Politics
Victorian Community Services Referendum Guide: Projected Effects on Bendigo Health and Regional Support Services
Bendigo residents will decide on state funding allocations for community services that directly support local health clinics, family assistance programs and disability support centres.
How we reported this
The Victorian Community Services Referendum, scheduled for 14 November 2026, asks voters to approve changes to funding formulas for social programs across regional Victoria. The measure would shift $420 million from consolidated revenue into dedicated community services accounts, with allocations determined by population and service demand data from the 2021 census.
Policy analysts note that the referendum follows the release of the 2026 Victorian Budget papers, which identified shortfalls in regional service delivery after federal grants for aged care and mental health were reduced. Bendigo sits in the La Trobe federal electorate and hosts the regional campus of La Trobe University, where social work training programs rely on placements funded through state community grants.
Service delivery changes for Bendigo residents
Under the proposed formula, Bendigo Health would receive an additional $18.4 million over four years for outpatient mental health teams and home support for older residents. Local advocates note that this could expand the number of daily appointments at the Bendigo Community Health Centre from 340 to 410. Family violence support services operated by the Bendigo and District Aboriginal Cooperative would also gain access to a new $6.2 million annual pool for case management staff.
The Productivity Commission has found that similar targeted funding in other states increased service uptake by 12 per cent in regional centres with populations above 80,000. In Bendigo, this would affect the 23,500 residents currently registered with the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the 4,800 households receiving Commonwealth Rent Assistance who also access state-funded emergency relief.
Next steps for voters and councils
The Greater Bendigo City Council will mail referendum guides to all enrolled voters by 1 August. The guides contain the exact wording of the ballot question and the projected distribution of funds by local government area. Voters who wish to examine the underlying modelling can request the full dataset from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing before the close of the information period on 30 September.