Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Royal Flying Doctor Service

Jade BENHAM (Mildura) (10:44): While the Treasurer waxed lyrical about a so-called responsible budget and asked questions about what your favourite tax is, the people of Mildura have once again been left picking up the crumbs. There is no clarity yet on a long-promised Mildura-based public hospital master plan, although a render has magically appeared online. There is no investment in that hospital that the government has been so happy to claim back but refuses to invest in and less money for our roads. Mildura deserves to be more than an afterthought.

But while this government has been sitting on its hands, the Mallee gets on with it. On Friday night the community came together in force for the inaugural Royal Flying Doctor Service Mallee ball. It was a spectacular evening supporting a service that delivers where the government too often falls short. The RFDS continues to be a lifeline for people across our region, providing essential health care, repatriation flights, primary care, GP clinics and community transport from Robinvale to Mildura and expanding.

I want to sincerely thank Dr Michael Ben-Meir and the entire team at RFDS Victoria, along with all the volunteers and sponsors who made the ball a success, including Rocky Giofrelle and Nathan Falvo, who have done an outstanding job and without whom this would never have happened. $285,000 was raised through incredible support from our local food producers, agribusinesses and passionate locals. It is a powerful reminder that when government investment is lacking our community still shows up.