07 Dec 2016 Benalla Ensign, Benalla VIC (General News) Benalla was the host venue for the Victorian Governments first Ovens Murray Regional Assembly, held at the Lakeside Community Centre last week. Ovens Murray is one of the nine Regional Partnerships that will host an assembly involving at least 100 people, including community members, Members of Parliament and local government coming together to discuss priorities for each region. Following the assemblies, each partnership will deliver key recommendations straight into the heart of government through the new Rural and Regional Ministerial Committee, made up of seven members of Cabinet and chaired by Regional Development Minister Jaala Pulford. The Ovens Murray Regional Partnership includes the Alpine Shire, Indigo Shire, Mansfield Shire, Towong Shire, Benalla Rural City, Wangaratta Rural City and Wodonga City. Regional Development Minister Jaala Pulford was at the Benalla Assembly. Rural and regional Victorians are passionate and keen to develop their regions, Ms Pulford said. We hope theyll embrace this opportunity to be part of Victorias first regional assemblies. Capitalising on the regions tourism potential, increasing access to training, improving connections through transport and digital communications, strengthening health services and developing the regions key industries are likely to be some of matters discussed by the Ovens Murray Regional Partnership. Caption Text: Regional Assembly: (Back) Treasurer Tim Pallas, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Mary-Anne Thomas, Government Whip in the Legislative Council Jaclyn Symes, Attorney General Martin Pakula, Minister for Planning Richard Wynne and Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Victoria and Tourism Danielle Green (front) Minister for Education James Merlino and Minister for Agriculture and Regional Development Jaala Pulford. Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence