Saturday 22 November 2025

Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster has described Monday night’s imminent return of WIN television news bulletins for Sunraysia as a triumph for advocacy and persistence.

Dr Webster recently visited the WIN newsroom and news team led by newsreader Bruce Roberts to join the excitement about the bulletin resuming this Monday at 5:30pm – 6pm.

“I am so grateful that WIN have made the courageous call in a tough media market to resume a TV bulletin from 5:30pm weekdays for Sunraysia residents,” Dr Webster said.

“I’ve spoken countless times with WIN management about bringing local news back to Sunraysia because we feel invisible to ourselves, let alone the nation. We do not have a single TV news journalist or service within Mallee, that’s over one-third of Victoria’s land mass.

“It is incredibly important that local stories are told locally. I remember when WIN were local and live and the stories that we could see and engage in and be part of because those stories were being told here.”

“I wrote passionately in August about how vital it is that Sunraysia residents are seen and heard in Melbourne and beyond, that we see ourselves, our own local stories on our television screens.  I felt this acutely with our unique and distressing cross-border issues during the pandemic and during the last Murray River floods.

“Sunraysia is an economic powerhouse and WIN’s resumption of local news bulletins is overdue recognition for the Sunraysia region and is a shot in the arm for Australian regional broadcasting.  

“As Australia’s first Shadow Minister for Regional Communications I am thrilled to see the Coalition’s focus and advocacy for regional people is already delivering results.”

WIN’s first Sunraysia news service at 5:30pm Monday coincides with a service also resuming on the same night in the NSW Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (based in Griffith) and WIN increasing local news content across the border in SA’s Riverland and Mount Gambier, plus more news content in Western Australia.

“I have consistently said Mildura is a regional capital for our tri-state region and it is thrilling to see WIN making a concerted effort to deliver in our unjustly neglected part of inland regional Australia,” Dr Webster said.

“I encourage Sunraysia residents to tune in to the bulletin and please send your local news tips in to WIN – and please keep me in the loop as well!”

Dr Webster said additional reporting and competition in the area would only strengthen coverage and quality journalism in Sunraysia.

In June-July then newly appointed Shadow Minister for Regional Communications, Dr Webster, worked with Shadow Communications Minister Melissa McIntosh to encourage WIN to keep Seven on the air in the region.

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Pictured: Dr Webster (right) with WIN newsreader Bruce Roberts (left)

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