Liberal member of Victoria’s Legislative Council, the Hon Wendy Lovell, announced on Monday 5 January her decision to not contest the seat of Northern Victoria Region in the November State Election.

The Northern Victoria Region is one of eight electoral regions in Victoria. It stretches across the state and includes Bendigo, Castlemaine and surrounds, such as Maldon and Newstead. The region is currently represented in the Legislative Council – the Upper House of Parliament – by Ms Lovell as well as Jaclyn Symes (Australian Labor Party), Gaelle Broad (The Nationals), Georgie Purcell (Animal Justice Party) and Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell (Pauline Hanson’s One Nation).

In a statement, Ms Lovell said: “It has been a great privilege for me to represent the people of Northern Victoria Region and before that, North Eastern Province, in the Victorian Parliament. Shepparton has been my home for my entire adult life and the opportunity to represent the region I care so deeply about has been the great honour of my life. I thank the people of Northern Victoria Region and North Eastern Province for electing me six times.”

Ms Lovell served as a Cabinet Minister in the Baillieu and Napthine Governments and was Deputy Leader of the Government and Opposition (Council) for seven years, amongst other positions in her 24 years of service. In announcing her decision not to run in the election, she thanked members of the Liberal Party, its volunteers, her family and electorate staff and wished her colleagues success at the upcoming election.

This article appeared in Tarrangower Times, 9 January 2026.
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