THE national map depicting which states are red and blue symbolising those that have elected a Labor or Liberal government respectfully, is all but red except for the Liberal blue in New South Wales and Tasmania.

Now with a new Labor government at the Federal level, what this means to the local agricultural industry is still being analysed by industry bodies and stakeholders.

At a state level in the Victorian Parliament last week, The Nationals leader and shadow agriculture minister, Peter Walsh, responded to the treasurer’s budget, lamenting a city-centric government that has “red ink as far as you can see when it comes to regional Victoria”.

“Regional Victoria has been deserted by the Andrews Labor Government,” he said.

Mr Walsh used the opportunity to highlight job cuts in agricultural research - 109 jobs this year - as part of a restructure of Agriculture Victoria (AV) purportedly to deliver savings.

“One of the key things that stands out to me is that under this budget there are now nearly more people in the Premier’s own department than there are in what was once the Department of Agriculture,” he said.

“The food and fibre sector in Victoria is one of our largest export earners.

“If you look at the whole supply chain from paddock to plate it is the biggest employer in regional Victoria.

“(But) how much value do we get out of having more people in the department of premier and cabinet, compared to scientists, researchers and extension officers that actually help farmers and help our food and fibre producers be more productive and manage the environmental issues on their farms better?”

Mr Walsh said it was the same story for Regional Development Victoria (RDV) and for trade and global engagement.

“Again, we are great exporters in this state, but there have been huge cuts to the budget for trade and global engagement. Why in this unstable world environment would you actually reduce the resources to trade and global engagement to the people that actually do the work to help our exporters to earn export income?” he asked.

He also stated that RDV have had budget cuts of 68 per cent over the last two years, meaning there is a loss of a core part of their activities which is essential to regional Victoria thriving, attracting business, and creating jobs and export revenue.

“Again, like the cuts to AgVic, why would you cut the department that actually helps our economy grow, particularly as we recover and rebuild from the two years of lockdowns and COVID?” he asked.

Mr Walsh said 25 per cent of people live in regional Victoria but the government had not given the regions its fair share of capital, having spent only 11.4 per cent in the 2021–22 Budget, and only 13 per cent for the 2022–23 Budget.

“If you break that down by per capita spend, the capital spend for Melburnians is $15,268 per person.

“Look at the capital spend for regional Victorians - it is only $7142.

“Basically, there’s half the capital spend on infrastructure in regional Victoria than there is in Melbourne.”

The Nationals’ leader said one of the main factors driving the disproportionate spend between the rural and regional areas of Victoria compared to metropolitan Melbourne, was the mismanagement of capital projects in Melbourne to the tune of $28 billion.

“You could basically give every major town in regional Victoria a new hospital with the $28 billion,” he said.

Mr Walsh also mentioned the Country Roads and Bridges Program he said was cut several years ago, which still hasn’t been reinstated.

He said that when the Coalition was in government at the state level, it gave each of the country councils $1 million a year.

Also, that it was the best program going for local government because councils could plan road maintenance projects and bridge replacements because they knew they would be receiving that funding every year.

Further, Mr Walsh spoke of the cuts to the road maintenance budget of $240 million, 28 per cent over the last two years, and of the failure by the government to match the Commonwealth’s $5 million for the business case to finish the Murray Basin Rail Project.

He also stated one of the biggest issues impacting regional Victoria was what he described as “the damage that the Andrews Government has done to the Country Fire Authority (CFA)”.

“Absolutely gutted it, absolutely destroyed the CFA, a volunteer organisation that started after the Second World War and that has kept our communities safe from bushfires over that particular period,” he said.

“But if you actually go to the budget papers, the Andrews Labor Government is collecting approximately $800 million from the fire services levy in Victoria.

“(But) in the budget papers there is (only) $7.16 million in new capital spending for the CFA.”

Mr Walsh said there were many local CFA stations that desperately needed upgrading, but the government collected $800 million from property owners around Victoria and only invested $7.16 million back into capital spending.

“One of the things that we want to see is actually the CFA returned to a volunteer-only organisation,” he said.

Mr Walsh also mentioned the need to fund the state’s integrity bodies, including Ombudsman’s office, and the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission he said was set up when the Liberals and The Nationals were last in government.

“To ensure the government of the day, the executive government, is actually held to account.”