But any relocation needs to be properly thought through, the council says.

The City of Greater Bendigo made a submission to the senate inquiry into the location of corporate Commonwealth entities – joining a range of other regional Victorian council in showing off their economic development credentials.

The inquiry is on the back of the relocation of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority from Canberra to Armidale, following an election promise by Armidale’s local member and deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce.

In the submission, City of Greater Bendigo chief executive officer Craig Niemann used an economist’s report to show 100 new public sector jobs could add as much as $45 million to the local economy, and $16 million in wages.

Mr Niemann wrote that the continued presence of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank proved the city could handle a large corporate employer.

“The success of locally-based Bendigo and Adelaide Bank is an example to both the public and private sectors that being headquarted regionally should be no impediment to providing competitive, quality, cost-effective service on a national or state level,” he said.

The submission details a preliminary plan for the “co-location” of government agencies at a single site in Bendigo’s city centre.

The plans are included for a draft discussion paper for “Plan Greater Bendigo”.

Despite offering itself as a willing recipient of a government agency, Mr Niemann wrote it had to be well thought through and planned.

“We also believe agency relocation must be a planned process and any proposal must be supported by a well-developed business case, based on clear government objectives,” he said.

Campaspe Shire Council also welcomed the focus on decentralisation, but in their submission believed the existing policy needed “some refinement”.

The council called for any relocation to be made independently, be merit-based, achieve a cost-benefit analysis and include “extensive consultation”.

Victorian Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie was vocal during the hearings this week, and believed regional councils should have been invited to Canberra to put their case.

She criticised the lack of hearings outside of the nation’s capital.

“When we’ve got 85 regional councils putting in submissions, here we are sitting in Canberra talking about jobs in regional areas,” she said.

“From the 198 submissions to the inquiry on decentralisation, 175 supported the proposal with only four directly opposed to the idea.”

Senator McKenzie said Labor was “playing politics” by not holding hearings in regional areas.

Her comments sparked a brief Twitter sparring match with Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters, who argued only Armidale, Bathurst, Rockhampton and Townsville were eligible under current policy settings.

Ms Chesters said no regions in Victoria could be considered.

“The regulation means that Bendigo and central Victoria are not deemed as ‘regional’ communities, and therefore not eligible locations under the Liberal National Government,” she said.

“Bendigo is the regional commercial centre for central and northern Victoria. To say that it is not a regional community is ridiculous.”