THE State Government claims farmers and regional communities in Gippsland will benefit from the new $200 million Agriculture Infrastructure and Jobs Fund, which it hopes will drive economic growth, create jobs and boost exports from paddock to port.
Eastern Victoria Region MP Harriet Shing said the new $200 million fund, which would be established following the passage of the Port of Melbourne lease legislation through parliament, would support investment in agricultural infrastructure and supply chains to boost productivity, increase exports and reduce costs. This, she said, was to enable farmers, businesses and industries stay competitive.
She said it would be available for practical projects and programs that wholly benefit the agriculture sector including transport, irrigation, and energy projects, as well as skills development programs and market access campaigns.
Eligible applicants will include farm businesses, industry and agribusiness organisations, as well as asset owners such as water authorities and local government.
Agriculture and farming families sit at the heart of rural and regional Victoria, with the food and fibre industry contributing more than $11 billion to the economy and employing more than 87,000 people.
“This new fund will invest in critical infrastructure, providing concrete benefits to the many thousands of hard-working farmers and primary producers in Gippsland,” Ms Shing said.
“Before the election, we promised that a Labor Government would lease the Port of Melbourne. We are working to deliver on that promise and to ensure our local farming and regional communities in Gippsland get the support they need.
“This fund will give our local regional and farming communities the right infrastructure to capitalise on new opportunities to grow and remain competitive.”
