Federal politics comes to Bendigo as marginal seat campaign heats up

The electorate of Bendigo has emerged as a closely watched seat in the lead-up to the next federal election, with recent polling showing the sitting Labor member holds a margin of approximately 2.5 per cent against a strong Liberal challenger in a seat that has changed hands three times in the past decade.

Both major parties have stepped up community engagement in Bendigo, with ministerial visits averaging more than two per month over the past quarter as the government looks to defend its regional Victoria seats and the Opposition seeks to recover ground lost in 2022. Infrastructure funding announcements, health service commitments, and cost-of-living relief measures have all been framed with specific references to Bendigo in recent weeks.

Local issues dominating the electoral conversation include hospital waiting times, the cost of groceries and fuel in regional areas compared with Melbourne, the state of road and rail connections to the capital, and the local economic impact of the transition away from coal-fired power in the La Trobe Valley — an issue that resonates with Bendigo voters who are aware of the economic disruption in that region.

Both candidates have sought endorsement from the Bendigo Business Council, which convenes an annual business and industry forum that has become a de facto election debate for local candidates. This year's forum attracted the largest business audience in its history, with 380 attendees — suggesting high levels of community engagement with the contest.

The electorate of Bendigo covers the city of Greater Bendigo and several surrounding townships and has a total enrolment of approximately 94,000 voters.

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