinet visits in SW Victoria

On the 18th and 19th September 2011, the Victorian Government held its first regional sitting of Cabinet in the South West Coast community.

As part of the two-day visit, the Premier and Cabinet Ministers met and talked with residents and community representatives from throughout the Warrnambool, Glenelg and Moyne region.

Ministers attended community meetings in Warrnambool and Portland, where they talked with residents about issues affecting their communities. Approximately 250 people attended the meetings, and discussed a range of topics, including:

• Investment and growth in regional areas
• Renewable energy, particularly wind farms
• Road management and safety
• Solar energy and feed-in tariffs
• State government regulation
• Transport

The Premier and Ministers also took part in a number of site visits and events across the district, including:

• Opening of Stage 1 of the Warrnambool Base Hospital's redevelopment
• Inspecting erosion at South Beach, Port Fairy
• Inspecting Reid Oval, Warrnambool
• Meeting school principals
• Meeting transport providers
• Meeting health and disability services
• Visiting police and fire stations
• Visiting South West Institute of TAFE

During these visits, a number of funding commitments were announced, including:

Arts

The Premier and Minister for the Arts announced $1.1 million to support 15 art tours through regional Victoria.

The Premier and Minister for the Arts launched Arts Victoria's new Regional Partnerships program, which includes:

• $100,000 for the Warrnambool Art Gallery
• $90,000 for the Portland Arts Centre
• $80,000 for the Warrnambool Entertainment Centre.

Education

The Minister for Higher Education and Skills announced funding of $430,000 to purchase specialist teaching equipment at South West Institute of TAFE.

Infrastructure and community

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change announced funding of $146,500 to address coastal risk at South Beach, Port Fairy.

The Minister for Sport and Recreation announced funding of $110,000 towards an upgrade of facilities at Reid Oval, Warrnambool.