Bendigo (VIC)
Bendigo is a federal electoral division in VIC covering 6,177.5 km², currently held by Lisa Chesters (ALP). It is the 41st largest of 150 divisions by area and the 22nd least populous of 149 divisions by population. Australian Government grant awards placed here total $14.0m across 69 awards in the 4 months to 6 Nov 2026 (collection began 1 Jul 2026).
See the Bendigo boundary summary for the state and council areas and suburbs it covers.
Statistics
| Area | 6,177.5 km² |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 152,555 |
| Population density | 24.7/km² |
| Median age | 42 |
| Median personal income | $732/week |
| Median household income | $1,433/week |
| Median family income | $1,860/week |
| Median rent | $300/week |
| Median mortgage repayment | $1,452/month |
| Average household size | 2.4 |
| Average persons per bedroom | 0.7 |
How Bendigo compares
Ranked against the other federal divisions with data for the same measure; "median" is the median across those divisions' values.
- Area: 6,177.5 km², the 41st largest of 150 divisions with data; 19.9 times the median of 310.8 km².
- Population (2021 Census): 152,555, the 22nd least populous of 149 divisions with data; 9% below the median of 168,080.
- Population density: 24.7/km², the 38th least densely populated of 149 divisions with data; 5% of the median of 522.5/km².
- Median personal income: $732/week, the 44th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 6% below the median of $778/week.
- Median rent: $300/week, the 30th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 20% below the median of $375/week.
See all rankings (largest, most populous, highest income …) →
Election (2025)
| Enrolment | 120,088 |
|---|---|
| Turnout | 93.97% (+2.52 swing) |
| Informal vote | 5.52% (+1.74 swing) |
| Result (two-candidate-preferred) | Lisa Chesters (ALP) 51.4% (margin 1.4pts) (+51.4 swing) |
| National benchmark (notional Labor v Coalition) | Australian Labor Party 51.4% (margin 1.4pts) (+51.4 swing) |
First preferences, every candidate (★ = elected):
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lisa Chesters ★ | Australian Labor Party | 35,771 | 33.55% | -8.56pts |
| Andrew Lethlean | The Nationals | 31,707 | 29.74% | +28.84pts |
| Avery Barnett-Dacey | The Greens | 12,079 | 11.33% | -2.42pts |
| Matt Evans | Liberal | 11,176 | 10.48% | -15.9pts |
| Heather Freeman | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 5,262 | 4.94% | -0.61pts |
| Wayne Taylor | Legalise Cannabis Party | 3,666 | 3.44% | +3.44pts |
| Evelyn Keetelaar | Family First | 3,153 | 2.96% | +2.96pts |
| Rohan Tyler | Victorian Socialists | 1,708 | 1.6% | +1.6pts |
| David Vincent | Independent | 1,121 | 1.05% | +1.05pts |
| Matt Bansemer | Libertarian | 974 | 0.91% | +0.91pts |
Grants received
Grant awards published on GrantConnect, 1 Jul 2026 to 6 Nov 2026 (Political Gadgets' collection began with July 2026 publications). Source: GrantConnect, via Political Gadgets' grants page for Bendigo.
| Total value | $14,013,387 (69 awards) |
|---|---|
| Delivered in the electorate | $7,894,878 (37 awards) |
| Recipient based here (delivery location not given) | $6,118,510 (32 awards) |
Each award is placed by its delivery postcode, or by the recipient's registered postcode when no delivery postcode is given. Many of the second kind are local organisations whose delivery location simply wasn't recorded, but they also include national organisations headquartered here, which is why city-centre seats can show large totals for money that is actually spent elsewhere.
Top recipients
| Recipient | Awards | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Bendigo City Council | 3 | $6,915,000 |
| Victorian YMCA Community Programming Pty Ltd | 8 | $2,013,000 |
| Australian Fodder Industry Association Limited | 1 | $1,859,000 |
| Macedon Ranges Shire Council | 2 | $1,284,855 |
| Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation | 1 | $630,022 |
Largest awards
| Award | Recipient | Program | Placed by | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA575764 | Greater Bendigo City Council | Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program | Delivered here | $3,000,000 |
| GA575256 | Greater Bendigo City Council | Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program | Delivered here | $2,915,000 |
| GA578028 | Australian Fodder Industry Association Limited | Future Drought Fund Drought Resilience Innovation Challenges Pilot | Recipient based here | $1,859,000 |
| GA575766 | Greater Bendigo City Council | Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program | Delivered here | $1,000,000 |
| GA589694 | Macedon Ranges Shire Council | Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program | Delivered here | $750,000 |
See every grant award in Bendigo →
Member
| Member | Lisa Chesters (ALP) |
|---|---|
| Positions held | — |
Voting attendance
78.2% (1,966 of 2,515 possible votes). Source: Australian Parliament division records.
Expenses claimed, 2025Q03 to 2026Q02
Total: $495,371 over 4 quarters. Source: IPEA, via Political Gadgets' expenses section.
| Employee Travel | $53,203 |
|---|---|
| International Travel | $0 |
| Office Facilities | $123,676 |
| Office Administration | $225,245 |
| Other Car Costs | $34,643 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $25,743 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $1,269 |
| Travel Allowance | $20,732 |
| Telecommunications | $2,998 |
Clusters
| Position tier | Backbencher (84 electorates) |
|---|---|
| Area band | 1,000–10,000 km² (32 electorates) |
| State | VIC (38 electorates) |
| Urban/rural | Rural/Regional (51 electorates) |
Previous / next in Victoria (alphabetical): ← Ballarat · Bruce →
Other electorates in Victoria
Aston · Ballarat · Bruce · Calwell · Casey · Chisholm · Cooper · Corangamite · Corio · Deakin · Dunkley · Flinders · Fraser · Gellibrand · Gippsland · Goldstein · Gorton · Hawke · Holt · Hotham · Indi · Isaacs · Jagajaga · Kooyong · La Trobe · Lalor · Macnamara · Mallee · Maribyrnong · McEwen · Melbourne · Menzies · Monash · Nicholls · Scullin · Wannon · Wills
AEC profile · They Vote For You · Lisa Chesters on Political Gadgets
← Back to the full comparison table
Geometry: AEC federal electoral boundaries (2025). Demographics: ABS Data API (Census 2021, CED 2021 boundaries). Election results: AEC 2025 tally room. Expenses: IPEA via indexpenses. Grants: GrantConnect via grants. Attendance & positions: Political Gadgets' own Australian Parliament division-record data. See the popup for licensing and caveats.