Council
4 October, 2024
Election ahead: candidates make their final pitch ahead of voting
WESTERN District Newspapers has complied a questionnaire for Moyne Shire Council candidates as ballot packs begin to arrive in mail boxes across the electorate.
Each of the 11 candidates vying for one of the seven vacant seats has been given the opportunity to respond to questions to give voters an understanding of who the candidates are, where they stand on the issues impacting the region and their aspirations for what they could help to achieve if elected.
Each candidate was sent the same questions, with responses listed in the order they will appear on the ballot.
Susan Taylor, Jim Doukas, Kim Kelly, Maurice Molan and Jonathan Ayres did not respond.
Voting in this election will be by post only.
The Victorian Electoral Commission will begin posting ballot packs next Monday and residents are required to post their votes, or drop it off at the election office, before 6pm on Friday, October 25.
What would you like the residents of Moyne Shire to know about you before they cast their votes?
Lloyd Ross: My family has been farming in the Moyne Shire for generations.
Like all farmers, I am practical minded and solutions-focussed.
On the farm, every action must be productive. Problems must be solved in real time.
I want to bring this skillset to the shire, as excessive research and studies are not in the interests of rate payers.
Myra Murrihy: That I will always put what is best for the community at the forefront of all decision making.
I will work to advocate for all of Moyne Shire, from the largest communities to the smallest.
Lisa Ryan: I was born in Perth and grew up with my brother and parents in Western Australia.
My husband Nicholas and I moved to Melbourne in 2013. Nicholas is from Port Fairy, so we moved here in 2016.
We have a four-year-old son and raising him here has been incredible. We’ve been so well supported by family, friends and the community.
We’re really involved in local sports clubs. I umpire netball, Nicholas plays cricket and together we’ve volunteered on local festivals and community initiatives.
I’ve worked at Saputo, Meli and I’m now in HR leadership at Brophy, our region’s largest community services agency.
I hold a Bachelor in Health Sciences, majoring in family and society health as well as health promotion, which has supported my understanding of population health and preventative programs.
I’ve learnt so much about the local economy and about the resilient and inspiring people that live here.
David Clark: I moved to Koroit in 2020 and was keen to get involved in my local community.
I’m currently vice chair of the Victoria Park Management Committee and secretary of the Koroit Men’s Shed Management Committee.
I’m also on the Koroit and District Progress Association.
My background is public sector performance audit; that is auditing government to determine the extent to which it is delivering what it said it would deliver.
This work resulted in reports to parliaments in both the United Kingdom and here in Victoria.
This background has given me the skills, knowledge and experience to understand how government at the local, state and federal level works and how to improve outcomes through understanding the tools and levers available to deliver for individuals and communities across the shire.
Karen Foster: Being a councillor, mayor and deputy mayor has been one of the greatest honours of my life.
I’ve learned so much about the shire community, our region and about myself.
I feel I’ve got the experience and knowledge to be a strong and clear voice for Moyne, especially when it comes to advocating to other tiers of government for our fair share of funding.
Beyond that, I bring a huge amount of positivity and a ‘can do’ attitude. I have taken the role of councillor very seriously, but I think there’s plenty of room to be kind and caring and to have a little fun along the way.
Jordan Lockett: I’m a third-generation Port Fairy local, deeply invested in our community and committed to ensuring Moyne remains a great place to live and raise a family.
I always strive to put people first in my decision-making, asking important questions about how our choices impact the future.
My priorities focus on fairness, sustainability, and the long-term well-being of our communities.
I’m committed to preserving our landscapes, advocating for our residents, and working hard to support the projects that make a tangible difference in daily lives.
What led you to the decision to run for council?
Lloyd Ross: I have always taken an active interest in local government. There are many aspects I want to contribute to. Civil engineering project challenges such as those associated with bridges, landfills and transfer stations need to be managed in a practical manner.
Myra Murrihy: I put my hand up because I feel there is a need for councillors and council to re-engage the community.
I want to really assist our community in understanding council processes and work to simplify confusing and convoluted processes.
I believe I am the right person to do this, and more, for the Moyne Shire.
Lisa Ryan: I want to give back to this community that has welcomed me and my family so kindly since moving here.
I’ve volunteered alongside many other active people in various events, clubs and services and I want to strengthen how effective it can be when people come together.
I’m ready to make that contribution now at council level.
I’m running to bring a family voice to the table, to advocate for children and seniors, single and couple households and to deliver the right services - because I believe councils must represent all individuals in the community.
