Meet your council candidates: Winchelsea Ward, Surf Coast Shire

Kirsty Metcalf

Occupation: Full time Mother

Where do you live? I live with my husband, two teenage daughters, Labrador dog, six horses, two alpacas, two pigs, one cat and a modest herd of Angus steers on our farm in Freshwater Creek.

How long have you lived in your ward? Almost 4 years.

What’s your involvement with the community? I am a Mother of two teenage daughters. I have been part of our vibrant, evolving Surf Coast Community for over forty years. My younger years were spent kicking sand as a Nipper in the Jan Juc Surf Life Saving Family. My connection to our irreplaceable and quintessentially unique coastal home has been an ongoing love affair now firmly grounded on a rural farm in Freshwater Creek. We are hobby farmers with interests in maintaining pastures, running cattle, establishing an organic fruit orchard and horses. Our family made the permanent move to the Surf Coast over five years ago, during this time I have been part of several high-profile planning applications and worked alongside councillors, council officers and council enforcement in various capacities.

What’s your political allegiance? Independent

Who will you preference? Adrian Schonfelder

What’s your campaign budget? Are you receiving financial support? No.

What are the most important issues in your ward? Central to living in one of the most desirable landscapes on the planet is the importance of being sensitive to the growth and development of our shire. Working together to preserve the lifestyle and well-being of our community is essential. This requires implementing future planning that is sustainable, balanced and compassionate to the growing needs of our community whilst protecting our most valuable asset, the natural world. Our environment is the life, blood and lungs of our health and our wealth. I am passionate in advocating that growing together with a considered footprint that preserves the life force of our vitality gives us the keys to prosper, thrive and live in harmony alongside our natural world.

Heather Wellington

 Occupation:    Trained and worked as a medical practitioner, lawyer and company director.  Now working as a consultant in the health system in quality, safety and governance.

Where do you live?    Barrabool

How long have you lived in your ward?   Owned land 17 years, lived here 15 years.

What’s your involvement with the community?    Years of involvement in local advocacy and as a councillor for 8 years.

What’s your political allegiance?    None

Who will you preference?    I have no plans to preference anyone at present.  I have enjoyed working with Cr McIntyre.

What’s your campaign budget? Are you receiving financial support?    No specific budget.  My expenditure will be modest.  I will not accept any financial support.

What are the most important issues in your ward?   Being approachable and visible, representing my ward and its citizens well, helping citizens interact with their Council, improving the openness of Council and ensuring it makes decisions that are fair, equitable and transparent are priorities.  Our rates are too high and I will continue to advocate for improved Council efficiency and lower rates.  Citizens need support from councillors to navigate planning issues when they arise – equity and fairness in these processes, and more responsive services, are important.  Residential growth in North Torquay, Moriac and Winchelsea needs to be well planned and supported, including by managing rural / urban land use conflicts.  Communities across the ward need equitable access to good infrastructure including well-maintained roads and community facilities.  I will continue my focus on improving maintenance of unsealed local roads.  Winchelsea’s commercial and industrial sector needs targeted support for growth.  Some major road safety projects require advocacy including intersections in Moriac township and on the Cape Otway Road in both Moriac and Winchelsea South.  The former Winchelsea Shire Hall needs to be reactivated as a priority – its continued closure is a huge disappointment to the community.  The ward’s waterways including the Barwon River need protection.  Post-Covid recovery will be important, with targeted support for a range of community-driven projects and activities that bring people together and preferably leave lasting legacies in the form of infrastructure or jobs.

Adrian Schonfelder

Occupation: Small Businessman

Where do you live? Barrabool

How long have you lived in your ward? 45 years. Sixth generation and lifelong resident with family having 172 years of continuous residency in the ward.

What’s your involvement with the community? Former Barrabool Shire Councillor and Victorian Farmer’s Federation Policy Analyst.  Member of the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria and have showed horses throughout Victoria and interstate.  Past member of Barwon Valley Pony Club and former player at the Winchelsea Football Club.  Life financial member of The National Trust and past volunteer at Barwon Park.  Member of Barrabool – Moriac Uniting Church and former Vice President and current Committee member of Moriac Community Network.

What’s your political allegiance? Independent. Former Liberal Party member and current ALP member.

Who will you preference? Kirsty Metcalf

What’s your campaign budget? $2000

Are you receiving financial support? No. Self funded.

What are the most important issues in your ward?  Rebuilding and widening roads including Barwon Park, Cape Otway, Coombes, Grossmans and Winchelsea-Deans Marsh Roads and upgrading the Cape Otway Road and Princes Highway intersection.  Investigate bitumising roads in Bellbrae, Connewarre and Winchelsea townships. Lowering rates, municipal charges and maintaing rate caps.  Working to deliver better internet and mobile phone coverage.  Standing up for Small Business and Local Jobs.  Being a voice for Farmers.  More home and community care for older people.  Protecting and enhancing our local environment including Spring Creek. Improving sporting facilities, parks, reserves, green open spaces and creating a Botanical Garden by the Barwon River at Winchelsea.

James McIntyre

Occupation: Lawyer

Where do you live? Gherang

How long have you lived in your ward? About 8 years

What’s your involvement with the community? I am a Councillor for Winchelsea Ward, elected in July 2019. I am a member of Modewarre CFA and a committee member of Zoe’s Fight Foundation Inc, a foundation set up in honour of my niece Zoe to fund research into children’s brain cancer;

What is your political allegiance? Former ALP member, but I am running as an independent

Who will you preference? I am not formally prefencing anybody, but I have enjoyed a good working relationship with Cr Heather Wellington

What’s your campaign budget? Financial Support? I have a very modest campaign budget, entirely self funded

What are the most important issues in your ward? Strong Council leadership and governance, transparency and accountability, ensuring that the hinterland has strong representation at Council, supporting the community and local business in Covid recovery, investment in infrastructure and road maintenance

Tony Phelps

Occupation: Digital marketing consultant.

Where do you live? Outskirts of Winchelsea

How long have you lived in your ward? 13 years.

What’s your involvement with the community? Chair of Winchelsea Community House, Secretary of The Winchelsea Star, active firefighter, sound for the Winchelsea Repertory Society, sponsor of OCR FM (Colac community radio).

What’s your political allegiance? None, fiercely independent.

Who will you preference? Haven’t.

What’s your campaign budget? Are you receiving financial support? Small. Very small. No financial support, self-funded.

What are the most important issues in your ward? Some key areas I’d like to address as Councillor: Roads – more frequent and responsive grading of gravel roads. Winchelsea Tea Rooms – an important and historical building is lying empty and unused. Ex-BP Servo, Geelong-side of Winchelsea – an eyesore that needs dealing with. Rubbish – reduce, reuse, recycle. Waste is expensive, and last year’s kerfuffle has made it more so. There are solutions out there. Community activities – getting people out and about, engaging with each other, joining in with their local community. Technology – keep up the drive to use technology to make Council more efficient, quicker, easier, more responsive, more convenient. Economic development – these next few years are going to be difficult. We need to plan for recovery, across the Surf Coast Shire. It’s not all about tourism. Planning controls – we don’t seem to have control and power over construction and property development. That needs fixing.