Yarra Ranges and Mornington Peninsula are like no other parts of Victoria, with their urban and rural mix, high-value agricultural and conservation land, and iconic tourism destinations.
This mix creates distinct economic advantages and disadvantages, and there are State-significant economic opportunities in both regions that are not currently supported by any consistent funding streams.
Acknowledging this, and opening up regional funding streams to these municipalities, will benefit the regions, their residents and the State of Victoria.
We need a new status, Peri-Regional, that retains our metropolitan classification, recognises our unique challenges and opportunities, and unlocks the significant economic potential of our regions.
Peri-Regional areas are the missing piece in the spatial composition of Victoria.
As a unique geographical form, Peri-Regional completes the picture, which now includes metropolitan, interface, peri-urban, regional cities and rural councils.
There is a precedent for creating a new status. In 2020, following advocacy from six regional councils (Bass Coast, Baw Baw, Macedon Ranges, Moorabool, Golden Plains and Surf Coast Shire), the Victorian Government recognised the group as Peri-Urban, allowing them access to the Growing Suburbs Fund, previously only available to Melbourne’s ten Interface Councils.