Meg Edwards Q&A

Meg Edwards (centre) is a candidate for the Bunurong Ward in the
Bass Coast Shire Council election

1. Where do you live?
Inverloch
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2. How long have you lived in Bass Coast? 
On and off since I went to school at Newhaven (14 years old).  Inverloch has been my primary residence for a number of years now and my partner Carl has a small farm (140 acres) in South Gippsland.   

3. What is your previous community involvement (voluntary work or membership), either in Bass Coast or another area?​

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• Former Councillor in South Gippsland
• Inverloch Rotary since 2018
• Wonthaggi Baptist Church
• Inverloch Scouts
• Inverloch Soccer
• Wonthaggi Theatrical Group (also Lyric & FAMDA)
• CWA - Group President
• various yacht clubs 
• Landcare
• Chair of Relay for Life
• a Host for Sustainable House Day in The Cape Eco Village
• Southern Gippsland Business Women’s Network
• Red Cross
• Waratah Beach Surf Life Saving Club
• Better Beef Group
• Victorian Farmers Federation

 
4. What experience or attributes do you bring that will help you in the role of shire councillor?
In addition to having been an effective Councillor in our neighbouring council:

• I’m a 6th generation Gippslander of farming stock
• Before starting a family, I worked as a Relationship Executive in Agri & Business Banking after agribusiness export marketing. 
• For the last 14 years I’ve co-managed a sustainable, bespoke residential construction business, 
• continue to implement regenerative practices in farming
• raising two fine young boys into positive manhood.  

My postgraduate studies in business provided theory, and growing up milking cows and playing sport is what shaped my work ethic and values.
I genuinely listen and seek to understand the broad and diverse interests of our communities to enable me to be an authentic and effective representative.  Above all else I value truth, transparency and kindness – “debate the issues, not the person”.
In my spare time (what is that?), I enjoy enjoy songwriting and spending time with family in Inverloch or on the farm & elsewhere in our beautiful, productive, creative and friendly area. My committment is demonstrated in caring about the kind of future the next generations will inherit.  
 
5. Have you stood for election before in local, state or federal government?
Yes

6. Do you belong to a political party? 
No

7. Are you directing preferences? 
No.  I am the only new candidate who is a conservative and hence the left aligned candidates have indicated via their how to vote suggestions that they see me as their strongest opposition should I get elected. 

Local government is for local. 

On the basis of that I would simply suggest Vote #1 Meg, make sure you complete a valid ballot and consider doing the opposite to what is on the ballot of those who have preferenced against me if you would like to see things change on council.

8. Name up to five local issues that you consider most important and explain how you believe the council should tackle them.
Issue 1: Coastal Erosion
The environmental and financial cost of not protecting Inverloch is far greater than the cost of protecting it.  
Every person in Inverloch (& more broadly all of Bass Coast) will be adversely impacted if no action is taken to protect it.   
It is not just the surf club or the houses in nearby vicinity.  If water breaks through it goes to the lowest point and that would extend far beyond the area close to the beach.  People work hard for their homes, have built where permits have been granted by council and therefore council has an obligation to do whatever possible to protect both public and private assets.  If water does destroy infrastructure there will be:

• environmental damage of debris in the ocean
• there will be costs of rebuilding both public and private assets.  Is the State Government going to fund the rebuilding of a new surf club?
• there will be many hundreds of personal lives impacted by their homes being destroyed
• with the RACV cut off from Inverloch and less tourists in general every business in Inverloch, many of which are still trying to recover from the lockdown years and now hit with cost of living reduced spending, will be impacted by further reduction in trade
• the impact on businesses will reduce jobs
• the reduction of jobs will reduce the number of families in Inverloch, flowing onto the impact on the school and sporting clubs

The urgency of protecting Inverloch is critical for everyone to be engaged with.
It might ultimately be a state government decision of whether to protect Inverloch or not but without a community and council that are advocating for it, they won’t. 
Hindsight can argue where what we need to protect, now is.   Yet, the Inverloch Surf Beach has been politicised for too long.  
We have an opportunity to work together for a very different outcome. 
If elected: at the November council meeting I will raise an urgent notice of motion that takes a two pronged approach:

• to immediately protect what we have now while
• concept design and feasibility work is done for a permanent solution which could also resolve the poor path status  

 
Issue 2: Back to Basics - focus on core services of council that everybody needs: roads, footpaths, lighting etc., 
 
Issue 3: Transparency & Communications
Our residents need to be able to easily access information about where their requests are up to, where every dollar is spent and the information that council officers provide Councillors.  We need communication done in multiple ways so that everybody knows how to have input and that input needs to be listened to not just heard - too often we are being “consulted” with in community to tick a box for decisions already made.  

Issue 4: Community Safety and Planning so that our towns reflect their unique character

Issue 5: Hydro Spa Pool for Wonthaggi.   I would raise a notice of motion to seek design concept with t with costings to construct an add on building to the current pool building for a new Hydro Spa Pool.  Funding for this project is to come from the $5.3million GST Income claim council receives from the Taxation Department and a future budgeting allocation.

9. Name the one thing you would most like to achieve if you are elected a Bass Coast Shire councillor.  
Getting Council back to basics - which includes protecting Inverloch and serving our communities rather than ideologies.