LiverWELL Regional Forum – Bendigo 2026

Rainbow Health, BBVs and Regional Practice

Join LiverWELL and Thorne Harbour Country for a regional forum focused on strengthening workforce practice across viral hepatitis, blood borne viruses (BBVs) and sexual health in Bendigo and surrounding communities.

This forum brings together local health professionals, community organisations, peer workers and people with lived experience to explore how we can improve access, reduce stigma, and strengthen referral pathways in regional settings.

About the Forum

Regional communities face unique challenges when it comes to BBV and sexual health — including access to services, workforce capacity, stigma, and visibility.

This forum takes a practical, place-based approach, recognising that factors such as regionality, sexuality, gender, culture and migration status all shape health outcomes.

The day will focus on:

• Supporting people living with or at risk of viral hepatitis and BBVs
• Strengthening local referral pathways and service navigation
• Improving testing conversations and engagement in care
• Addressing stigma, privacy and assumptions in regional practice
• Exploring what’s working locally — and where systems can improve

Forum Approach

This forum is designed to move beyond traditional “training” models.

We are centring:

• Rainbow health as a core lens across all discussions
• Lived experience as expertise, embedded throughout the program
• Practical, real-world challenges faced by the regional workforce
• Collaboration and shared learning across sectors

The program will include a mix of short presentations, facilitated discussions and interactive sessions.

Speakers and Contributors

We are bringing together speakers and contributors from across government, community health and peer-led organisations, including:

• Department of Health Victoria
• LiverWELL
• Harm Reduction Victoria
• Thorne Harbour Country

Additional speakers, lived-experience contributors and local service representatives will be announced as the program is finalised.

Who Should Attend

This forum is suitable for people working in or connected to:

• Primary and community health
• Viral hepatitis, BBVs and sexual health
• Alcohol and other drug (AOD) services
• LGBTQIA+ and rainbow health
• Multicultural and community services
• Peer and lived-experience roles

Event Details

Date: Wednesday 6 May 2026
Location: Bendigo Regional Tennis Centre
Format: In-person (with interactive components)
Cost: Free

Further details on timing, program and registration will be released shortly.

Get Involved

This forum is being shaped through collaboration and co-design.

We welcome expressions of interest from individuals and organisations who would like to:

• Contribute ideas or perspectives
• Share lived or professional experience
• Participate as a delegate

Enquiries

For more information, please contact:
LiverWELL: jon@liverwell.org.au
Thorne Harbour Country: thcountry@thorneharbour.org