Members of the housing and homelessness sector will join Federal Member for Bendigo, Lisa Chesters today for a crisis roundtable to discuss the housing issues and challenges facing the region.

From tomorrow, some of the Federal Government’s cost of living relief supports for families take effect. This includes a cheaper childcare package, changes to paid parental leave, and an increase in wages for aged care workers.

The Albanese Government is set to deliver more affordable early childhood education for around 1.2 million Australian families, including an estimated 5,000 families in the Bendigo electorate.

Federal Member for Bendigo, Lisa Chesters MP said today that Federal Government increases to the bulk billing incentives will allow more local people to access GP consultation without having to pay a gap fee.

Earlier today the Minister for Defence Industry, Hon. Pat Conroy MP was in Bendigo this to announce a new Government contact for Thales Australia. manufacturing facility in Bendigo.

The Albanese Government has secured local jobs in Bendigo with a $160 million contract to manufacture additional Bushmaster vehicles for the Australian Defence Force.

In less than a year, the Australian Government has taken major steps to significantly enhance the country’s natural hazard preparedness, response and recovery capability.

Building on the establishment of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in September 2022 and the up to $1 billion Disaster Ready Fund from July 2023, the Australian Government has announced initiatives in the 2023-24 Federal Budget that will ensure a cohesive approach to natural hazard preparedness, emergency response, and recovery.

Last night’s Budget focuses on easing cost-of-living pressures and lays the foundation for a stronger economy and a fairer society. It’s a Budget that delivers for local people.

A centrepiece of the Budget is a $14.6 billion cost-of-living package to help Australians doing it tough.

Grant guidelines have now been released for the first round of the Australian Government’s new $600 million Growing Regions Program, with expressions of interest to open on July 5 this year.

The October 2022-23 Budget established new grants programs to replace the discredited programs run by the Liberals and Nationals.

The Labor Government is delivering on our election commitment to provide an extra $250 million dollars for road projects in rural, regional and outer-urban areas under Phase 4 of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.

Federal Member for Bendigo, Lisa Chesters MP welcomes changes which will allow some patients requiring routine medication to buy two months’ worth of medicine for the price of a single prescription.

The Labor Government has announced changes to pharmacy dispensing that will ease cost of living pressures and make hundreds of common medicines cheaper.