2024 Murrindindi Shire Council Elections
Every four years, Murrindindi Shire residents and ratepayers vote to elect Councillors to represent our community.
The next Council elections will be held on Saturday 26 October 2024.
Eric Lording
for King Parrot Ward
Independent candidate
King Parrot Ward
Independent
Candidate
Returning councillor
Previously served:
2016-2020,
2020-2024.
ADTTA Interview Question Responses
Q.
What inspired you to run for council, and how do you see yourself making a difference for the Shire of Murrindindi?
A.
I was a shire engineer after the fires for nearly 5 years. I noted that my parish, King Parrot Ward was the 'left out' little brother. Maybe because the most Westerly part came from the Shire of Whittlesea at Amalgamation.
When a couple of councillors resigned from the council early, I saw my chance and won the byelection. At that time we had 9.9% rate rises, presented wrongly as 6.6%.. Then street protests against the shire in Yea, and in my area the shire was not regarded highly. You might see why I put my hand up. My first year was a terrible year as I couldn't get the changes we needed. I did not feel the shire was being managed in the best interests of the people. I realised that it would take lots of time, so here I am still trying to finish off what I started.
I am an engineer with Civil Engineering experience which is something that is needed in Council. The shire still considers using lower quality materials on our roads, causing dust, pot holes and uneven wear. It is still a battle but we are winning. We had lost our way in road building and I am dedicated to making it better, Equal funding for King Parrot ward is a priority. It is a long way from Alexandra. Also I wanted to improve the personal relationship with the people of King Parrot ward. It is now much more friendly and conciliatory. I don't get sworn at any more. But there is still a way to go, and I am eager.
Q.
What do you see as the most pressing challenges facing local businesses, and how would you address them if elected?
A.
One of the pressing challenges for business is getting staff, especially on weekends. Secondly, high rates on commercial businesses is putting great pressure on their ability to continue to run their businesses. A lot of the shops are owned by only a few, and they are showing their age. You need to look at the new businesses at the Kinglake West Servo to see this. Thirdly, with few banks in the towns it is hard for retail establishments to get enough change to see through each week. Some customers refuse to use EFTPOS. Transport costs also make businesses look bad as the goods seem expensive when compared to businesses closer to the suburbs. Also the remoteness sees delays in stock getting to shops. The results are 5 empty shops in Yea, and similar in Alex. The state of our roads has a bearing on the tourism traffic. I have seen many caravans and trailers with the axles ripped from them. Land tax is taking spending funds away from people with holiday houses in Murrindindi. This affects shops, tradies, and tourism. We can address some of the reduced visitation by working with people that are in the local tourism business, who have the experience to build on the big events and guide the small players so that they are successful. Fixing the roads will take an election perhaps. But we in council will keep pressing State and Federal governments to do better in funding roads. Surprisingly, not many realise that the lack of housing (rental and purchased) negates the possibility of getting more workers for local businesses. Our kids must leave our shire to get a job because there is nowhere for them to live here with their new families. Education is another one where teenagers must leave the shire to get tertiary and trade education. This results in less part time workers available, and less money flow as a result. Local Education hubs are a great solution as they found in Wangaratta. A lot of education is now done online, so a hub with computers and printers will help to keep the missing youths here.
Q.
Tourism plays a big role in our local economy. How would you support and grow tourism in the Shire, particularly through community events?
A.
Tourism is the second biggest business in the Shire. To date we have not had great success with tourism groups as parts of the shire are like the Yarra Valley, another is the high country, another is the watersports etc.. Major Events are dying all over the world so we must take care in where we invest our dollars. Some in the shire do very well, and have amassed a great deal of intellectual knowledge and experience in handling events to this very day. We need to capitalize on this source and structure tourist attractions and events based on this experience, together with the shire and other governments. We have great tourism hot spots, but with very little signage to tell travellers where to go. The roadside signs you see around Wangaratta with tourism maps are needed badly here. An example is the Cheviot Rail Tunnel. There is only one little sign on the highway despite there being about 4 ways to get there. Even then it gets a lot of visitors. We need to get smarter to use local resources where possible.
Q.
What are your priorities for improving infrastructure and services within the shire, particularly across our many individual towns/villages like Alexandra?
A.
There is a lot of Infrastructure in Murrindindi that gets little use. It just eats up scarce resources keeping them, money that can be better spent on things like splash parks and other attractions. A big part of our infrastructure is our roads, bridges, culverts and swimming pools. To alleviate this firstly we need to push for a better share of the grant moneys that are available for these resource hungry pieces of infrastructure. . Secondly we need to decide what to keep and what to let fall away. . The roads should be made and repaired with better grade materials so they do not degrade as much and need less maintenance, The roads should use material that is suitable for that spot. Not one solution fits all. Strategic planning is required so we concentrate on what is important, what attracts customers, and what we need to do to get more funds for our shire.
Q.
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the Shire of Murrindindi over the next four years, and how do you plan to address them?
A.
The biggest challenge facing the shire is health. We have a large aging population. We have hospitals under threat of amalgamating, closing or whatever. We have a shortage of doctors and this is getting shorter. Every person in the medical field from Seymour to Alexandra tells me they do not want to see rural hospitals close. We also have to travel long distances to obtain mental health help.Things that can be done is to get things going that attract young doctors. Also to use telehealth remote diagnosis and treatment services quickly for our residents. Another thing is to get the medical powers to allow our talented Chemists to take part in the process as they are highly medically qualified as well.
The next area of concern are housing and rental accommodation. Businesses cannot grow if they can't get staff. Visitors love it here, but even I had trouble finding a place to call home and that was 25 years ago. Carefully planned, and strategically planned land developments for residential and business properties is essential while keeping the beautiful ambience of our shire intact. Some more banks in smaller towns would help too.
Q.
What role do you think local governments should play in supporting environmental sustainability in our region?
A.
I am one to say that Local governments should stick to their fundamental business and not run off getting into expensive shiny projects. But that is changing. The State Government is now forcing Local Governments to do things other than the rates, roads and rubbish. One is the requirement being placed on council as a result of climate change. Council officers are not trained on climate effects, so there is a lot of expensive learning and time taken up trying to do this. We must take care of the environment of course. Once again strategic planning is needed. Facing insulated walls of buildings toward the north and the windows to the south need to be mandated. Considerations in forcing governments to support proven technologies like geothermal or ground heat air conditioning systems. There is no government incentive for this like there is in other countries. With strategic planning we can balance development opportunities against conservation for tomorrow if only we could keep strategically trained planning people at the shire. They are in high demand.
Candidates were provided twelve (12) questions, and invited to respond to six (6) of their choosing. As such, responses will be different from one candidate to another.
The candidate's responses have been published exactly as submitted. The Alexandra and District Traders and Tourism Association (ADTTA) has not altered or edited the content for spelling, accuracy, or tone.
NOTE: This post does not imply that ADTTA endorses any of the candidates in the upcoming elections