It was an opportunity to acknowledge and give gratitude to the dedicated eminent service and visionary leadership Don provided to this community over a long period of time.

Don initiated and drove many key community outcomes across many service clubs and community organisations for the betterment of Horsham and the Wimmera region.

As a strong advocate for all things good, Don gave freely of his time and this work and the fruits of his labour are both invaluable and enduring.

His wife Jo and family can take great comfort knowing that Don was highly respected and his community service greatly appreciated and his actions exemplary. His was a life well lived.

It was a pleasure, yet humbling, to highlight his civic life and achievements at the memorial service on behalf of Horsham Rural City Council and our community along with other invited speakers on the day.

David Grimble, councillor,

Horsham Rural City

VICTORIA is the fastest growing state in Australia.

In 2016, our state grew by 146,000 people – the highest growth rate of any state in living memory.

In the past month alone, an additional 10,500 people have become residents – that’s equivalent to the population of my home town of Swan Hill moving to Victoria every month.

But our country communities take in less than 10 per cent of this growth and in some regions the population is in decline.

Despite this, the Labor Premier for Melbourne has no vision and no plan for regional Victoria.

The Liberal-Nationals have taken a completely different approach.

We established the Population Policy Taskforce to plan to decentralise Melbourne’s population and develop job opportunities, infrastructure and services in regional Victoria.

It’s the first holistic approach to planning for Victoria’s burgeoning population growth.

Chaired by Kew MP Tim Smith and deputy chair Danny O’Brien, The Nationals’ Member for Gippsland South, the Taskforce has travelled across Victoria, including to Shepparton, Mildura, the Latrobe Valley, Geelong and Ballarat to consult with our communities.

The feedback was overwhelming.

Country people are frustrated by the lack of population, a poor transport network and unreliable energy, while a deteriorating regional rail network and country roads make it hard to get from A to B.

For some businesses, energy costs have increased so much it’s impacting their ability to retain and hire staff, while the rapidly changing policy and regulatory environment is affecting business’ ability to invest.

It comes at a time when job losses are at the front of people’s minds. Jobs are seen as the key piece of the puzzle in attracting and retaining people in regional Victoria. We’ve heard many suggestions on creating opportunities for businesses to move to the regions, including around state taxes and special economic zones.

Our agricultural communities are the backbone of our state’s economy, and we want to make sure they are recognised in plans for our future population.

Victorians can still be part of the Liberal-Nationals’ policy process, as we continue our work ahead of the 2018 election.

With the interim report now out, we welcome submissions from anyone who wants to have their say and help shape the future of our state.

Peter Walsh, Shadow Minister for Regional Development