Geoff Ellis, Western Port Ward Where do you live?
In an off-grid home on the edge of the Bunurong Coastal Marine Park in Harmers Haven.
How long have you lived in Bass Coast?
Moved from Port Melbourne to Wattle Bank in 2011. Krowera 2016-2019. Harmers since July 2019.
What is your previous community involvement (voluntary work or membership), either in Bass Coast or another area?
Volunteer driver for SPDL Daylinks. 2009-2011. Chairperson of SPDL Daylinks 2010. Daylinks is a Volunteer NFP that keeps frail and elderly people connected.
Directed a community play – Earth’s Fever – in the 2009 St Kilda Festival
Secretary of a St Kilda based art group 2009-10.
President of Wattle Bank Community Group 2013-2016
Anti CSG campaign surveyor 2014/15
In an off-grid home on the edge of the Bunurong Coastal Marine Park in Harmers Haven.
How long have you lived in Bass Coast?
Moved from Port Melbourne to Wattle Bank in 2011. Krowera 2016-2019. Harmers since July 2019.
What is your previous community involvement (voluntary work or membership), either in Bass Coast or another area?
Volunteer driver for SPDL Daylinks. 2009-2011. Chairperson of SPDL Daylinks 2010. Daylinks is a Volunteer NFP that keeps frail and elderly people connected.
Directed a community play – Earth’s Fever – in the 2009 St Kilda Festival
Secretary of a St Kilda based art group 2009-10.
President of Wattle Bank Community Group 2013-2016
Anti CSG campaign surveyor 2014/15
Volunteer at Artspace/Info Centre 2016
Volunteer at Salvation Army Superstore Wonthaggi 2016
Member Bass Coast South Gippsland Reconciliation Committee
Editor/Publisher of the Shire’s only community based monthly magazine.
Judge in Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction
Steering Committee, Coastal Connections
President of BCAS (Current)
President of ArtSpace (Current)
Have you stood for election before in local, state or federal government?
2016 Council. Successful.
Do you belong to a political party?
Unfinancial member of the ALP. I am not an endorsed candidate.
Name the five local issues that you consider most important and explain how you think the council should tackle them.
Issue 1: Listen, act and explain:
Governance. We need to get this fundamental building block right. Changes in the Local Government Act were rushed through due to a timetable over which council had no control. The next council should follow the template used in 2016 to develop a fresh council plan that includes a close examination of our Governance Structure. This needs to include the way questions are openly answered at council meetings, the return of Community Connection sessions and direct conversations with Community Planning Officers based in Grantville, Cowes and Wonthaggi. This can include user-friendly processes for lodging complaints and requests.
Councillors respond to a lot of emails. Western Port Ward councillors have increased communication via attendance at community meetings across the ward and distributing a regular Update eNewsletter to groups and individuals. To overcome COVID19 restrictions Councillors could be given individual blogs on the Council Website to reach all the people across the Shire who want to know what their Councillors are doing and why they are doing it.
I am fully committed to include adaptation to climate variation as the overriding factor in our Governance framework and all our policies, including procurement, planning, economic development, tourism and agricultural support.
Issue 2: A New Deal for Special Charge Schemes.
Our shire has a huge legacy issue with housing estates that were sold with dirt roads, no gutters and no footpaths. Sure, blocks were cheap, but it condemned families to live in dust, mud and floods. Council is required to obtain huge financial contributions from homeowners so prams can be safely used and solar panels and washing aren’t covered in dust. Yarra Ranges recently benefitted from $150 million of Federal funds to reduce this financial burden on property owners. This enabled some of their Special Charge contributions to be capped at $7000. Sure, this can’t immediately happen here but at our current work rate the last unsealed road will be sealed in the year 2100. We need to start now and work hard to get the same deal for our people.
This is how they do it:
Yarra Ranges: Roads for the Community FAQs
Some of our Special Charge Schemes have been expensive failures:
Cape Paterson Urban Roads and Drainage Improvements Program
The waiting list in Bass Coast
Issue 3: End Couch surfing and sleeping in cars.
Many people live in precarious accommodation. There is no emergency accommodation in Bass Coast. Affordable housing in new estates needs to be encouraged, affordable housing across the Shire needs to be pushed and the council needs to lead by example by committing resources to this to back up our advocacy. We need to identify suitable land and work with the State Government (the owner of Crown Land) to acquire vacant Government owned land and work with agencies that can build and manage affordable housing, as we did with Woodland Cottages in Inverloch (see pic) We need to make a serious budget commitment so that everyone can have a roof over their head at night. Right now, we need to provide discreet facilities for our people who are sleeping rough. Simple provision of lockers and access to free showers would be a small step toward providing dignity for our people while we help them find their place.
Issue 4: Places to gather, places to admire.
As the Cultural Centre rises in Cowes and the Cultural Precinct takes shape in Wonthaggi we need a cohesive, collaborative plan to link all our galleries, our outdoor spaces, our historical societies and our cafés and restaurants. I have increased my involvement in Arts groups across the Shire and want Council to expand its Arts and Culture commitment as we all work toward a Regional Gallery. We need to promote the Shire as a Regional centre of excellence for writing, art and scenic contemplation. My vision for a Regional Gallery includes an art and reference library, a sculpture park and a speakers corner. The first step is to get funding for a masterplan for the precinct, a building condition audit and state funding so we can do this properly. Step two needs to be an interim Gallery to showcase the Robert Smith Collection and build Bass Coast’s standing in the Arts and Culture world. We need to walk along this path with our Traditional Owners and Cultural Heritage stakeholders.
