CROSS-BORDER communities will get extra support from 'border brokers' set to be deployed to a number of local government areas.
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Teams of eight brokers will work in the Loddon Mallee, Hume, Gippsland, Grampians and Barwon South West regions and work alongside the state's Cross Border Commissioner Luke Wilson.
"Victorian communities and businesses who live along the borders with NSW and SA have done it tough in the past year and a half - this team will add further support to help them to navigate the challenges," he said.
"The brokers will work with me to ensure a local understanding of the issues and that these local needs are represented across government."
This team ensure locals have a key contact on the ground to advocate on their behalf and will support businesses and industry groups to address issues and challenges.
Border brokers will work across state and local governments and with chambers of commerce, key agricultural stakeholders, industry, regional tourism boards and community groups to identify and triage issues.
The team will work on solutions to challenges such as access to workforce and help to ensure supply of necessary goods and services to local businesses.
More border news:
Brokers will be jointly led by Regional Development Victoria and Agriculture Victoria.
"The restrictions in place along our border are necessary to keep border communities safe, but we understand that communities need support - that's why we are responding with a team of border brokers," Minister for Regional Development and Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas said.
"They will be a crucial step in ensuring our border communities continue to have a strong voice as we recover from the global pandemic."
In addition, brokers will be included in the membership of the Border Representatives Reference Group which the government established last month.
The BRRG brings together key stakeholders to identify local impacts and challenges experienced by border communities in response to Victorian/NSW border restrictions.
The broker initiative recognises that border communities have endured challenges as a result of restrictions in place by the Victorian, NSW and SA governments, in order to keep locals safe.
For more information go to rdv.vic.gov.au
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