Twelve months after Australia's rural health sector handed the Australian government a blueprint to embed Rural Generalist Medicine (RGM) into Medicare, rural doctors are still waiting for action. Despite providing advanced and specialist-level care to rural and remote communities, rural generalists remain unable to access many Medicare items that recognise the additional skills and services they deliver, leaving them restricted to standard GP consultation items.

Towong Council mayor, Cr Peter Tolsher, has cited ramping at the Albury hospital as a major factor in unacceptable ambulance wait times in the municipality. "It was disappointing - but certainly not surprising - to read the latest performance data released by Ambulance Victoria that shows Towong Shire remains at the bottom of the list for ambulance wait times in Victoria," Cr Tolsher said.

Warning that repeated communications failures in regional areas are putting lives at risk, Member for Indi, Helen Haines, on Monday introduced legislation to improve the resilience of Australia's telecommunications networks during natural disasters. Dr Haines said North-East Victoria has endured successive catastrophic events in recent years including the Black Summer bushfires, major flooding in 2022 and 2023 and the January 2026 bushfires that devastated parts of Indi.

The Federal Budget on Tuesday night delivered on some of her key priorities but still falls short on addressing the basic needs and long-term prosperity of regional Australia, says the Federal Member for Indi, Helen Haines ... When outlining her priorities with the Treasurer ahead of the budget, Dr Haines had urged the government to deliver meaningful tax reforms, which she welcomed.