Regional leaders, council representatives, and state commissioners gathered in Mallacoota recently for the East Gippsland Cross Border Forum, tackling key challenges and exploring economic opportunities for border communities across Victoria and New South Wales.
Hosted by East Gippsland Shire Council mayor Cr Jodie Ashworth and council leadership, the forum brought together key regional stakeholders, including Food & Fibre Gippsland chief executive officer Simon Johnson, Victoria’s Cross-Border Commissioner Brett Davis, and NSW Acting Cross-Border Commissioner Kellie Urquhart.
The discussions focused on building stronger cross-border collaboration between Victoria and New South Wales, with a strong emphasis on benefiting Gippsland’s vital agricultural, fishing and food production sectors.
Mr Johnson praised the momentum building around joint regional initiatives, highlighting the importance of connected economies between East Gippsland and southern New South Wales.
“Conversations like these are exactly how we build stronger regional collaboration across the Victoria–NSW border, for the benefit of Gippsland’s food and fibre sector and beyond,” Mr Johnson said.
The forum also welcomed community representatives from the Port of Eden, reflecting a growing, multi-agency commitment to improving infrastructure, supply chains and economic links across the state line.
Local leaders noted that coordinated investment and shared policy focus between the two states will play a crucial role in supporting border towns, local businesses and primary producers moving forward.