David Clark: In essence, residents and businesses across the shire asked me to stand.
I guess they could see I had something to contribute to make a constructive difference.
Having grown up in a small village in the United Kingdom, I understood to integrate into a new community is to contribute.
I initially joined the Koroit and District Progress Association and have been a passionate advocate for completion of the Streetscape Project.
I also joined the Men’s Shed Management Committee and the Victoria Park Community Asset Management Committee as they aligned with my passions of community wellbeing on top of which I just live down the road from Victoria Park.
On each of these committees I have enjoyed the teamwork and seeing the contribution and the potential each makes to improving the facilities in the town.
I feel running for council offers me an opportunity to contribute more broadly to the work of council.
Karen Foster: I went to my first council meeting when I was an 18-year-old cadet journalist and have had a fascination for local government ever since. It truly is the tier of government that’s closest to the people.
In 2020, I was lucky enough to be elected to council.
There was no single issue that preoccupied me then and that’s still the case. My motivation is pretty simple – to do whatever I can to make our community even better.
I raised my family here and feel a deep sense of connection to this place and its people.
If I can do even one small thing for one person, that’s a great day.
I was also keen to see more diversity on council. For the past 16 years, there has only been one woman on Moyne Shire Council each term.
Let’s hope that’s not the case in the new term.
Jordan Lockett: I was driven to run for council by my passion for our region and a desire to ensure our communities have a voice in shaping their future.
My work as a mental health clinician has taught me the importance of advocacy and understanding the broader impacts of policy decisions on people’s lives.
I wanted to take that experience and use it to serve the community I care so deeply about by ensuring that decisions made by the council reflect the best interests of our residents, particularly in terms of fairness and sustainability.
What priorities within the shire will you seek to address if elected?
Lloyd Ross: Restructuring of the executive team away from ideological areas and back to nuts and bolts services.
A more efficiently run shire will empower the community to better manage their own environmental, cultural and social issues as they deem necessary.
Myra Murrihy: My campaign has been about asking the community what their priorities are.
I’ve spoken to people and community groups all across the shire and their needs and wants vary.
Though some of the recurring issues they would like to see addressed are:
Transparency of council processes and decision making;
Strategic planning for council owned and managed buildings;
Greater access to and communication from daycare and kindergarten services;
Waste transfer station fees;
Greater representation for smaller communities within the shire;
Planning permit timeframes; and
Positive ageing policy development.
Lisa Ryan: Council’s core business is things like roads, rates and waste management - all very important to a well-functioning shire.
Further to that, my key priorities are good services that effect people. Community is at the heart of what makes Moyne thrive.
We are strongest when we support every township and person - so I will champion vital community services for families and seniors.
Families are entitled to quality services that meet their needs including childcare, recreation facilities and services such as mobile libraries.
Our older population should have access to social programs to keep them engaged in the community as well as services that meet their needs.
Council operations including planning processes and infrastructure needs to be more accessible and visible for residents trying to access support.
David Clark: The platform on which I am standing consists of:
Minimise future rate rises: delivering better outcomes from existing resources and achieving increased support from state and federal government;
A strategic plan for the whole shire: delivering a more strategic, sustainable and inclusive approach that caters for current and future generations; and
Greater focus on partnerships: across all levels of government for the good of all those living and visiting Moyne Shire to deliver a sustainable future supporting the long-term health and wellbeing of our natural environment and the contribution it makes to our shire’s economy and population.
In summary: Delivering a greater focus on value for money to achieve outcomes for all across the shire.
Karen Foster: As a new councillor, I came in with a ‘wish list’ of fun things I would have loved to achieve.
I quickly realised there is a bigger picture at play.
Moyne has a big budget, but it has huge responsibilities to maintain its vast road network, deliver services, manage waste, maintain public buildings and so much more.
My number one priority is to ensure we continue to do all of those important things as well as we can.
But I still have that wish list.
I’d love to see more parks and shared open spaces with better bike and walking connectivity.
I want to learn more about our Indigenous culture and how we can celebrate that.
I’m also a passionate supporter of the arts and of young people, generally.
And although it’s a huge and difficult issue, I think we need to be doing what we can to adapt to our changing climate in ways that protect our communities and our environment.
Jordan Lockett: If re-elected, I’ll continue focusing on key projects like the East Beach upgrades, managing our tip sites, enhancing the Port Fairy Skate and Play space, and advancing the Koroit Street Scape and any other projects the communities bring forward to council.
