MAYFIELD
Voters in Lyndhurst, Cranbourne, Cranbourne West, Cranbourne East will receive ballot papers for the Casey council elections this week.
Only eight of 18 candidates were organised, diligent and committed enough to respond to Star News’s survey, most within a 24-hour deadline.
Voters can see which candidate they think will stand up for them, deliver sports grounds, pools, libraries, garbage services, local roads, sensible planning decisions and affordable rates.
Survey respondents: Gary Rowe, Steve Beardon, Graham Smith, Hans Caspersz, Parampreet Singh Rajput, Aravind Putta, Rob Ward and Amanda Stapledon (two days late).
No reply: Suzanne Lokot, Shabnam Safa, Jenni Walden, Colin Crane, Paul Elvish, Rebecca Halsall, Sid Banerjee, Sepalkumar Patel, Jimmy Varghese and Kuldeep Kaur.
GARY ROWE
What ward/municipality do you live in: –
Political party membership: Liberal Party for 30 years, 10 served as Cranbourne MP in State Parliament.
Place of Worship: No one’s business.
Campaign sponsors and donors: None requiring disclosure.
Campaign cost/budget: Haven’t totalled it at this stage.
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council: Delivery of roads, child care and health centres, public transport and more public health spending to accommodate rapid growth in Casey. Requires significant investment by State and Federal Governments. