2026 is of course a State Election year, and you can be assured Committee for Ballarat will be advocating for investment in projects that will help grow and transform, consistent with our vision for a thriving region, known for its liveability, sustainability and inclusiveness.
Committee’s annual member survey is now live, and asks our members to identify their two most significant issues as we face the 2026 State Election. As you can imagine, the responses are wide-ranging, though two broad themes are emerging: the significance of regional growth and all that must support this, and the challenges this state faces with the rising costs of compliance, regulation and taxation.
In relation to growth, housing supply, availability of land, water and water treatment, energy and the infrastructure required to support growth features strongly in our member survey. So too does the social infrastructure needed to ensure a fair and inclusive community that supports our most vulnerable and gives all people an opportunity to thrive.
Compliance, regulation, and taxation are the next most prominent themes, with business identifying rising costs as an impediment to their growth, limiting opportunities for expansion, innovation, skills development and the associated job opportunities.
Committee’s role will continue to be our whole-of-region approach to our advocacy. We will provide every opportunity to engage our members with key decision makers in government and industry to help enable growth and the kind of community we aspire to be. Consistent with this will be our ongoing commitment to the development of Committee for Ballarat’s Vision 2050, designed to capture the heart and soul of Ballarat and the region and ensure these are promoted, amplified and enhanced as we grow.
Connectivity has long been a key pillar of Committee for Ballarat’s work and the recently announced works at Sunshine Station, the SuperHub and the very long-awaited Melbourne Airport Rail project, is a win for Ballarat and the region. The State and Federal governments’ commitment to these projects will pave the way for Metro services to Melton, which will, in turn, greatly enhance Ballarat’s travel times.
Time lost to travel and all its associated implications, is an impediment to regional productivity, and fast regional rail is one of the critical keys that will unlock the powerhouses that are our regional cities and towns. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants to see fast rail a reality for Australia and has said, “whilst he won’t be PM when it comes into operation, but he will be the PM who started it.”
We know regional fast rail is a ‘no-brainer’ and Committee for Ballarat stands ready to work with both the state and federal governments to see Ballarat to Melbourne as a fast regional rail project with national significance. This will accelerate our regional growth and prosperity, supercharge regional business development, ease population pressures on Melbourne and provide a much-needed stimulus for the state’s productivity.
We look forward to keeping you up to date every month with our work. Please share this with others in your network who may be interested and follow us and our work on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.