Perhaps it stems from the fact that we are in such a safe federal and national seat that people here are used to having their needs and funding priorities glossed over.

Maybe it’s because our residents feel a disconnect with those in Canberra and Melbourne who make decisions on our behalf and govern the way we live.

It might be that people also feel such visits are often tokenistic, not designed for ministers to announce anything tangible that will benefit us, but a chance to say they’ve at least set foot on our doorstep and know how to pronounce the names of our towns.

From all reports, those who met Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt on Wednesday felt he genuinely cared about the region, and understood our needs and the struggles we have faced in recent times, particularly with attracting and retaining health workers.

While Mr Hunt’s visit was not long, he seemed to pack a lot in.

He met various health representatives and also chaired a health forum at Horsham Golf Club on Wednesday night.

His visit came on the back of advocacy from Member for Mallee Andrew Broad, who wanted Mr Hunt to hear first-hand what our health services and our residents are facing: a lack of doctors; difficulty retaining the ones we have; and an uphill battle in attracting them in the first place.

The most immediate outcome from Mr Hunt’s visit will be to look at whether the region could be classified as a District of Workforce Shortage, which would help us achieve adequate medical services.

Mr Hunt also announced a rural health package was his top priority for the 2018-19 Federal Budget.

So far we know this will include requirements for specialists to train in regional areas, and include an assessment of Medicare provider numbers for health professionals.

There will also be a focus on other measures to attract doctors to rural and regional areas, and keep them there in a permanent capacity, rather than as locums.

We are not singing the government’s praises just yet – we need to know the full details of this package and how it will be enacted for our region.

But its existence certainly gives some hope to our health services and residents that their voices and concerns are being heard and – above all – that we matter.