Regional Infrastructure Fund
The Regional Infrastructure Fund Round Two seeks to assist the growth of rural Victoria by providing grants for infrastructure projects that have the potential to stimulate economic and community activity, including those that seek to support recovery from COVID-19 and other major economic challenges, in regional Victoria.
Overview
The Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund (RJIF) is one of the Victorian Government’s key regional development packages and will be crucial in driving recovery in rural and regional Victoria. It will create and retain jobs, leverage private sector investment, grow and diversify our significant regional economy, enable regional population growth, improve the liveability of our cities, centres and towns, and improve economic and social outcomes for over 1.5 million regional Victorians to make regional Victoria an even better place to live, work and invest.
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has impacted all industries, regions, and communities. It has created significant new challenges for Victoria’s rural and regional communities and exacerbated some existing ones.
The Regional Infrastructure Fund Round Two (RIF) is a key component of the RJIF and will focus on priority projects to meaningfully support regional communities in their immediate response and recovery efforts, address complex local challenges and lay the groundwork for future growth.
Forrest mountain bike revitalisation project
Mountain bike enthusiasts will have new tracks and trails in Forrest thanks to funding from the Victorian Government that will rejuvenate existing tracks and establish new world-class tracks.
View Success StoryObjectives of Program
The objectives of the RIF are:
- to create and retain jobs and support regional economies and communities, including transition, diversification, and recovery efforts
- to increase economic and social benefits through improved community access and usability of precincts, town, or region
- to increase economic and social benefits through investment in strategic and public enabling infrastructure.
Funding Details
Funding requests will be considered between $20,000 and $3 million excluding GST.
Consideration may be given for projects deemed to be outstanding by the Victorian Government to access a grant of up to $5 million. These projects would need to clearly demonstrate significant leveraging of funding co‑contributions above the nominated funding ratios and/or deliver significant regional or cross regional benefits/transformative outcomes.
Infrastructure projects seeking funding will need to demonstrate how they will achieve one or more of the following:
- improve the economic performance, potential and outcomes of a precinct, town, or region
- improve business, transport, retail, education, social, cultural, industry or community linkages
- provide multi-purpose infrastructure, suitable and accessible for a wide range of business and community groups such as business hubs, co- working spaces, community, and event and visitor facilities
- support cultural initiatives of economic significance to the region such as renewal of buildings and sites, arts and cultural centres or resource facilities.
Projects seeking funding will need to demonstrate how they will:
- improve economic performance and growth (e.g. this may include supporting social procurement outcomes and/or for relevant projects supporting the objectives of the Growing Regional Opportunities for Work initiative)
- create and capture value by harnessing key regional strengths such as social, environmental, or economic assets, capital, or specialisations
- enhance the social and/or economic resilience and competitiveness of the location
- support economic transition, diversification, and recovery
- align with state and regional priorities (i.e. Regional Partnership priority, or Regional, State or National or Council-endorsed plan or strategy)
- maximise the value for money to the state including leveraging investment or funding from other sources
- demonstrate long term feasibility and viability (e.g. via feasibility studies and/or business cases) that will sustain positive impacts.
Funding will be provided for projects that:
- improve the economic performance, potential and outcomes of a precinct, town, or region
- improve business, transport, retail, education, social, cultural, industry or community linkages
- provide multi-purpose infrastructure, suitable and accessible for a wide range of business and community groups such as business hubs, co- working spaces, community, and event and visitor facilities
- support cultural initiatives of economic significance to the region such as renewal of buildings and sites, arts and cultural centres or resource facilities.
The following activities will not be considered:
- early-stage project planning
- project planning for infrastructure projects such as a feasibility study, a demand study, or a business case to enable prospective applicants to investigate the technical and or economic viability of an infrastructure project (design and construct projects may be considered)
- local strategic planning including economic development strategies and plans for future growth and infrastructure needs
- requests for retrospective funding, where projects have been completed or have started construction prior to receiving funding approval
- ongoing operating costs or salary subsidies
- private sector projects undertaken as a result of a government contract
- projects where funding is normally provided by other state, Commonwealth or local government sources
- projects requiring ongoing funding from the Victorian Government when completed
- activities that are considered Local Government Authority core business
- projects that are only purchasing plant and equipment
- purchase of land.
Application eligibility
Projects delivered within the following locations can apply for funding, in accordance with relevant program eligibility criteria.