It’s about “doing with” not “doing to” the community.
Additionally, I’ll address challenges around balancing development, like wind farms, with community expectations and securing a fair social license.
Affordable housing, preserving our festivals, supporting local businesses, and building a constructive relationship with First Nations leaders will also be priorities.
Challenges facing Moyne Shire?
Lloyd Ross: State debt is a great challenge for the shire.
The availability for funding and shared projects with local government will increasingly be reduced.
Land tax and the fire levy are an unwelcome imposition placed on ratepayers because of the mismanagement of state debt.
Myra Murrihy: Access to daycare services, greater community benefit from wind farms, housing availability and affordability, excessive planning timeframes.
Lisa Ryan: Throughout campaigning, I’ve been listening to residents across many towns to gain a greater understanding of the challenges faced, and the responses have been similar everywhere I have been - access to childcare, planning processes and roads.
David Clark: The greatest challenges facing Moyne Shire are delivering outcomes for all communities across the shire from the sparsely populated to the densely populated in the context of limited resources and a cost of living crisis.
People expect a service from council.
I will be advocating that, irrespective of where people live, they will receive an outcome of which council should feel proud and worthy of delivering.
Karen Foster: Like all rural councils, Moyne faces some hefty challenges around having to do more with much less.
We have a vast road network to maintain and we’re also often the ‘provider of last resort’ for services that wouldn’t otherwise be available (e.g. childcare and aged care services).
Our communities also rightly expect that we’ll continue to provide access to libraries, parks and playgrounds, swimming pools, sporting grounds, art and cultural activities and more.
Each year it feels more challenging to balance the budget.
We have a large geographic area but relatively small population, so attracting government funding is hard.
We need to get much better at advocacy and telling our story so that we can secure our fair share of support.
Jordan Lockett: One of the greatest challenges we face is balancing development, particularly renewable energy projects like wind farms, with the interests of the community.
We need to ensure these projects provide tangible benefits for residents without compromising our natural landscapes or quality of life.
Climate change also presents serious risks, from increased flooding to severe weather events, which makes infrastructure upgrades and environmental protection even more critical.
An important aspect of council responsibility is advocacy at a state and federal level. What issues would you like to see prioritised as part of council’s advocacy?
Lloyd Ross: Many shires have become the right hand of the state. Some councillors seem to view their positions as a stepping stone to state or federal aspirations. Others seem to be possessed or blinded by whatever political ideology is the flavour of the day. I see advocacy as giving voice to the community whilst protecting them from bureaucratic overreach of government.
Myra Murrihy: I will look to foster connections at state and federal levels to ensure Moyne Shire is considered for a range of issues, ensuring we can deliver a wide range of services and infrastructure to meet the long-term needs of our communities.
Particularly: Advocating for greater community benefit from wind farms in the Moyne Shire; and
Advocating for state and federal government affordable housing funds.
Lisa Ryan: With a background in health sciences, advocacy is a big part of my skillset, to which I aim to use strategically and effectively.
The exact issues I would prioritise cannot be determined at this point in time, until I can gain a greater understanding of the relationship between local government and state and federal government and what is in the best interest for council and its residents.
I will listen to and seek an understanding on key issues and work with my fellow councillors to determine an appropriate response.
David Clark: Council should be investment-worthy and I have felt in recent times that opportunities at state or federal level have been missed.
Council should be drawing on best practice in advocacy and aspire to be a leader within the rural council’s community in achieving desirable outcomes aligned to community needs and expectations.
Karen Foster: Council will need to keep pressure on state and federal governments for a fairer share of roads funding.
Princes Highway West is in a disgraceful state.
Beyond that, we rely on government grants to build infrastructure and to upgrade our places and spaces.
This includes the Koroit streetscape, the Port Fairy bridge and upgrades for our smaller townships.
We also have a critical role to play in advocating for a much better deal for our communities impacted by windfarms.
Council may not have any decision-making powers around renewable energy, but we can speak up to ensure communities receive benefits, including free power.
We know it happens elsewhere, so why not here?
Jordan Lockett: At a state and federal level, I’d like to see stronger advocacy for funding to upgrade our roads and infrastructure, especially in the face of climate change impacts.
Securing better funding for disaster preparedness and environmental protection is essential.
Additionally, we need to continue pushing for affordable energy solutions while ensuring local communities benefit from these projects.
Finally, advocating for investment in our local industries and tourism sector is key to preserving Moyne’s unique character and economic resilience.
