Sharon Verschaeren

Helping small business get back on its feet has motivated Nar Nar Goon North resident Sharon Verschaeren to stand for Cardinia Shire Council.

“Keeping council just accountable, keeping it transparent and really just making sure we get back to basics,” she added.

Working in a family business, Ms Verschaeren said lockdown inspired her to stand and believes getting businesses together to consolidate ideas, getting behind innovative entrepreneurs and promoting beautiful places would be key.

“People can come up with really great ideas if given the freedom to do so. Government just needs to get out of their way.”

Ms Verschaeren also wants council to return to promoting “happy events”, for example more focus on Christmas decorations.

She believes major issues in

Bunyip ward include bushfire rebuilding, Bunyip Quarry, state forest management, and key basics of dumped rubbish, parking, trees, pavement and graffiti.

“Residents are still waiting on building permits from after the bushfires last year. How terrible is that? They should be priority number one.”

Ms Verschaeren wants council to be mindful of the quarry impacts such as that on fauna and flora as well as residents’ water supply.

“Residents are going to fight back to the very end, and I hope to fight back with them.”

She wants to pull up spending due to impacts of rate increases, particularly on those being taxed off large farming properties.

“Rates are just unnecessarily though the roof and they are through the roof due to council spending.”

Ms Verschaeren is a volunteer with the Pakenham Junior Football Club and a Liberal Party member.