Jacinta is currently the Minister for Transport Infrastructure in the Andrews Labor Government. Jacinta is also the Leader of the House in the Victorian Parliament.

Jacinta was elected to Parliament in 1999, as Member for Bendigo East, and is proud to be representing the Bendigo region in the Victorian parliament. She is the longest serving Victorian female Minister in the State’s history and Victoria’s equal longest serving Labor Minister.

Throughout her career she has advocated strongly for Government investment that delivers for all Victorians, by creating jobs and delivering better health, education and transport services for communities. Jacinta has held a number of Ministerial portfolios throughout her career including Public Transport, Major Projects and Regional and Rural Development and Industry and Trade. She has also been the Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation, the Minister for Skills, Education Services and Employment, the Minister for Women’s Affairs, the Minister for Education Services and Minister for Employment and Youth Affairs.

Jacinta was born and grew up in Bendigo and studied at St Joseph’s Primary School in Quarry Hill then Catholic College Bendigo, before completing her BA (Hons) at La Trobe University in Bendigo.

Jacinta is married and has two young children who attend the local Primary School.

Over the last 20 years, as member for Bendigo East, Jacinta has overseen many changes and tremendous growth in Bendigo.

Some of these achievements include, the new Bendigo Hospital, the Calder Highway upgrade, the upgrade of Napier Street in White Hills, and a massive investment in education across the Bendigo region including four new 7-10 year Secondary Colleges, the modernisation of Kalianna School, the upgrade of Spring Gully Primary School and the new Epsom Primary School.

Other major local projects include new police station for Bendigo, Goornong, Raywood and Elmore, five new Ambulance stations across Bendigo, the new Joan Pinder and Stella Anderson residential aged care facilities, the major upgrade of the Bendigo Stadium, the new Ulumbarra Theatre, and a new Bendigo Tech School.

As Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta is overseeing the delivery of the largest investment in transport projects in Victoria’s history including the removal of 75 of Melbourne’s most dangerous and congested level crossings, the construction of the Metro Tunnel, the Suburban Rail Loop, Airport Rail Link and the $1.6 billion Regional Rail Revival package, which will make improvements to every passenger line on the regional network.

Jacinta is responsible for the delivery of Victoria’s major road projects including the West Gate Tunnel, North East Link and upgrades to key suburban and regional road networks.

Ms Hilma Hallam