Politics
Victorian Regional AI Adaptation Bill and La Trobe Bendigo Campus Programs
Bendigo students and agriculture workers will see new state-funded retraining options if the bill passes later this year.
How we reported this
The Victorian Regional AI Adaptation Bill sets out new funding streams for retraining programs at regional universities and TAFEs. It directs resources toward areas where graduates and women face higher reported risks of job displacement from automation. The legislation affects current and future students at La Trobe University’s Bendigo campus as well as workers in local health and agriculture sectors.
Why the bill is moving now
State parliament received the bill in late June after the release of national workforce modelling that highlighted regional exposure to AI-driven change. Bendigo sits within the state seats of Bendigo East and Bendigo West, both of which contain La Trobe’s regional campus and Bendigo Health facilities. Policy analysts note the timing aligns with the 2026-27 state budget cycle, which must allocate any new program funding before the end of the financial year.
Local advocates note that the bill’s definition of eligible institutions explicitly includes La Trobe’s Bendigo site and any future partnerships with Bendigo TAFE. The text requires the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions to publish annual uptake figures for each regional campus.
Concrete effects for Bendigo residents
Under the bill, eligible Bendigo residents could access subsidised short courses in data literacy and digital health systems. La Trobe graduates in nursing and agricultural science would receive priority placement in the first two funding rounds. Agriculture water policy remains separate, yet the legislation allows joint projects between the Murray River catchment authority and university researchers if those projects include AI tools for irrigation scheduling.
The 2026-27 budget papers list a statewide allocation of $18.7 million over three years for the programs created by the bill. Regional distribution formulas have not yet been released, but the legislation requires at least 35 per cent of the total to flow to campuses outside Melbourne.
The bill is scheduled for committee hearings in the Legislative Council next month. The government says the first cohort of funded places will open for enrolment in semester one 2027 once the appropriation passes both houses.