Regional Victoria accounts for around a quarter of the State's population and economic output. In March 2013 Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan released the Reinventing the Regions report which documents the findings from a series of events held in 2011-2012 which CEDA, in collaboration with RDV, hosted.

This report provides an overview of the changes taking place in five of Victoria's regional economies, key policy and economic themes that emerged from discussions throughout the series of events, case studies from regional businesses and five individual event summaries.

The event series provided an opportunity to engage key stakeholders including business, industry, government, communities and academia in a discussion of:

• The key economic drivers and prospects for growth;
• Challenges faced by businesses across five regions;
• How regional businesses are adapting to evolving economic conditions; and
• How they can capitalise on new opportunities.

The series consisted of five events looking at the experiences of Ballarat and the Central Highlands, Hume,Geelong and Barwon South West, Loddon Mallee and the Latrobe Valley.

This publication is a joint project of CEDA and Regional Development Victoria.