MATTHEW GUY, leader of the Victorian Liberal Party, paid a visit to Shepparton last week to not only announce a boost to the Victorian manufacturing sector, but also to have a chat about what’s to come for our region.
Mr Guy is no stranger to the Goulburn Valley. His wife, Renae Guy, has ties to our region with her grandmother having grown up in Kyabram, where she lived well into her 90s. The contrast between city driving and lifestyle and that of inner Melbourne is not lost on Mr Guy. Having myself moved to the GV from a bordering municipality to one which Mr Guy is a member for, we both lamented over the stresses of city living juxtaposed with the serenity and calmness we are privy to here in the country.
As a father of three boys, Mr Guy and his family love to spend their spare time exploring all of Victoria and visiting regional areas such as ours for short trips, embarking on hiking and biking adventures.
“The boys love to chop wood, make a mess and enjoy creating fires in our fire pit. They would get out of hand if I wasn’t there to step in though,” laughs Mr Guy.
“We are also regulars on the train circuit. I love a country drive but trains are an interest of mine. Last week a conductor said “You’re back again, Mr Guy”, which took me by surprise. We must catch the train to Bendigo more often than I thought.”
As someone who understands the intricacies of regional towns and living, he understands the importance of enticing professionals to our region and keeping them here through the provision of adequate housing, employment opportunities, education choices and sufficient infrastructure as key components to our continued growth.
“The pandemic definitely gave people a push to sprawl out of metropolitan Melbourne and decentralise. The ability to work from home has changed how we live and many people see the many benefits regional living affords them,” said Mr Guy.
“The Goulburn Valley has so much to offer and is easily accessible to and from Melbourne by car. We need to continue to invest in education and employment in regional areas, the focus can’t just be on inner city infrastructure. We want to shift our focus back to productivity and positivity for all of Victoria as a united entity.”
An incredible $1B has been allocated to regional areas because we want to re-invest in businesses that are already here. We want to add to those jobs and preserve existing jobs to ensure regional cities continue to grow,” he said.
“It’s not just about the big organisations either. More than ever, small and medium business need certainty. These everyday businesses are the lifeblood of our state and it’s time to move forward from the last 24 months.”
As a community that has been hit so hard over the last few months and managed to muster incredible resilience and unity, moving forward is precisely what we eagerly anticipate.
