Hepburn Shire Council election candidates

Being born and raised in the country has given me a great love and respect of environment and culture, both in need of protection for a secure future. Having been on Council for 16 years and not afraid to make hard decisions, I opposed the initial purchase and development of the Rex and voted to end that financially crippling project. Strongly advocated for remedial works across the Shire following natural disasters, not forgetting our smaller communities. Working with staff and fellow Councillors has seen benefit across the whole Shire including infrastructure such as Victoria Park Daylesford, Mechanics Trentham and Mountain Bike Trails Creswick. I have successfully worked with both major parties for the benefit of residents, I am not a member of any political party. I am a practical self-funded retiree and community volunteer having worked hard at restoring the heritage Creswick Railway Station since 2010. Strongly advocate for older folk and worked with and mentored young people. A strong sense of justice and appreciation led me to be Chair of our Women’s Honour Roll Committee for many years. Hard work and doing one’s best to get results is part of my makeup, as evidenced by my track record.

I live in Creswick surrounded by family and friends. We live in a wonderful place, however there are many opportunities to improve. For our community to thrive we need facilities, local businesses, services and a vision for continual improvement. My passion is to see development of facilities for the many community groups who need useable spaces to grow. We need to ensure a future for our vibrant community. Professionally I have executive management experience, previously involved in the delivery of major health, disability, and housing infrastructure for the State Government. My current position sees me leading good quality governance as an accredited facilitator for the Australian Institute of Company Directors. I am proud to be Chair of the peak body for community engagement (IAP2), which means I truly understand how to listen to your needs and concerns. Aside from my professional and community experience, I also bring the great value of lived experience of disability. Declared legally blind at 20, I have harnessed my disability as a great strength to effect real and tangible inclusion and diversity. I am seeking your support. Vote 1 for Timmy and his Seeing Eye Dog handler, Tony Clark.

My name is Christian Porochowsky. I live in Creswick with my partner Andrew and restore heritage homes as I believe the history of our shire must be preserved. I have formal qualifications in building design, infrastructure and planning. With my planning background I understand inappropriate development and will ensure that development remains within the boundaries of community expectations. If elected, my priorities will be 1. Fill in all pot holes in our road system to ensure safety and wellbeing of our community 2. Not increase rates 3. Investigate flood mitigation and explore ways to minimise flood damage and explore opportunities to include revenue from state and federal government regarding grants applications to finance such works 4. Create business groups to improve and encourage opportunities in our business districts. 5. Advocate to reinstate weekly general waste collection. I will represent you with honesty, integrity and a youthful focus with a strong desire to include the whole community. I will strongly represent your views and bring to council issues that affect us as a whole.

As your councillor and former Mayor, I’ve been a dedicated voice for making Hepburn Shire healthier, more sustainable, and inclusive. Over the past four years, I’ve been involved in key projects like the Djuwang Baring Creswick Trails and The Mechanics Trentham, bringing new community connections and sustainable lifestyle opportunities. I’ve also contributed to essential strategies for youth, positive ageing, affordable housing, play spaces, arts and culture, inclusion, gender equity, reconciliation, and sustainability. Facing rising costs, housing pressures, and the climate crisis, my priorities as a Greens councillor are clear: [1] delivering genuinely affordable housing, essential local services and safe, creative spaces; [2] expanding community energy, public transport and accessible walking and cycling paths; [3] protecting our local biodiversity, waterways and wildlife and being better prepared for extreme weather events. I’ve worked to reduce emissions, help households transition off gas, and build climate resilience through business and community energy projects. By fostering inclusive community-led decision-making, we can continue creating a Shire where everyone thrives. You can find more information at https://greens.org.au/vic/person/tim-drylie or reach out at tim.drylie@vic.greens.org.au. Put our community first by voting [1] Tim Drylie.

Hi, my name is Derek Sedgman – resident of Wheatsheaf (former Holcombe Ward). It’s a great region to live in, and I enjoy being an active contributor locally to sporting teams and the Glenlyon CFA. Being employed by Hepburn Shire Council for over seven years (2017–2023), I gained valuable first-hand experience and an understanding about council’s mechanism and systems. In my job I engaged with residents, community groups and stakeholders across the shire. This highlighted the extent of how many locals feel largely ignored, creating general disengagement and a lack of trust in the council process. As your representative on Council, I will lobby for long-term financial sustainability so council decisions directly benefit the needs of our communities. My key actions will be - to improve council’s profile; encourage a larger cross-section of community involvement; listen to, value and support diverse community needs; contribute strategies to reduce household financial stress; insist on greater transparency and community consultation around financial management; ensure all council-raised funds (including developer contributions) are used equitably. I believe our smaller townships need the reinstatement of the electoral ward system for fairer representation. I will be a passionate, strong and effective voice for all residents.

As a small business owner and first-time candidate for council, I believe in going back to basics with transparent decision-making, open communication, and prioritising community needs and service delivery. I bring fresh and independent perspectives and voice that challenges the status quo, and a genuine desire to represent everyone in our shire, no matter where in the shire you live. Originally from Sweden, I’ve called Musk home for 15 years, living there with my partner and our two golden retrievers. For the past 11 years, I’ve run businesses in Daylesford, using my background in marketing, wellness, and leadership roles in the travel industry. There are many challenges our community faces, from everyday concerns like potholes and housing affordability, cost of living, addressing service declines, and ensuring our council operates transparently with financial integrity, stability, and accountability. With a diploma in positive psychology and wellbeing, I’m dedicated to creating an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone feels heard and valued. Together, let's create a community where integrity and accountability lead the way to real, tangible improvements in our daily lives and protects the uniqueness of our shire.

