HENDO’S POLL POSITION

BIG COMEBACK: Lib surges to lead in fight for Corangamite

SARAH Henderson is on track to retain the key marginal seat of Corangamite after a big turnaround in an exclusive Geelong Advertiser poll.

A ReachTEL poll of 788 voters showed 42.1 per cent of those surveyed would give Ms Henderson their primary vote, 10 per cent higher than in December.

BOTH Liberal and Labor candidates will be hoping to conquer the big waves of Torquay as the battle for Corangamite hots up.

The growing Surf Coast town will be another key battleground in the 2019 federal election with big money offers from both sides of politics on the table.

While Labor’s Libby Coker has promised $15 million for a new Torquay Aquatic and Leisure Centre featuring a 25m pool, Liberal Sarah Henderson topped that with $20 million for a 50m pool.

Based on the 2016 federal election, Torquay came down to the wire with Labor narrowly taking the town 51 per cent to the Liberals’ 49 per cent.

In Torquay, 981 people voted Liberal compared to 999 for Labor.

And in Torquay North, 1544 voted Liberal compared to 1635 for Labor.

The final totals were 2525 for the Liberals compared with 2634 for Labor — a difference of just 109 votes.

At the 2018 state election, Torquay again went red with 369 votes for Labor’s Darren Cheeseman to 275 for Liberal opponent Andrew Katos.

The booth of Torquay North also went to Cheeseman by 665 votes to Katos’ 522.

With a federal election less than a month away, Torquay residents have a range of issues on their mind.

Not surprisingly for such a pristine part of the world, locals say the pressing topics are climate change and preventing urban sprawl.

For that reason the Greens are expected to put up a strong challenge in Torquay, and will connect with many residents who have chosen to make the sea-change.

Greens candidate Simon Northeast and Ms Coker have both made climate change one of their key election promises.

Mr Northeast, who was elected as the first Greens councillor on the Surf Coast Shire in 2008, fought strongly for council to stop the Spring Creek residential development.

“I am running as a candidate for the Greens because we need strong action on climate change before we have a dead planet,” Mr Northeast says.

“I feel it is my responsibility to not only cherish, but to protect and preserve the environment which sustains life on this earth. In order to do this, I feel that changes to current policies and legislation are necessary to ensure that this planet is habitable for my grandchildren.

“The Greens fight for the places we love and the places we value.”

Premier Daniel Andrews also did his bit to ease residents’ concerns on Thursday by kicking off the process to better protect Torquay, Jan Juc and the Bellarine under legislation relating to distinctive areas and landscapes.

Declaring that urban sprawl was risking the lifestyle locals love, Mr Andrews said Labor’s firm position was the new town boundary for Torquay should begin at Duffields Rd.