About Regional Development Victoria

Regional Development Victoria (RDV) is the Victorian Government's lead agency in developing regional and rural Victoria.

RDV was established as a statutory body by the Regional Development Victoria Act 2002, and began operating on 3 March 2003. RDV is responsible to the Minister for Regional and Rural Development and the Minister for Regional Cities, and is part of the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD). RDV provides strategic advice to the Ministers about the state of rural and regional Victoria in relation to economic, social and environmental issues.

RDV’s focus is to develop a more prosperous and thriving regional Victoria with more opportunities for regional Victorians, and improving the quality of life for regional Victorians.

RDV has responsibility for the implementation of the Victorian Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF), which will deliver $1 billion over eight years to build and upgrade local services and infrastructure, as well as invest in local skills and industries to promote jobs.

In its implementation of the RGF, RDV will deliver flexible funding through five Regional Development Australia committees that help communities develop solutions to local issues, fix gaps in local infrastructure and create job opportunities.

Through the RGF, RDV aims to strengthen the capacity of regional and rural Victoria to develop within an environment of growth and change. It aims to ensure a competitive environment in which regional businesses can operate successfully; and to strengthen the resilience of regional industry in the face of social and environmental change.

RDV adopts a grassroots approach to identifying and developing community-led projects, while ensuring that wherever country Victorians live they have access to opportunities, quality infrastructure and services.