Deputy mayor Matt Evans endorsed as next Liberal candidate for Bendigo

Liberal senator for Victoria Sarah Henderson was in Bendigo on Sunday to make the announcement, which she described as "a massive win for us locally".

The next federal election is due sometime between August 2024 and May 2025.

"This is a great opportunity ... for change," Ms Henderson said.

"And it's absolutely wonderful that Matt will have all of the time, right up until the next federal election, whenever it may be, to get out and fight for every part of this community."

Mr Evans had "a very strong track record of fighting for the City of Bendigo," she said, including helping secure around $10 million from the former Coalition government for the upgrade of Bendigo airport - a project she had worked with him on.

He had also been a "strong voice" on the impacts of the cancellation of the Commonwealth Games.

Mr Evans, who said he had always wanted to make a difference in the community, described himself as "excited, humbled and honoured" to be endorsed as the Liberal candidate.

Labor was failing to address the cost of living crisis and failing to invest, he said, emphasising the extensive consultation he planned to do in the leadup to the election.

"Our best days in Bendigo and the Bendigo electorate - right across our communities - are ahead but we need local change to achieve that," he said.

The new candidate was going to be "working each and every day to get to all parts of our electorate," he said.

"We're going to understand what their local issues are and we're going to ... be fighting for them in Canberra".

Ms Henderson acknowledged the opposition faced a hard road in attempting to win government.

Labor MP Lisa Chesters has held the seat of Bendigo since 2013, and in 2022 recorded a swing of 3.3 per cent towards her.

After preferences Ms Chesters received 62.1 per cent of the vote in 2022 compared to then candidate Darren Schade's 37.9 per cent.

"We don't underestimate the challenge but we are absolutely determined to take it up to the Labor government, which is doing a shocking job," Ms Henderson said.

"It starts by endorsing really strong local candidates who are embedded in their community. We have a first class candidate in Matt Evans."

Mr Evans will continue to serve in his role as deputy mayor and Eppalock ward councillor.

"I look forward to continuing to work hard as a councillor and will stand down as required once the election is called," Mr Evans told the Advertiser.

Coincidentally his Eppalock ward colleague Margaret O'Rourke was last week named the new head of La Trobe University's Bendigo campus.

Ms Henderson accused the Labor government of "turn[ing] its back on regional Victoria" and said it was disappointing that Ms Chesters had failed to deliver a major infrastructure project for Bendigo.