Issue 5: Equity.
The previous council was the first to have three councillors in each ward which facilitated a fairer distribution of shire wide improvements. We use the ward structure as a basis for provision of services and community building. Western Port ward covers a lot of the Island as well as the Waterline, Hinterland, Wattle Bank, San Remo, Kilcunda and Dalyston. Small towns haven’t had much of a voice in the broader discussion. We need to invest in an audit of needs and opportunities across the entire Shire and work to increase services and community building where it is most needed. This would provide a vision for the next four years and a plan of action.
Volunteer at Salvation Army Superstore Wonthaggi 2016
Member Bass Coast South Gippsland Reconciliation Committee
Editor/Publisher of the Shire’s only community based monthly magazine.
Judge in Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction
Steering Committee, Coastal Connections
President of BCAS (Current)
President of ArtSpace (Current)
Have you stood for election before in local, state or federal government?
2016 Council. Successful.
Do you belong to a political party?
Unfinancial member of the ALP. I am not an endorsed candidate.
Name the five local issues that you consider most important and explain how you think the council should tackle them.
Issue 1: Listen, act and explain:
Governance. We need to get this fundamental building block right. Changes in the Local Government Act were rushed through due to a timetable over which council had no control. The next council should follow the template used in 2016 to develop a fresh council plan that includes a close examination of our Governance Structure. This needs to include the way questions are openly answered at council meetings, the return of Community Connection sessions and direct conversations with Community Planning Officers based in Grantville, Cowes and Wonthaggi. This can include user-friendly processes for lodging complaints and requests.
Councillors respond to a lot of emails. Western Port Ward councillors have increased communication via attendance at community meetings across the ward and distributing a regular Update eNewsletter to groups and individuals. To overcome COVID19 restrictions Councillors could be given individual blogs on the Council Website to reach all the people across the Shire who want to know what their Councillors are doing and why they are doing it.
I am fully committed to include adaptation to climate variation as the overriding factor in our Governance framework and all our policies, including procurement, planning, economic development, tourism and agricultural support.
Issue 2: A New Deal for Special Charge Schemes.
Our shire has a huge legacy issue with housing estates that were sold with dirt roads, no gutters and no footpaths. Sure, blocks were cheap, but it condemned families to live in dust, mud and floods. Council is required to obtain huge financial contributions from homeowners so prams can be safely used and solar panels and washing aren’t covered in dust. Yarra Ranges recently benefitted from $150 million of Federal funds to reduce this financial burden on property owners. This enabled some of their Special Charge contributions to be capped at $7000. Sure, this can’t immediately happen here but at our current work rate the last unsealed road will be sealed in the year 2100. We need to start now and work hard to get the same deal for our people.
This is how they do it:
Yarra Ranges: Roads for the Community FAQs
Some of our Special Charge Schemes have been expensive failures:
Cape Paterson Urban Roads and Drainage Improvements Program
The waiting list in Bass Coast
Issue 3: End Couch surfing and sleeping in cars.
Many people live in precarious accommodation. There is no emergency accommodation in Bass Coast. Affordable housing in new estates needs to be encouraged, affordable housing across the Shire needs to be pushed and the council needs to lead by example by committing resources to this to back up our advocacy. We need to identify suitable land and work with the State Government (the owner of Crown Land) to acquire vacant Government owned land and work with agencies that can build and manage affordable housing, as we did with Woodland Cottages in Inverloch (see pic) We need to make a serious budget commitment so that everyone can have a roof over their head at night. Right now, we need to provide discreet facilities for our people who are sleeping rough. Simple provision of lockers and access to free showers would be a small step toward providing dignity for our people while we help them find their place.
Issue 4: Places to gather, places to admire.
As the Cultural Centre rises in Cowes and the Cultural Precinct takes shape in Wonthaggi we need a cohesive, collaborative plan to link all our galleries, our outdoor spaces, our historical societies and our cafés and restaurants. I have increased my involvement in Arts groups across the Shire and want Council to expand its Arts and Culture commitment as we all work toward a Regional Gallery. We need to promote the Shire as a Regional centre of excellence for writing, art and scenic contemplation. My vision for a Regional Gallery includes an art and reference library, a sculpture park and a speakers corner. The first step is to get funding for a masterplan for the precinct, a building condition audit and state funding so we can do this properly. Step two needs to be an interim Gallery to showcase the Robert Smith Collection and build Bass Coast’s standing in the Arts and Culture world. We need to walk along this path with our Traditional Owners and Cultural Heritage stakeholders.
Issue 5: Equity.
The previous council was the first to have three councillors in each ward which facilitated a fairer distribution of shire wide improvements. We use the ward structure as a basis for provision of services and community building. Western Port ward covers a lot of the Island as well as the Waterline, Hinterland, Wattle Bank, San Remo, Kilcunda and Dalyston. Small towns haven’t had much of a voice in the broader discussion. We need to invest in an audit of needs and opportunities across the entire Shire and work to increase services and community building where it is most needed. This would provide a vision for the next four years and a plan of action.