ALP 12.2%
Incumbent MP
Maree Edwards, since 2010.
Geography
North-western Victoria. Bendigo West covers the western and southern suburbs of Bendigo, as well as areas to the south of Bendigo, including Castlemaine, Maldon and Newstead. Bendigo West covers parts of the City of Greater Bendigo, and a majority of Mount Alexander Shire.
History
Bendigo West previously existed as a state electorate from 1904 to 1927. It was restored in 1985, and in that time has been won by the ALP at all but one election.
The restored seat was won in 1985 by the ALP’s David Kennedy. He had previously won the federal seat of Bendigo at a 1969 by-election and was the only federal Labor MP to lose their seat at the 1972 election. He later won the state seat of Bendigo in 1982 and moved to the new seat of Bendigo West in 1985.
Kennedy was defeated in 1992 by the Liberal Party’s Max Turner. Turner held the seat for one term before losing to the ALP’s Bob Cameron in 1996.
Cameron has won re-election in 1999, 2002 and 2006, and served as a minister in the Labor state government from 1999 until 2010.
Cameron retired in 2010, and Labor candidate Maree Edwards was re-elected in Bendigo West. Edwards was re-elected in 2014.
Candidates
- Marilyn Nuske (Animal Justice)
- Kevin Finn (Liberal)
- Maree Edwards (Labor)
- Laurie Whelan (Greens)
Assessment
Bendigo West is a safe Labor seat.
2014 result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| Maree Edwards | Labor | 18,247 | 47.9 | +8.2 |
| Michael Langdon | Liberal | 12,328 | 32.3 | +12.4 |
| John Brownstein | Greens | 4,482 | 11.8 | +1.0 |
| Amanda Moskalewicz | Family First | 1,311 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
| Elise Chapman | Country Alliance | 1,071 | 2.8 | -0.8 |
| Sandra Caddy | Rise Up Australia | 692 | 1.8 | +1.8 |
| Informal | 1,753 | 4.4 |
2014 two-party-preferred result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| Maree Edwards | Labor | 23,702 | 62.2 | +4.0 |
| Michael Langdon | Liberal | 14,419 | 37.8 | -4.0 |
Booth breakdown
Booths in Bendigo West have been divided into three parts. Those polling places in Mount Alexander Shire, including a number of polling places in Castlemaine, have been grouped together as Mount Alexander.
Polling places in the City of Greater Bendigo have been split into three parts: Central, South and West. Those polling places in the Bendigo urban area have been grouped as “Bendigo Central”. While there are a large number of polling places in Bendigo Central, they are all relatively small polling places.
Labor won a majority of the two-party-preferred vote in all four areas, ranging from 51.6% in the west of Bendigo, to 68.4% in Mount Alexander.
The Greens primary vote ranged from 6% in the west of Bendigo to 21.2% in Mount Alexander.
| Voter group | GRN prim % | ALP 2PP % | Total votes | % of votes |
| Mount Alexander | 21.2 | 68.4 | 8,475 | 22.2 |
| Bendigo South | 6.3 | 60.3 | 6,719 | 17.6 |
| Bendigo Central | 10.4 | 66.2 | 5,486 | 14.4 |
| Bendigo West | 6.0 | 51.6 | 3,150 | 8.3 |
| Other votes | 12.4 | 63.2 | 4,969 | 13.0 |
| Pre-poll | 9.5 | 58.6 | 9,332 | 24.5 |
Election results in Bendigo West at the 2014 Victorian state election
Toggle between two-party-preferred votes and Greens primary votes.
Margin was only 3% vs a strong National candidate after 2010 – so while Labor should hold unless they go down big time, this isn’t as safe as it looks.
AK, it’s pretty safe.
Bendigo West contains most of the poorer public housing parts of Bendigo itself around Eaglehawk and Long Gully. That may change in the longer term as a more commuter-based demographic moves into Bendigo, but it’s pretty rock-solid Labor for now. Also, there’s a growing New Age, tree-changer demographic around Castlemaine and Mount Alexander Shire (hence the 20-30% Green booths there). So while it contains a large “rural” area, the demographic is not conservative at all. I guess an equivalent might be the Upper Blue Mountains or the northern NSW coastal towns: rural but left-wing.
2010 was possibly a bit of a freak result with the loss of Cameron’s personal vote, a swing against Labor generally, and a strong Nationals candidate. All things being equal, this is a safe Labor seat.
If the Castlemaine end of Bendigo West and the outer end of Macedon were joined in one seat, the Greens would be serious contenders for a rural/ regional seat.
Can we stop with his nationals hype around Bendigo?
Seriously, It’s not happening
Kevin Finn has finally been preselected for the Liberals in Bendigo West. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a swing to Labor here.
This is my electorate. It’s safe for Maree Edwards. She’s well known and well liked by most. There has been some trouble with the trains to Melbourne recently that may impact on Labor’s vote here (and in Bendigo East and Macedon) but doubt it will place this seat in danger.
My prediction: Labor hold, the Nationals would have to be doing really well and have a strong candidate to pose a threat here.