VCOSS has released the Voices of Regional Victoria, a comprehensive report that examines the burning social issues across 10 of the state’s diverse regional communities, as identified by local charities and frontline service organisations.

The common priority issues identified across regional Victoria are housing, including rental affordability and social housing, access to healthcare, transport links within and between regions and cost of living pressures, particularly fuel and the internet.

VCOSS chief executive officer Emma King wants the report to push the political debate back to the issues that really matter – what people in local communities need to lead safe, healthy and vibrant lives.

“Regional communities face unique, local challenges reflecting their history, character and resources. They demand unique, local solutions,” Ms King said.

“We can’t just leave this up to party leaders and public servants on Spring Street.

“Every voter in every community should be asking their candidates tough questions about how they’re going to make life better for the region’s poor, sick and lonely.”

The Voices of Regional Victoria makes a series of region-specific observations and recommendations for Warrnambool and the south-west, La Trobe Valley, Bairnsdale, Geelong, Ballarat, the Wimmera, Shepparton, Wodonga, Mildura and Bendigo

To develop The Voices of Regional Victoria, VCOSS undertook 10 listening tours featuring roundtable discussions with community organisations.

This listening tour was done in recognition of the fact that many of the solutions to local social challenges already exist within local communities, they’re just not sought out or listened to.

Ms King said regional communities must be valued and heard.

“People living across regional Victorian have the same stake in our democracy as people living in Melbourne,” she said.

“Their needs require the same recognition and respect, and their voices should not be diluted or ignored based on their distance from the corridors of power,” Ms King said.