Why Regional Doctors in Ballarat and Bendigo Are Striking for the First Time in 20 Years

For the first time in two decades, hundreds of doctors at Ballarat Base Hospital and Bendigo Health walked off the job, staging a four‑hour stop‑work to protest their working conditions.

The doctors said they were exhausted, suffering from burnout and low morale after long shifts with no protected breaks, and that the overall environment had become stressful.

The Australian Medical Association Victoria (AMAV) said that after a year of talks with the state government, doctors still have not received an offer on industrial relations or an enterprise bargaining agreement.

AMAV president Simon Judkins added that Victoria has had three health ministers in the past 12 months, yet no offer has been made.

The four‑hour strike is part of a growing series of actions, even though a major redevelopment of Ballarat Base Hospital – including a new emergency department and extra beds – is not expected until late 2027, meaning doctors are demanding change now.

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