Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali, has been elected as Chair of Regional Cities Victoria (RCV) for 2024.
Cr Sali was elected to the position yesterday at the RCV General Meeting. This is the first time he has held the position as Chair of RCV, having previously served as Deputy Chair this year.
He will work alongside Cr Andrea Metcalf, Mayor of City of Greater Bendigo, who was elected to the position of Deputy Chair.
Cr Sali said he was extremely pleased to be elected to the position, saying he was looking forward to continuing to work with RCV to achieve positive outcomes for regional and rural communities.
“Regional cities are the backbone of Victoria, and we have an important role to play in advocating for positive investment, sustainability and achieving real change,” he said.
“In my role as Deputy Chair this year, and as Mayor, I have developed strong relationships while advocating to the State and Federal Governments. I look forward to continuing this work to help improve infrastructure and liveability, and to help grow and support all communities.”
RCV is a leadership group comprising of the Mayors and CEOs of the 10 largest cities outside of Melbourne, including Shepparton, Bendigo and Mildura, with these cities collectively home to more than 600,000 Victorians. RCV members work co-operatively on issues and projects of mutual interest that affect regional cities, as well as the whole state of Victoria, with a vision to build a sustainable Victoria through regional growth.
Cr Sali acknowledged the work of Cr Metcalf who held the position of Chair this year, saying he looked forward to continuing their working relationship in their new roles.
“Regional Cities Victoria is a collective approach aiming to bring communities together to strive for growth and prosperity,” he said.
“Great work has already been achieved in this space. It is so important that we continue to advocate to improve the infrastructure, services and amenities in regional areas to continue to attract people to work, live and visit these parts of the state.
“I look forward to working to further enhance our partnerships and the collective approach we have strongly maintained.”
