Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards has announced $600,000 for Stage 2 capital upgrades at Regional Community Vet Clinic, thanks to the 2026/2027 Victorian Budget.

“RCVC continues to go from strength to strength, and I’ve been very proud to advocate for this funding to ensure the volunteer team can continue providing for animals and their owners.” Said Ms Edwards

“Congratulations to RCVC, and I look forward to seeing Stage 2 works get underway.”

Funding will be used by the not-for-profit clinic to transform under-utilised parts of their current Castlemaine building to include dedicated dog and cat wards, an x-ray room, sterile operating theatre, second consulting room, prep room, staff room and office space.

The funding will allow RCVC to grow beyond their current one-day-per-week preventative care model, with the hope of offering expanded veterinary services across multiple days with multiple vets.

RCVC offers a range of affordable veterinary care services including desexing, vaccinations, health checks, dental care and minor lump removals, which provides much-needed support to pet owners doing it tough amid cost-of-living pressures.

In addition to the physical clinic, RCVC provides pop-up clinics across the region, and recently received $150,000 from the Allan Labor Government’s Animal Welfare Fund to establish a mobile pet food pantry and health check van and to purchase a dental x-ray
machine, enclosures and an operating light.

RCVC has provided more than 1,200 volunteer hours in community outreach to date to assist owners in keeping their pets safely and happily at home for longer