BENDIGO will benefit from 100 new jobs over the next three years, with a regional office of the State Trustees to open in Pall Mall.State Treasurer John Lenders visited Bendigo yesterday to make the announcement, saying decentralisation of city jobs was a boost for regional communities.The office is set to open in the coming weeks with a small staff before building up to 100 employees by 2013.“The whole state needs to grow,” Mr Lenders said.“We’ve embarked on a journey of decentralisation bringing jobs and services to communities rather than assuming that the best model is for us all to be in one building in the centre of Melbourne.“This has been a great opportunity to move part of the business to Bendigo.”While some of the jobs will be relocated from Melbourne, Mr Lenders said the move opened up more local job opportunities in the region.“It’s an issue that the State Trustees is discussing with its workforce, whether a portion, whether a quarter of those, be offered to people in Melbourne to come to Bendigo,” he said.“At the minimum, three-quarters of those jobs will be generated, I would imagine, in Bendigo to start off with.“There are opportunities for at least 75 new jobs from Bendigo ... there will be a permanent presence (of) 100 new jobs in Bendigo that were not there before.”The Bendigo State Trustees office would further boost Bendigo’s reputation as a regional financial centre, Mr Lenders said. Member for Bendigo East and Rural and Regional Development Minister Jacinta Allan said the announcement was about “locking in” the future opportunities and future prosperity for the City of Greater Bendigo.“The government is taking a leadership role; we’re sending a very strong signal to the private sector that we’re investing in regional Victoria,’’ Ms Allan said.“We’d like them to join with us and also invest in regional Victoria.“Establishing 100 new government jobs in Bendigo is going to be a significant boost to our local economy, a significant boost to the region’s economy.”City of Greater Bendigo mayor Rod Campbell said the announcement would cause “great excitement” in Bendigo.“It will be very significant,” Cr Campbell said.“It’s not just 100 jobs, it’s not just 100 wages, it’s the spin-off effect.“That is families and the whole ongoing impact of that is going to be significant and good for Bendigo.”