Portfolio — 29 August 2026

The dominant discourse arc for Mildura in this window is family violence reform, with the Member for Mildura, Ms Jade Benham, delivering what other Assembly members recognised as among the most significant contributions to the passage of the Justice Legislation Amendment (Family Violence, Coercive Control, Good Character, Risk Assessment and Other Matters) Bill 2026 [TA-260826-vichns-9f81c0b98fb9:s077].

Ms Benham drew on her direct experience as a victim-survivor to advance the legislation, and members across the chamber — including the Member for Lowan, Ms Emma Kealy, and government member Ms Chris Couzens — offered cross-party acknowledgment that her willingness to share lived experience elevated victim-survivors' voices and contributed materially to the bill reaching passage [TA-260826-vichns-9f81c0b98fb9:s077 TA-260826-vichns-9f81c0b98fb9:s083].

The bill criminalises coercive control, gaslighting and financial control, and implements laws that Victoria Police have advocated for following the Royal Commission into Family Violence [TA-260826-vichns-9f81c0b98fb9:s082].

Ms Benham's own Assembly contributions in the window extended this theme in two notable directions. She called on the AFL to adopt a blanket policy barring registration of any footballer convicted of a domestic violence offence across all competitions, arguing the code has the power to enforce this at no cost and should act on its stated commitment to preventing domestic violence [TA-260826-vichns-9f81c0b98fb9:s082].

She also acknowledged that coercive control affects men, citing conversations with male victims reluctant to come forward, and framed the legislation as the beginning rather than the end of necessary reform. The convergence of her own-voice contributions with the cross-party recognition in the chamber reflects a coherent and reinforcing pattern: Mildura's Member has become a substantive voice in the Assembly on family violence policy, grounded in personal testimony.

On property market reform, Ms Benham confirmed the Coalition would not oppose house amendments but placed on record her disagreement with provisions requiring reserve rate publishing. She argued this would push the market toward expression-of-interest sales, stripping homebuyers of the competitive visibility and transparency that physical auctions provide [TA-260826-vichns-9f81c0b98fb9:s069].

The Minister for Local Government, Consumer Affairs and Renters, Mr Tim Richardson, contended in the same debate that the government's rental protections had struck the correct balance, rejecting Opposition characterisations that reforms had gone too far [TA-260826-vichns-9f81c0b98fb9:s062].

Third-party references placed Mildura within broader regional contestation. The Opposition argued the government was imposing a hidden tax on regional rail users — naming Mildura residents explicitly alongside those of Warrnambool and Shepparton — through fare increases and service cuts tied to Suburban Rail Loop funding, from which regional communities derive no benefit [TA-260827-vichns-1d37da03d766:s015].

Government members countered with budget figures for rural Victoria: $84 million for agriculture, $146 million in drought support, $62 million following the January bushfires, and $16.9 million in biosecurity and animal welfare [TA-260812-vichns-cb8fabc78988:s003]. Opposition members, including Mr Tim Bull, criticised management of roadside pest control, fuel reduction burning and road maintenance, arguing insufficient burning has left regional communities vulnerable to megafires.

Ms Benham also used Assembly time to recognise community achievement: she mourned Domenico 'Don' Carrazza, whose stewardship of the Mildura Grand Hotel shaped the region's tourism and business landscape over decades [TA-260813-vichns-ff06af361824:s013], and paid tribute to Gwen 'Granny Bird' Malcolm of Hopetoun, a Nationals life member and long-serving CWA stalwart.

She congratulated the King Construction Mildura Heat on winning the Big V division 2 basketball championship by one point, and recognised 13-year-old Blake Schlein from Mildura on winning the SGP4 world motorsport championship in Sweden — using his achievement to call for education and infrastructure funding to support regional talent development [TA-260827-vichns-1d37da03d766:s012].