• Support local businesses by working closely with business owners to understand the challenges they face and create the conditions they need to grow and succeed.

• Attract new employers and industries to Victor Harbor, creating more local jobs and career opportunities, particularly for young people.

• Build a stronger and more diverse local economy so Victor Harbor is a place where people can both live and work.

• Provide essential services and infrastructure — including healthcare, transport, and community facilities — for today’s ratepayers.

• Ensure essential services and infrastructure — including healthcare, transport, and community facilities — keep pace with population growth.

• Attract a diverse and balanced community where older residents, young families, and businesses can all thrive.

• Homelessness: In 2014, my wife and I helped establish the Fleurieu Homelessness Fund within the Fleurieu Community Foundation. I believe how a community assists the homeless is a true measure of our understanding and compassion. I would like our Council to continue to support homelessness services as much as they are able, and to continue to support the Fleurieu Community Foundation, and other service and community groups.

• Environment: There is a lot of debate around the impact humans have on our environment. Whether you believe we are impacting our environment or not (I do by the way), we are definitely seeing the impact of the changing environment on our local area. One of the great examples of how the local council is managing climate change and adaptation is the recent completion of the Yilki Coastal Defence Sea Wall. This is the type of action Council should be taking.

• Managing rapid population growth without changing Victor Harbor’s character: One of the main reasons I have decided to run for the City of Victor Harbor Council is the recognition that Victor Harbor’s population is growing and changing. This growth is inevitable. However, it is important that Victor Harbor’s character and attractiveness is maintained during this growth. This will be a particular focus of mine, should I be privileged to be elected.

• Transport: There is no doubt that transport is a key concern for ratepayers. Whether it be transport to or from Adelaide for medical, employment or educational reasons, or just local transport across the southern Fleurieu, it’s clear more needs to be done. I support the City of Victor Harbor’s Urban Growth Management Strategy, which has a particular focus on ‘improving access and availability to public transport to, from, and within Victor Harbor to reduce reliance on private vehicles’.

• Regional Community, Sports and Recreation Precinct: I support the need for this development particularly as it pertains to facilities for families and young people. However, I also have concerns about the cost of this development and how it is being financed. I support the call for the new CEO to undertake a detailed review of the proposal and to present the results of this review to the new Council in April 2027.

• Housing affordability, housing diversity and attracting younger people: The City of Victor Harbor’s Urban Growth Management Strategy provides sound principles for housing growth and diversity. However, recent housing developments have put an undue stress on the provision of infrastructure and services, and seem to work against increasing the diversity of the population in favour of what appears to be simply retirement villages. On Council, I will be pushing for housing policies that attract young people and families.

• Council responsiveness, consultation and governance: The City of Victor Harbor has a focus on consultation with the community. However, few ratepayers engage directly with the Council via surveys, public consultation, and even social and traditional media. It is the responsibility of the sender, not the receiver, to ensure that a message is delivered. Regardless of how well the Council believes it is communicating, it is clear that it needs to do much, much better at engaging residents and ratepayers in developing and reviewing policies.