The most likely answer is Triple J’s Unearthed , the ABC music talent search that launched in 1995 and was active around 1996, including regional acts such as those from Mildura.

Why this fits

  • The ABC’s youth music competition tied to discovering new acts in the mid-1990s was Unearthed.
  • Mildura is also covered by ABC’s regional network, which makes the location reference plausible in ABC music coverage.

Caveat

I can’t fully verify from the available result alone that a specific Mildura act was featured in 1996, but ABC Unearthed / Triple J Unearthed is the strongest match.

Tiny takeaway

If you’re trying to name the competition in a sentence, use: ABC’s Unearthed talent search.