Reliable mobile coverage and faster internet services for Gippslanders were key issues discussed during Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester’s visit to Aussie Broadband’s new Traralgon office. Mr Chester met with Aussie Broadband Chief Executive Officer Brian...
About 500 sandwiches have been prepared for local school children after Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester joined Traralgon Rotary Club volunteers and State MPs Marty Cameron and Melina Bath to support Eat Up Australia. “Under the expert guidance of the...
A proposal to provide free healthy meals to secondary and university students in the Latrobe Valley has been raised with Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester as part of efforts to address food insecurity and poor nutrition among local young people. Mr Chester...
This month's interest rate rise will put even more pressure on Gippsland families already struggling with the cost of living. For many households, the first thing they will have done after the decision was sit around the kitchen table and work out what another...
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has welcomed Commonwealth Bank’s decision to keep all 281 of its regional branches open until at least December 2030, while calling for stronger, long-term safeguards for face-to-face banking services in regional Australia....
Twenty-four not-for-profit organisations across Gippsland will share in more than $60,000 in federal funding to support volunteers and strengthen local communities. Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said the funding, delivered through the 2025-26 Volunteer...
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has welcomed students from Mallacoota P-12 College to Parliament House during their recent visit to Canberra. Mr Chester caught up with students including Captains Zoe Jakovljevic and Archie Brownlie (pictured) and spoke...
The State Government has been repeatedly warned about its failure to undertake fuel reduction burns, and I share the concerns of local residents following the Seacombe fire. Loch Sport relies on a single road in and out, and this latest fire again demonstrated how...
Labor has made a complete mess of the Working Holiday Maker visa, following revelations that the National Farmers' Federation (NFF) will be forced to submit applications to fast-track backpackers during critical planting and harvesting seasons. Shadow Minister for...
Heyfield’s only childcare service faces closure after losing access to federal support it has relied on since 2017, leaving more than 30 local families and five educators with an uncertain future. Kids House, which is operated by the Heyfield Community Resource...
Gippsland community organisations can apply for grants of up to $20,000 to help deliver local infrastructure projects under Round 10 of the #lovegippsland Stronger Communities Programme (SCP). Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has called for expressions of...
Cycling Without Age Gippsland is back on the road after its winter break, with a busy first week of rides at Lake Guthridge in Sale. The volunteer-run charity welcomed passengers from Central Gippsland Health before hosting 16 visitors from the Australian Floral Art...
Australian farmers and regional employers are warning they could be left without the workers they need for the peak summer harvest and tourism season unless the Federal Government urgently fixes delays in skilled worker and working holiday visa processing. Shadow...
Metung mother Lily Martyn has turned her personal fight for better support for her son George into a new community foundation helping neurodivergent children, young people and families across Gippsland. Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester met with Ms Martyn,...
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has released his 2026 Age Pension Guide to help older Gippslanders, pensioners, carers and their families better understand the support available to them. Mr Chester said the guide provides practical information for older...
‘High Country Hooch Distilling’ owners Paul and Leanne Poulter pictured with Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester after winning the best new business category at the Gippsland Business Awards. “Small business owners are the engine room of the Gippsland economy...
Cann River has welcomed the official opening of Fern & Feather Café, a new community-owned training café designed to create local employment pathways and support community programs. Located at the Cann River Community Centre, the cafe has been established to...
Australian families have been warned to expect higher prices for fresh produce under the Albanese Government’s ‘go slow’ on visas for skilled workers and working holiday makers. Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Darren Chester says he has been...
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has accused the Victorian Labor Government of "monumental incompetence" as the long-awaited Mallacoota-Genoa Road upgrade remains stalled. Speaking in Federal Parliament, Mr Chester criticised the lack of progress on the...
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has praised Year 5 and 6 students at St Mary’s Primary School in Maffra for their impressive understanding of Australian democracy and government. Mr Chester visited the school to speak with students about civics, the role...