Regional Cities | Large Rural Councils | Small Rural Councils and Alpine Resorts |
|---|---|---|
Ballarat | Bass Coast | Alpine |
Applications will be considered for projects from the following incorporated entities, individuals are not eligible to apply:
- Local Government Authorities
- Alpine Resorts Management Boards
- business and industry groups including:
- chambers of commerce and business associations
- industry peak bodies
- business and industry clusters and networks
- incorporated not-for-profit organisations, including community groups that are
- cooperatives or associations
- social enterprise organisations
Councils can also sponsor (auspice) projects on behalf of the business and industry groups including:
- chambers of commerce and business associations
- industry peak bodies
- business and industry clusters and networks
- incorporated not-for-profit organisations and community groups that have an Australian Business Number (ABN) or can provide written advice from the Australian Tax Office that no withholding tax is required from the grant payment.
Application Process
The Regional Infrastructure Fund Round Two is an open competitive round.
Please contact your local RDV office to discuss your project and possible funding opportunities.
Step 1
Read the Application Guidelines to establish eligibility and read the terms and conditions for the funding
Step 2
Contact your local RDV office to discuss the proposed project and express interest in applying
Step 3
Applicants apply for funding. An online link to an application form will be sent to the applicant by the relevant RDV regional office
Download Resources
Regional Partnerships Outcomes Roadmaps:
Barwon Outcomes Roadmap (PDF 648.86 KB)
Central Highlands Outcomes Roadmap (PDF 893.6 KB)
Gippsland Outcomes Roadmap (PDF 1155.06 KB)
Goulburn Outcomes Roadmap (PDF 1509.65 KB)
Great South Coast Outcomes Roadmap (PDF 551.03 KB)
Loddon Campaspe Outcomes Roadmap (PDF 619.4 KB)
Mallee Outcomes Roadmap (PDF 752.27 KB)
Ovens Murray Outcomes Roadmap (PDF 720.96 KB)
Wimmera Southern Mallee Outcomes Roadmap (PDF 580.85 KB)
Projects funded by this program
This table includes projects funded under the previous program streams:
- Enabling Infrastructure
- Productive and Liveable Cities and Centres
- Rural Development
- Visitor Economy
| Project Name | Region | Year | Amount Funded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buloke Council: Charlton Park 2020 Multi-Purpose Facility Development | Mallee | 2017 | $1,100,000 |
| Glenelg Council: Henty Employment Precinct infrastructure upgrade | Great South Coast | 2017 | $1,500,000 |
| Geelong Council: Leopold Community Hub Stage 2 Project | Barwon | 2017 | $3,000,000 |
| Mitchell Council: Wallan Town Centre Redevelopment Project | Goulburn | 2017 | $1,500,000 |
| Buloke Council: Donald Multipurpose Community Facility Redevelopment | Mallee | 2017 | $1,000,000 |
| Buloke Council: Advancing Intensive Agricultural Opportunities in the Loddon Mallee Region | Mallee | 2017 | $50,000 |
| Alpine Better Places - Economic Rejuvenation for Porepunkah | Ovens Murray | 2017 | $500,000 |
| Victorian Goldfields Railway Service Reorientation - Business Case and Design (Stage 1) | Loddon Campaspe | 2017 | $35,000 |
| Indigo Council: Chiltern Town Centre and Connectivity | Ovens Murray | 2017 | $200,000 |
| Macedon Ranges Council: Kyneton – Campaspe River Trail Improvement and Connections Project | Loddon Campaspe | 2017 | $300,000 |
| Wellington Council: Loch Sport Foreshore Redevelopment | Gippsland | 2017 | $175,000 |
| Pyrenees Council: Moonambel Water Supply Concept Design | Central Highlands | 2017 | $50,000 |
| Macedon Ranges Council: Romsey Streetscape and Access Project | Loddon Campaspe | 2017 | $400,000 |
| Yarriambiack Council: Woomelang Shopping Precinct Upgrade | Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2017 | $100,000 |
| Towong Council: The Great River Road | Ovens Murray | 2017 | $330,000 |
| DELWP: Harcourt Mountain Bike Park | Loddon Campaspe | 2017 | $1,990,000 |
| Pyrenees Council: Sustainable Community Hubs | Central Highlands | 2018 | $230,000 |
| Hepburn Council: East Street Heavy Vehicle Access Improvements | Central Highlands | 2017 | $400,000 |
| West Wimmera Council: Lake Charlegrark Precinct Development | Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2018 | $200,000 |
| Campaspe Council: Rochester Market Reserve Project | Loddon Campaspe | 2018 | $151,000 |
| Bass Coast Shire Council: Revitalisation of the Cowes Precinct - Delivering on the Phillip Island Vision for the Future | Gippsland | 2017 | $1,800,000 |
