Council elections: a vote for Sandy Point?
With the Council elections for the Coastal Promontory Ward due to take place at the end of October, SPCG has asked the councillor candidates the following questions. The responses are published below.
The questions
1. How would you support a masterplan and advocate for capital funding for our township?
2. How would you support our 'Safe Roads and Paths' projects, including pedestrian strategies for the Sandy Point Road on the perimeter of Sandy Point township and the Waratah Way project to establish a recreational trail to connect the Sandy Point and Waratah townships?
Note: Both of these projects are on the Council's Trails and Pathways Strategy. In addition, Waratah Bay jurisdiction plays a key role in the Council's tourism strategy.
3. Given the substantial component of rates contributed by Sandy Point residents, how would you advocate for Sandy Point to receive more funds for improved infrastructure and community initiatives?
The candidates
There are 5 candidates for the 3 positions for the Coastal-Promontary Ward. Their responses are presented below in alphabetical order by candidate surname. The SPCG is not endorsing any particular candidate, but asks voters to consider the information provided as it relates to Sandy Point. All text and images is supplied by the candidates.
Steve Finlay
If elected to council my priorities are reducing council waste, cutting rates and having councillors representing the people, not the bureaucracies.
Regards your questions, l believe in equitable capital spending throughout the shire with a weighting given to where the people are and where the rates are coming from. l am a regular user of rail/recreational trails throughout our shire, support the footpaths projects and would love to see a recreational trail from Sandy Point to Waratah Bay.
My first question is - was there some sort of masterplan for Sandy Point before council in (probably) 2019 based around future caravan park ideas, and also a recreational trail between Sandy Point and Waratah Bay with holdups because of landholders along the route.
My comment being enough of studies and reports, initiatives ought be community driven, which could include what may have been considered in the past, not initiate from what council thinks best. To that end l would bring back public presentations to council and back what the community wants, and a fair share of funding.
Steve Finlay
Sarah Gilligan
1. How would you support a masterplan and advocate for capital funding for our township?
I do support the masterplan, love the central premise of it being a walking town. I disagree that the Coastal Strategy limits funding appetite, in my view it increases the need for funding but its about adaptation planning and thinking about how our assets and infrastructure can better weather the storms. What the coastal strategy does is highlight the need for long term resilience planning, how to ensure liveability on a dynamic coastline. I have been advocating hard already for state government funding to kick this off and believe the strategy lays the path for more investment not less. We have to think differently, NOT dismiss Sandy Point as a lost cause, it’s a gem and I know how much our boom-and-bust tourism towns generate for South Gippy. We've just been successful in a grant looking at the Coastal Hazard outlook for Waratah Bay and Sandy Point, once we have the results we can plan the rest properly.
2. How would you support our 'Safe Roads and Paths' projects, including pedestrian strategies for the Sandy Point Road on the perimeter of Sandy Point township and the Waratah Way project to establish a recreational trail to connect the Sandy Point and Waratah townships?
Note: Both of these projects are on the Council's Trails and Pathways Strategy.
In addition, Waratah Bay jurisdiction plays a key role in the Council's tourism strategy. This strategy 100% needs funding and the fact we have a list of paths and trails up and down the coast sitting there and not funded or being included in grant applications is non-sensical to me. I'll support all this loudly.
3. Given the substantial component of rates contributed by Sandy Point residents, how would you advocate for Sandy Point to receive more funds for improved infrastructure and community initiatives?
I understand the perception that Sandy Point pays a substantial component of rates but in reality, rates are calculated on property values and right now the farming sector are paying the lions share due to a substantial increase in land values, it’s a real swings and roundabout game. Having said that I think we need to consider the enormous value our boom-and-bust tourism towns bring to the shire and Sandy Point is front and centre as one of those. This is why I've been pushing to recognise the value of the part time population to our bottom line, they aren't counted in census data or even in the voters’ role recently and for as long as these towns are only recognised by state and federal funders for their permanent populations it’s a tough sell. This has been a big advocacy point of mine and if re-elected will continue to be, the tourism strategy for coastal communities is a shortterm action of the Coastal Strategy, to recognise it’s not just a small town with a tiny static permanent population. We've laid the groundwork and now we need to turn it into funding, planning and budget priorities. I'm also a big believer in projects like Marinus Link and the offshore wind investing in the coastline they are using IN PERPETUITY and advocating hard for any community investment funding not all to head straight up to the valley. Council has a huge role in advocating to the state government and private sector to ensure our coastline benefits from new industry. Oh and I was also instrumental in getting the local emergency management plans going and Sandy Point is next on the list :)
Emma Mckay
Thank you for getting in touch.
I moved to Foster in 2020 and I am heavily involved in the community there and want to extend this to all surrounding communities. I have attended the music events at your wonderful hall and love Sandy point for swimming and walks.
I have been told you have a weekly gathering every Friday and was hoping to attend on Friday 18th October.
If elected I will advocate for equitable capital spending across the Coastal Promontory Ward. If elected I would be 1 of 9 councillors for the South Gippsland Shire. I am determined to create positive and collaborative working relationships with the other councillors to ensure the Coastal Promontory Ward has strong representation and support from the Shire.
Once again thank you for getting in touch and hopefully see you on the 18th October to talk further.
Kind regards
Emma
Michael Poole
No response received
Scott Rae
1. How would you support a masterplan and advocate for capital funding for our township?
Yes, I support the community plans model and townships having a broad base of community members input and advocate for what their township needs and wants and then present this to council.,
Advocacy for fair and reasonable funding to all communities without prejudice or favour, I believe is essential in the role of councillor. Sadly the bucket of money is not endless and sometimes not every dream can be achieved quickly or even in a council term. Having a clear community plan and shovel ready projects makes advocacy and delivery much more likely.
2. How would you support our 'Safe Roads and Paths' projects, including pedestrian strategies for the Sandy Point Road on the perimeter of Sandy Point township and the Waratah Way project to establish a recreational trail to connect the Sandy Point and Waratah townships?
Note: Both of these projects are on the Council's Trails and Pathways Strategy.
I am aware of the paths and trails desired by the community including Waratah Bay. Nice to have and a great tourism asset, continued advocacy by councillors and community will eventually enable this to become reality. one councillor can only advocate, they will need at least 4 " friends" to make a council resolution. a reality. I have in this term asked the council how the paths and trails strategy is progressing (it appears to have stalled during administration) adequate funding and grant opportunities are always front of mind for these projects.
3. Given the substantial component of rates contributed by Sandy Point residents, how would you advocate for Sandy Point to receive more funds for improved infrastructure and community initiatives?
A clear and unified Community Plan is what helps councillors advocate for more project delivery to an area, some towns do well because they have done this. I believe council has become better at assisting community detail their ask in the last term,
I do believe almost every township in Our Shire would like more return for their rates, Some ask politely and on occasion some in a manner like a lynch mob, I’m not going to just lie and say yes you deserve every dollar raised back directly into your neighbourhood just for Votes,
The reality is Council delivers much across a very broad area of 28 places like yours, some bigger and smaller but all important and some of the services in fact benefits residents of Sandy Point at other locations across the shire should they choose to use them. Libraries, Kinder, Animal management, Community events in various forms and locations, Community leadership programs, Landcare grants, Sporting facilities and their maintenance, and the list keeps on going and they all chew up rates dollars.
Community feedback could help shape the abandonment of some services by council, some are State legislated and we can't cut them back
Many a Dairy farmer who could be paying say up to $50k rates on their land and basically has only their road graded annually in their opinion has come to me and has asked the same question.