My name is Brian Hood. I have lived fulltime in Trentham for eight years. I love this town, its wonderful community and natural environment. My work experience and qualifications are in finance. I hold a volunteer role chairing a local community bank. I have a deep interest in integrity, good governance and sensible financial management, especially with ratepayers' money. For the past four years I have proudly represented Coliban ward as an independent councillor and have been honoured to be Mayor of Hepburn Shire for the past two years. I have served on the Audit & Risk and emergency management committees and chaired the Reconciliation Advisory committee. Through all roles I have established effective working relationships with federal and state MPs and many others. There are four reasons I am asking to be re-elected. 1. Through willingness to engage with and listen to people I can represent you effectively. I communicate openly, work hard and make myself available. 2. Through the 2021 storm and 2023 Daylesford tragedy I have demonstrated an ability to provide compassionate, strong leadership. 3. My financial and management skills are necessary to address the serious challenges facing Hepburn Shire. 4. Track record. I get things done.

Hi, I'm Cameron Stone, and I’m excited to run for the Hepburn Shire Council! As a proud resident and business owner here for the past 8 years, and a father of three, I am deeply committed to the future of our community. Raised in Regional Victoria and owning businesses in the area for most of my life, I understand the challenges and opportunities we face. My goal is to create a brighter, more prosperous future for Hepburn by prioritizing economic stability, ensuring strong financial planning, and engaging with key stakeholders for strategic decision-making. I’m dedicated to achieving the best outcomes for our community, focusing on sustainable growth and long-term benefits for future generations. By working collaboratively with councilors and leveraging my experience in business and regional affairs, I will push for real, meaningful changes that benefit us all. Together, we can make better decisions and tackle the key issues that matter most to our community, building a stronger, united Hepburn Shire.

I am seeking a place on our local council to represent the interests of the small towns in the shire, with a focus on Clunes, Creswick, Glenlyon, Kingston and Smeaton, and the smaller localities which are all too easily overlooked, such as Evansford in the far west of the shire, Yandoit in the north and Tylden in the far east. I have a background with experiences in agriculture and horticulture, business management and marketing and qualifications in teaching. Outside of work, I have held board positions and volunteer roles in organisations in the region focused on sustainability and wholefoods. Most recently I worked for twelve years as horticulturalist and marketing officer at Lambley Nursery near Clunes, a high profile plant nursery and garden with an international profile combining horticulture and tourism. I would bring to the role of councillor a focus on responsible financial management and maintenance of infrastructure, facilities and sports grounds. I believe that local people expect councillors to firstly ensure that our public-owned assets are maintained in excellent condition and where necessary upgraded, with an emphasis on those used by the broader community. A key focus would be timely preparedness for extreme weather events and bushfires.

During my time on Council (2020-2024) we managed COVID, three major storm events and are on track to complete 111 actions of the Council Plan. This includes $16m spent on road/footpath assets, $18m plus on property, plant and $15m plus on recreation and open spaces. But long-term financial sustainability is a significant challenge. The extent of the strategic decisions necessary to ensure this are significant. Councillors will have to make hard decisions possibly unpopular, reducing or cutting services, or doing them differently. As a retired social worker, I know the importance of health, education, welfare and housing in creating equality of opportunity. Access to timely, modern health services are critical for well-being, particularly for vulnerable groups including children and older people. The gaps in health and education outcomes between rural and metropolitan citizens needs to be reduced. Consequently I have chaired the Daylesford Hospital Community Upgrade Committee and I will continue to advocate for reducing these gaps across the Shire. As an independent candidate I can argue for our share of funding. I have demonstrated that I do make decisions in the interests of the whole Shire and am committed to listening to the range of views in the community.

My name is Shirley Cornish and I live in Creswick.I am semi retired and not affiliated with a Political Party. Currently employed by The Australian Bureau of Statistics gathering data in areas of health ,violence against women ,disability and mental health . I was a former registered nurse ,business principal and a member of The Australian Institute of Company Directors. As a Former Councillor and Mayor in a large municipality for 11 years I offer our community my vast experience passion and understanding with community consultation a priority. As founder of The Integrated waterways Special committee I understand the challenges of our waterways and will work on improvement funding and mitigation works. Holding the environmental portfolio for 6 years and delivering initiatives on environmental strategies through an overarching policy on climate change I offer passion knowledge and experience with resident inclusion consultation and communication solidifying our future and the future of our children. I will listen to your concerns and do my very best to facilitate change and progression especially in the areas of fixing the state of our roads revisiting the general rubbish's collection and no rate increases also looking at the inclusion of a hard rubbish collection

Hepburn Shire is beautiful. Yet as residents and property owners we feel let down by an opaque local government. That’s why we need effective, accountable and transparent government, with Councillors who work as a team to deliver responsive and responsible services for its residents. We need better value from our rates. I have worked with the Department of Social Security and the Ministry of Housing’s Mortgage Relief Scheme. Interest rates then were at 18.6% with many people in severe mortgage stress. Fearful and angry people who needed to be heard. In 1985 I became a Corporate Wife when my husband’s work relocated him to Singapore. In 22 years, 12 were in Tokyo, London, Chicago and Rhode Island, USA. From these I gained a greater understanding of differing cultures (and perseverance finding foodstuffs). Between overseas moves I obtained a William Angliss College Diploma of Hospitality and worked as an agency waiter in Melbourne. Varied roles strengthened my ability to quickly adapt to differing employment situations, take advice and be a team worker. I offer you independent, consultative, tenacious capabilities as your Councillor. But I need your vote. People call me Bernie. Should you see my Red Mini, wave, or say hello!