Daniel Andrews walking 18 minutes a day as he recovers from serious back injury

Daniel Andrews says he’s making steady progress in his recovery from a serious back injury and is now walking about 18 minutes a day.

Victoria’s premier suffered broken ribs and a fractured T7 vertebra after slipping on wet stairs at a holiday home on the Mornington Peninsula on 9 March.

The 48-year-old, who is recovering at home, said the past few weeks had been a “pretty painful” time but he was on the mend.

“I’m making steady progress and being diligent with my physio exercises,” he said on social media.

“Also building up my walking and am up to about 18 minutes on my daily walk.”

The premier, who narrowly avoided permanent damage to his spinal cord, thanked the community for their well wishes.

“They’ve really helped me to keep my spirits up in what’s been a pretty painful time.”

Andrews has taken six weeks off work as he recovers and the deputy premier, James Merlino, is acting premier in his absence.

Victoria is also without the police minister, Lisa Neville, who on Saturday announced she would undergo surgery for complications associated with Crohn’s disease.

The senior MP spent two and a half weeks in hospital in February hoping to avoid going under the knife but she remains unwell.

“As a result, my doctors have indicated that the only effective treatment now is surgery,” Neville said on Saturday. “On Tuesday I will be readmitted to hospital to undergo a small bowel resection.”

The operation will require up to 12 weeks’ recovery so she will not return to work until the end of June.