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Free pads and tampons in shopping centres. Period.
Vending machines with free pads and tampons will soon be installed in shopping centres as free pads and tampons continue to roll out statewide.
This means more people will soon have access to free pads and tampons nearer to where they live.
When complete, 1,500 machines will be available at up to 700 sites across the whole of Victoria.
We know pads and tampons aren’t a luxury and are essential to health and wellbeing. Victorians should be able to access them whenever and wherever they need to.
About the free pads and tampons program
Our nation-leading $23 million commitment to provide free pads and tampons in vending machines in public places is now in its statewide rollout phase. This means Victorians from all corners of the state will soon have easier access to free pads and tampons when and where they need them.
Shopping centres will soon host vending machines as part of the broader statewide rollout. This rollout follows the successful first phase of the program, during which over 25,000 period products were dispensed from vending machines across metropolitan Melbourne.
Find free pads and tampons near you
Throughout 2025, more vending machines will be installed at public sites across Victoria. These sites include public libraries and health centres, TAFEs, shopping centres and major cultural institutions. All local government areas were consulted and requested to nominate venues to ensure coverage across the state.
When complete, 1,500 machines will be installed at up to 700 sites across the whole of Victoria, helping people across the state gain access to the pads and tampons they need to lead fuller, healthier lives.
To find products near your area, enter your location in the search box.
Help with vending machines
The menstrual cycle
The four phases of the menstrual cycle are menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase.
The menstrual cycle is a natural process. It is a complex cycle controlled by female hormones that cause regular bleeding (periods).
Women’s reproductive health
Women's health and wellbeing program
Bridging the gap in women’s healthcare – a program of work to change the way we treat women’s health issues in Victoria, including:
- Opening new women’s health clinics
- Establishing more sexual and reproductive health hubs
- Improving care and service delivery for girls and women experiencing pain
- Establishing a mobile women's health clinic in regional and remote Victoria
- Delivering greater access to care, to help diagnose and treat endometriosis.
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Reviewed on: 07-05-2025