THE Bendigo Business Council has backed a state government decision to open a new regional office for State Trustees in Bendigo, saying the move reinforces the city’s credentials as one of the leading regional financial service centres in the country.State Treasurer John Lenders made the announcement on Friday, saying the move would bring 100 jobs to the region over the next three years.At least three quarters of the new jobs are expected to go to Bendigo residents.Bendigo Business Council executive officer Kevin de Vries said the decentralisation of the State Trustees office will be a tremendous boost for the city and strengthen its already extensive professional services sector.“Bendigo is developing into Australia’s regional financial services capital,” Mr de Vries said.“We have the head offices of the Bendigo Bank and Rural Finance located here.“Each of the four major banks and mecu has a significant presence in Bendigo, serving the surrounding region. “The State Trustees office will complement Bendigo’s existing suite of financial services perfectly.’’State Trustees is a state government-owned trustee and financial services company.It provides a range of services, including administrative services for people with a disability, wills, deceased estate administration, enduring powers of attorney, trusts, financial planning, tax and genealogical assistance. Mr de Vries said Bendigo’s central location and excellent connections made it an ideal base.“Many professional service providers make extensive use of technology to deliver their services; this makes the sector ideal for locating in a regional area such as central Victoria,’’ he said.The new Bendigo offices in Pall Mall are expected to open shortly.