Jennifer Alden has lived in the Northern Victoria Region since the early 80s, when she and her husband moved to Bendigo to raise their two daughters. “It took some years for me to find a political vehicle that best matched my ideological beliefs. That vehicle appeared for me in 1995 as the Greens.”

As one of the founders of the Bendigo Greens, Jennifer has been actively involved in every election campaign at local government, state and federal levels in the Bendigo region over those ten years. Jennifer’s particular areas of strength are those concerning community health and wellbeing, science and technology, the land, the environment and women’s issues.

With a background in research microbiology she switched to studying natural therapies and practiced as a Naturopathic Health Consultant for 25 years. With a Masters degree in Women’s Health from the University of Melbourne Jennifer is the author of the book ‘Liberated Eating. The Serotonin Programme for Depressed Dieters’. Currently employed as Executive Officer of Women’s Health Loddon Mallee, she has a good understanding of the public health system and of policy. She is also well acquainted with the politics of the complementary medicine system.

Active in community issues over the years, Jennifer participates in other boards of management at a community level; namely the Bendigo Uniting Care Outreach service, the Gorgeous Voices National Women’s Choir festival and is on the Bendigo National Park Advisory group.

Jennifer Alden is concerned about the decimation of small towns and rural communities. “I will work hard to be an effective voice for the community in Northern Victoria, putting forward new solutions to issues of rural and regional disadvantage. This includes making the link between climate change, water issues and the consequent effect on the health and well-being of the community, particularly on mental health.”

Jennifer Alden is the Victorian Greens' spokesperson for Women, Agriculture and Regional Planning.

To contact Jennifer Alden, please send an e-mail to jenniferalden@vic.greens.org.au or call 0427 430 233.

The Northern Victoria Region covers an area from the Murray River in the north to St Arnaud, Gisbourne, Wallan and Kinglake in the south, and from border with South Australia in the west to the New South Wales in the east.

For more information on the new electoral system for the Upper House, visit the Victorian Electoral Commission's website: http://www.vec.vic.gov.au

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