Strong advocacy delivering results for Greater Shepparton in Federal Budget

Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali, said Council had been advocating for increased investment in enabling infrastructure and regional growth for several years, through direct engagement with Federal Ministers, visits to Canberra, formal submissions, and ongoing discussions with decision-makers.

“This Budget shows that our advocacy is being heard,” Cr Sali said.

“We have been consistently raising the need for investment in enabling infrastructure and support for growing regional communities, through meetings in Canberra, engagement with Ministers, and ongoing advocacy on behalf of our community, and we are now starting to see that reflected in national policy.”

A key outcome is the new $2 billion Local Infrastructure Fund, including $500 million for regional Australia, designed to support the delivery of essential infrastructure needed to unlock housing growth.

“This funding recognises that housing growth depends on investment in enabling infrastructure like roads, drainage, water and sewerage,” Cr Sali said.

“The Local Infrastructure Fund directly aligns with what we have been advocating for, and it is encouraging to see this now recognised at a national level.”

Cr Sali said Council had also been advocating strongly for continued investment in regional growth programs, including the Growing Regions Program.

“We have been actively making the case for programs that support regional infrastructure and community growth, including funding opportunities for projects like the Shepparton Sports Stadium redevelopment,” he said.

“The $750 million commitment to new rounds of the Growing Regions and Thriving Suburbs programs is a positive outcome that reflects those efforts.”

The Budget also includes Financial Assistance Grants to local government, including an increased upfront payment to support councils in managing cost pressures.

“For 2026–27, a larger portion of Financial Assistance Grants will be paid upfront, increasing from around 50 per cent to 80 per cent,” Cr Sali said.

“This doesn’t increase the total funding Council receives, but it does improve cashflow and provides greater flexibility in how we deliver services and manage our finances.”

Cr Sali said the next step would be understanding how these initiatives would be delivered and ensuring Greater Shepparton was well positioned to benefit.

“We now need to see the detail - how funding will be allocated, what the criteria will be, and how councils can access these opportunities,” he said.

“These are nationally competitive programs, so it’s critical that growing regional centres like Greater Shepparton continue to be strongly represented and well prepared.”

Cr Sali said while the Budget demonstrated that advocacy was having an impact, further investment would still be required to meet the needs of growing regional communities.

“This is a strong step in the right direction and shows that our advocacy is delivering real outcomes,” he said.

“However, more investment is needed to match the scale of growth we are experiencing and to ensure regional communities can continue to thrive.”

“Council will continue to strongly advocate for the investment needed to support the long-term growth and sustainability of Greater Shepparton,” Cr Sali said.

“We will keep working with all levels of government, continuing our engagement with Ministers and stakeholders, to ensure our community’s priorities remain front and centre.”