The South West Victoria Alliance has released its formal submission to the government ahead of next year’s budget.

“Southwest Victoria needs immediate and sustained government investment to stay strong and prosper,” SWVA Chair Cr Ben Blain said.

The SWVA platform urges the Victorian Government to boost support for the south-west, through:

• Extra drought assistance: $250,000 per council across South West Victoria to support urgent drought response and resilience measures ($1.25 million total).
• Road safety and productivity upgrades: $50 million to deliver targeted improvements on high-traffic roads used by industry and tourism.
• A visitation boost: $5 million for Visit Victoria to deliver a dedicated summer campaign promoting South West Victoria and encouraging meaningful visitation, and
• Regional energy planning: $2 million to deliver a comprehensive evaluation and plan for the region.