My qualifications and successful career experience include leadership roles with all levels of government. I have worked in the education, health, IT and agriculture sectors in areas of services development, project management, finance, strategic planning, business development and most importantly, decision-making.
I am connected to our community by being involved in several committees, namely the Murchison Neighbourhood House and the Murchison Historical Society. I chair the Dhurringile Mansion Revitalisation Committee and I am also a member of the Greater Shepparton Public Health Advisory Committee.
My goals as your elected councillor will be to strengthen our region’s economy, address public transport access, housing and homelessness, and fix our roads! And I will do this with fresh ideas and a common-sense approach.
For example, our readers will be aware of the disgraceful state of our roads across Greater Shepparton. For too long, residents have endured driving around and through unsafe and damaging holes that no-one seems to be accountable for. There is no transparency about which roads are maintained by the state or the council, and it shouldn’t be up to the residents to navigate this.
If elected, I will push for the creation of a council-funded role responsible for triaging complaints about roads in order of priority after inspection and liaising with the relevant authority to get them repaired. For local roads managed by council, it is important that people be reassured that they have been listened to and that the repair work is scheduled. This may include using the GSCC website to keep ratepayers updated on the progress of the road repairs.
The damaged roads are also a mental trigger for those people still trying to manage their lives after the floods. It is a constant reminder of the experience, neglect and sense of helplessness people felt during that terrible time, particularly those who live in Mooroopna.
The condition of our roads is not helped by the poor drainage system throughout Greater Shepparton. How many times have we seen blocked drains and water over our roads after a few hours of rain? If elected, I will push for work to be done to clear blocked drainage systems and improve water flow to minimise road destruction and help cope during a flood event.
Speaking of floods, we must ensure as a community we are prepared for the next big flood that hopefully never comes. Council plays a critical role in preparedness — ensuring pumps essential for water management are maintained and always working and thorough engagement with local communities to understand how they can contribute towards flood-related prevention.
As a candidate for the Goulburn River Ward, the roads and related infrastructure will be a priority that I will focus on if elected.
I ask for your vote.
Sherri Smith-Hoyer, candidate for Goulburn River Ward
