Mikaela Power

Creating a better place to live is what Mikaela Power wants to achieve on Baw Baw Shire.

Cr Power was elected four years ago and believes she will be more effective if re-elected for a second term.

Cr Power is a stakeholder engagement adviser with the Environment Protection Authority.

She lives in Warragul but previously lived in Willow Grove, which she said gives her a greater understanding of smaller communities as well as the shire’s major towns.

Engaging with youth better is a priority for Cr Power.

She said other municipalities had established successful programs through youth councils and other forums and she said there were opportunities for Baw Baw to do more with youth.

“We need to build relationships with our youth.

Throughout her term, Cr Power has been determined to ensure fairness in planning matters.

“I just want it to be fair and effective. I think it is only four or five times that I have gone against planners’ advice.

Cr Power said council needed to look at the processes in place to follow through on planning decisions to ensure permits and conditions were being met. She said there were insufficient resources to follow up all cases.

Cr Power defended her support for a new residential subdivision that would have allowed the extension of Brooker Park.

While the subdivision was refused because it did not meet Warragul’s precinct structure plan, she said there was a community expectation for the park to continue to be developed into new areas.

She said there was room for compromise for the applicant and council to achieve the best outcome.

“The psp will work most of the time and we have tested it in broad terms, but there will be times where it needs flexibility.

Cr Power also said council could do more to support local groups in food security.

She said farmers markets and local producers were working well with food security but council could play a role in developing it as a drawcard for the municipality.

Cr Power said there was room for improvement in the way council engaged and consulted with the community.

“There have been some spectacular examples of not engaging with the community. Queen St streetscape was one of those but there is agreeance that we have a long way to go to improve consultation.

Cr Power said she supported council’s investment in the West Gippsland Arts Centre redevelopment.

She agreed it was a big financial commitment and some people thought it was outside what council should be doing, but thorough planning had been undertaken for the project.