In a Rural Press Club of Victoria speech in Melbourne on Tuesday, Premier Daniel Andrews sought to reassure the agricultural community about his government's commitment to the sector, following a ministerial reshuffle that saw the appointment of the state's fourth agriculture minister in four years.
Mr Andrews said he appreciated the need for better regional roads and that roads were an important metric in determining a brighter future.
"I understand it, I get it, and I have spent as much time as any premier driving on regional roads," he said.
He made reference to improvements made to 6800 kilometres of roads in Victoria since his government took office eight years ago.
According to VicRoads, Victoria has more than 150,000km of roads in total for general traffic.
Mr Andrews referenced to a total investment of $3 billion into the agriculture sector since 2014 which he said had resulted in industry growth in certain areas.
"Investments have seen that industry grow... by some 32 per cent," he said.
This is part of a total investment of $36 billion in regional Victoria over the past eight years of government.
Mr Andrews claimed these overall investments have contributed to the creation of approximately 80,000 jobs over eight years.
Making reference to regional housing affordability, he said a quarter of the $5.3 billion Big Housing Build initiative was spent in regional and rural Victoria in an attempt to address pressures on the rental and housing markets in those areas.
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He also said he looked forward to what he described as "legacy building" developments in preparations for the Commonwealth Games to be held in regional Victoria, with much of the required infrastructure set to be based in regional centres such as Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland.
In his speech, Mr Andrews highlighted his Wangaratta upbringing and his childhood roots in regional Victoria.
"You should never forget where you're from," he said.
He claimed regional Victorian capital investment initiatives were in place with local regional Victorians in mind and he believed locals knew what was best for their communities.
"Local perspective is precious, it's worth a lot and has always been valuable," he said.
He said he was certain new Agriculture Minister Gayle Tierney was able to take the agriculture portfolio forward and referenced her track record as the Training and Skills Minister.
Mr Andrews also made reference to health and education and said he understood the difficulties faced by regional Victorians.