Monday 2 November 2020
The Nationals launch new plan for regional Victoria’s COVID recovery
A bold, positive plan to set Victoria on the path to recovery from devastating COVID-19 shutdowns and help businesses to decentralise has been launched today by Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh.
The new plan, Back to Work, Back in Business, is focused on four pillars for recovery that will help Victorians to secure their family finances, rebuild local business, invest in health and education, and support our communities.
Mr Walsh said our communities can’t afford to wait months or years to get back on track.
“No one side of politics has a monopoly on good ideas – the Andrews Labor Government won’t step up with a plan for our state’s recovery which is why I’m urging it to adopt The Nationals’ plan,” Mr Walsh said.
“Regional Victoria has done the hard yards throughout the shutdowns and as case numbers remain low there’s light at the end of the tunnel for a safe pathway to COVID normal.
“Supporting key industries, like manufacturing, to move out to the regions will help to create new local jobs and to drive booming regional economies.
“To date, the Andrews Labor Government has failed to deliver real support to small business, sole traders, and hundreds of thousands of Victorian workers who have lost jobs due to no fault of their own – let alone provide a blueprint for Victoria’s recovery.”
Measures to rebuild key sectors in Victoria in the Back to Work, Back in Business plan include a $250 million fund to support decentralisation by helping businesses to implement work from home opportunities, the $1 billion Bringing Manufacturing Home fund and a $300 million fund to restore regional tourism.
Mr Walsh said the devastation of the second wave after the Melbourne hotel quarantine debacle had ripped the soul out of regional communities.
“Country Victoria is the engine room of the state and injecting life into our small businesses, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing sectors will help set our state on the path to recovery,” Mr Walsh said.
“But each time Daniel Andrews fronts up to the media, he’s failed to announce a plan to get our country communities – where there’s little to no active cases – back on track.
“The plan The Nationals have put forward today is focused on solutions that will set us all on a safe path to COVID normal.”
Read the full plan at: https://vic.nationals.org.au/back-to-work-and-back-in-business/