| Borough of Queenscliffe: Point Lonsdale Lighthouse Reserve Stage 1 | Barwon | 2017 | $500,000 |
| Ararat Council: Ararat On the Move - Alexandra Oval Redevelopment - Event & Visitor Space | Central Highlands | 2018 | $500,000 |
| Castlemaine State Festival Ltd: Castlemaine Goods Shed: Creative Industries Hub | Central Highlands | 2018 | $500,000 |
| Victorian Rail Track: Bendigo Tramways Development | Loddon Campaspe | 2019 | $416,800 |
| Moira Council: Cobram Revitalisation and Liveability | Goulburn | 2019 | $500,000 |
| Towong Council: Upper Murray Events Centre | Ovens Murray | 2019 | $800,000 |
| Warrnambool Council: Reid Oval Redevelopment | Great South Coast | 2019 | $2,000,000 |
| Ballarat Council: Eureka Stadium and Sports Infrastructure - Relocation of Ballarat Showgrounds | Central Highlands | 2018 | $5,000,000 |
| Queenscliffe Council: Queenscliffe Hub | Barwon | 2018 | $2,550,000 |
| Colac Otway Council: Stage One Forrest Mountain Bike Revitalisation Project | Barwon | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Surf Coast Council: Connecting Torquay's Town Centre | Barwon | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Hepburn Council: Daylesford Aquatic and Civic Plaza Precinct | Central Highlands | 2020 | $100,000 |
| Central Goldfields Council: Central Goldfields Art Gallery Revitalisation Phase 1 | Central Highlands | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Golden Plains Council: Three Trails Project | Central Highlands | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Moorabool Council: The Bacchus Marsh 1000+ | Central Highlands | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Baw Baw Council: Rawson Skate Park and RV Park | Gippsland | 2020 | $322,782 |
| East Gippsland Council: Bairnsdale South Industrial Estate Water Augmentation Project | Gippsland | 2020 | $500,000 |
| South Gippsland Council: Great Southern Rail Trail Extension (Leongatha to Korumburra) | Gippsland | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Mitchell Council: Kilmore Township Sydney Road North Rejuvenation | Goulburn | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Shepparton Council: Linking Yanha Gurtji - RiverConnect | Goulburn | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Ararat Council: Ararat East Development Zone Road Realignment Integrated Planning Strategy | Central Highlands | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Corangamite Council: Timboon Town Centre Activation | Great South Coast | 2020 | $300,000 |
| Glenelg Council: Portland Bay Marina Extension | Great South Coast | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Moyne Council: Garvoc Community Hub | Great South Coast | 2020 | $400,000 |
| Southern Grampians Council: The Dunkeld Visitor Hub and Grampians Peaks Trailhead | Great South Coast | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Benalla Council: Visitors, Cinema, History - Co-location in Benalla | Ovens Murray | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Buloke Council: Brightening Broadway (Wycheproof) | Mallee | 2020 | $450,000 |
| Gannawarra Council: Koondrook All Abilities Play Facility | Mallee | 2020 | $390,000 |
| Mildura Council: Mildura Riverfront Powerhouse Redevelopment | Mallee | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Swan Hill Council: Vibrant Villages | Mallee | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Falls Creek Alpine Resort Management Board: Falls Creek Mountain Bike Park Stage 5 | Ovens Murray | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Ovens Murray | 2020 | $500,000 | |
| Moira Council: Bringing Big Business to Small Towns | Ovens Murray | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Towong Council: Tallangatta Holiday Park - Growing a Tourism Economy | Ovens Murray | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Wangaratta Council: Regional Activity Precinct Riverside Park | Ovens Murray | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Wodonga Council: Burraja Cultural and Environmental Centre redevelopment | Ovens Murray | 2020 | $430,000 |
| Horsham Council: City to River Transformation Stage 1 - Wimmera Riverfront Activation | Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Northern Grampians Council: Stawell Housing Development | Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2020 | $500,000 |
| West Wimmera Council: Activating the Edenhope Community Centre - Aspirations for Paradise (Hopes for Eden) | Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2020 | $333,000 |
