The 31 year-old Baranduda resident on Wednesday announced her bid for the seat in November's Victorian election after challenging incumbent Liberal MP Bill Tilley in 2018 and notching 47.55 per cent of the vote after preferences were distributed.

Ms Hawkins said a new hospital was a key priority and she welcomed the Victorian Opposition's pledge of $300 million towards the project and wanted to see what the Labor government would do in response.

"We're now a marginal and competitive seat, that's why we're seeing these commitments, but our community shouldn't have to wait four years in the lead-up to a state election to get these kind of commitments," she said.

"Our community certainly deserves better and regardless of who forms government in November if I'm elected to Benambra I'll work with all levels of government and Albury Wodonga Health and I'll make sure and will stay the course so our community gets the hospital that it deserves."

Asked how she would convince the state Labor Party to commit to the project, Ms Hawkins replied: "I think they can work better with Independents.

"We've been able to see Suzanna Sheed in Shepparton, Ali Cupper in Mildura who have been able to work across party lines and build consensus to be able to deliver."

Ms Hawkins, who worked for Ms Cupper upon her election in 2018, noted Mildura's hospital had been returned from private to public hands since the Nationals lost it.

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"It took an Independent to get in there to be able to kind of broker that outcome for their community and now they're working towards delivering their master plan, once that comes out they'll be working towards getting a new hospital," Ms Hawkins said.

The success of Independents in the federal election has buoyed Ms Hawkins, who had a primary vote of 16.14 per cent in 2018 behind the Labor Party 18.02 and Mr Tilley 39.86.

After helping Ms Cupper, Ms Hawkins has worked in bushfire recovery and is now a senior tourism adviser for the state government's Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions.

She has taken leave without pay and will campaign full-time for Benambra prior to the November 26 poll.

"I'll be travelling throughout all the pockets of Benambra, visiting our communities, catching up with them to hear about their priorities and needs and this will become the bedrock of my policies," Ms Hawkins said.

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