Premier Jacinta Allan puts regions in her sights in new role.

Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allan was sworn in as the replacement for Daniel Andrews after winning the Labor party's backing to take on the Premier's role.

Her new deputy, Ben Carroll, initially stood against her but later withdrew his challenge.

A wide range of places have been crying out for a visit from the Premier for years, but repeated entreaties from Warrnambool, which last had a visit from a sitting premier in 2017, fell on deaf ears.

The last time former Premier Andrews visited Horsham was in 2016.

Premier Allan's hometown of Bendigo received a visit in September, when Mr Andrews came to open the city's GovHub building and announce details of a housing policy.

In a signal of a changed direction, Premier Allan said she had close ties with many regional communities through living in Bendigo and travelling the state as part of ministerial work.

"Over all the time that I have been a minister I have travelled to every corner of the state, and one of the best roles I had ... was serving as minister for regional development," Ms Allan said.

"So I have a really strong set of relationships with regional communities across the state."

Ms Allan did not set a date for regional visits, saying it might have to wait for a break in parliamentary business.

But she said she was "grateful for the invitation, I hope they're looking forward to the visit."

"I look forward to - alongside the time I spend living in regional Victoria - visiting other parts of the state," she said.

It was too early for her to say what the leadership change would mean for regional policy.

"It's been mere minutes since we had our caucus meeting," Ms Allan said.

"I will be having more to say on our policy priorities as we go through the process of swearing in the cabinet."

One of the top priorities will be ushering housing reforms through parliament at a time of affordability crises across Victoria.

The government revealed a housing statement last week including a push to build 152,000 new homes over the next decade but much of the finer detail including exact locations is yet to be worked out, and parliament is still to examine legislation needed for the reforms.

Ms Allan described housing affordability as one of the most important political issues in the state.

"They are the sorts of things that we will continue to push on but we will have more to say on other things I'll touch on in the days and weeks ahead," she said.

Ms Allan hoped her ascension to the premier's office would send a similar message to the regions as to women who see her in the role.

"Regardless of your background, this is a place that can give everyone a go and an opportunity," Ms Allan said.

"And if you work hard, respectfully, with colleagues, and bring determination and drive, your colleagues will support you, and the Victorian community will support you.

"That's how I've worked as a member for Bendigo East and that's how I'll continue."

Ms Allan grew up in Bendigo and even applied unsuccessfully for a cadetship at the Bendigo Advertiser - part of the Australian Community Media network - before getting into politics.

She won the seat of Bendigo East in 1999 during a backlash to Kennett-government era policies.

Ms Allan's factional powerbase is in the party's left wing, showing the progressive bent of the Andrews' government is likely to continue under its new leader.

Bendigo is sometimes referred to locally as a "Labor" fortress and skews progressive on many issues.

The city is home to both a Labor Member for Bendigo West in Maree Edwards and an ALP federal member in Lisa Chesters.

Ms Allan said she would consult with her colleagues on policy and said the best way to gauge good ideas was to get out into communities and talk to people.

She said that comparisons with Daniel Andrews' leadership style would be inevitable.

"Victorians, as we have seen, will very strongly make up their own minds about how people in roles like this are performing," Ms Allan said.