| Yarriambiack Council: Home Is Where the Hall Is | Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2020 | $438,035 |
| Northern Grampians Council: Halls Gap Activation - Stage 1 | Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2018 | $100,000 |
| University of Melbourne: Stawell Underground Physics Lab | Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2019 | $500,000 |
| South Gippsland Council: Redevelopment Main Street Foster | Gippsland | 2018 | $500,000 |
| Golden Plains Council: Bannockburn Civic Heart Precinct - Stage 1 | Central Highlands | 2017 | $500,000 |
| Northern Grampians Council: Stawell CBD Revitalisation | Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2018 | $500,000 |
| Great South Coast | 2018 | $2,702,650 | |
| Wangaratta Council: Wangaratta Gateway Precinct Project | Ovens Murray | 2018 | $2,500,000 |
| Wodonga Council: Wodonga Library and Gallery Redevelopment project | Ovens Murray | 2018 | $4,000,000 |
| Northern Grampians Council: St Arnaud Civic Precinct Revitalisation - Stage 2 | Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2018 | $200,000 |
| Pyrenees Council: Activate Avoca - Stage 1 | Central Highlands | 2018 | $500,000 |
| Yarriambiack Council: Rupanyup Community Retail Hub | Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2018 | $500,000 |
| Moyne Council: Hawkesdale/Wangoom Halls Cluster Upgrade | Great South Coast | 2018 | $307,500 |
| Moyne Council: Reardon Theatre Upgrade | Great South Coast | 2018 | $292,166 |
| Worn Gundidj: Tower Hill Tourism Development | Great South Coast | 2017 | $92,062 |
| Mitchell Council: Improving Liveability - Better Parks for Seymour | Goulburn | 2018 | $500,000 |
| Murrindindi Council: Releasing the Floating City - Expanding the Houseboat Manufacturing Industry at Eildon | Goulburn | 2018 | $500,000 |
| Surf Coast Council: Torquay CBD Strategic Investment Facilitation Project | Barwon | 2017 | $40,000 |
| Moorabool Council: Business Case and Economic Analysis for Parwan Employment Precinct | Central Highlands | 2018 | $30,000 |
| Wildlife Wonders Ltd: Ecotourism for economic development and environmental conservation | Barwon | 2018 | $1,500,000 |
| Mount Alexander Council: Small Town Streetscape Project | Loddon Campaspe | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Hepburn Council: Bullarto Station Tourist Precinct | Central Highlands | 2021 | $500,000 |
| Wimmera Development Association Inc: By Five Project | Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2021 | $165,000 |
| Loddon Campaspe | 2020 | $615,000 | |
| Goulburn | 2021 | $3,000,000 | |
| Mallee | 2020 | $430,000 | |
| Barwon | 2021 | $1,000,000 | |
| Central Highlands | 2021 | $300,000 | |
| Central Highlands | 2021 | $2,000,000 | |
| Central Highlands | 2021 | $300,000 | |
| Central Highlands | 2021 | $500,000 | |
| Central Highlands | 2021 | $3,500,000 | |
| Central Highlands | 2021 | $500,000 | |
| Gippsland | 2021 | $2,000,000 | |
| Gippsland | 2021 | $4,000,000 | |
| Gippsland | 2021 | $50,000 | |
| Gippsland | 2021 | $6,000,000 | |
| Goulburn | 2021 | $800,000 | |
| Goulburn | 2021 | $3,750,000 | |
| Great South Coast | 2021 | $6,000,000 | |
| Great South Coast | 2021 | $5,000,000 | |
| Loddon Campaspe | 2021 | $680,000 | |
| Loddon Campaspe | 2021 | $1,000,000 | |
| Loddon Campaspe | 2021 | $1,800,000 | |
| Loddon Campaspe | 2021 | $95,590 | |
| Loddon Campaspe | 2021 | $1,485,000 | |
| Loddon Campaspe | 2021 | $2,475,000 | |
| Loddon Campaspe | 2021 | $1,400,000 | |
| Mallee | 2021 | $2,600,000 | |
| Mallee | 2021 | $2,050,000 | |
| Ovens Murray | 2021 | $3,000,000 | |
| Ovens Murray | 2021 | $550,000 | |
| Ovens Murray | 2021 | $3,600,000 | |
| Ovens Murray | 2021 | $150,000 | |
| Ovens Murray | 2021 | $1,500,000 | |
| Ovens Murray | 2021 | $750,000 | |
| Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2021 | $650,000 | |
| Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2021 | $316,000 | |
| Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2021 | $455,000 | |
| Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2021 | $574,000 | |
| Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2021 | $248,750 | |
| Wimmera Southern Mallee | 2021 | $544,000 | |
| Beyond the Bell Great South Coast Ltd: Beyond the Bell 2017-2020 | Great South Coast | 2017 | $1,115,000 |
| Sandhurst Trustees: Small Town Big Difference Pilot - Contribution to the Community Enterprise Foundation | Mallee | 2021 | $60,000 |
- This may not be a comprehensive listing of all announced funding through the Regional Infrastructure Fund
- CiC indicates the project funded amount is Commercial or Cabinet in Confidence
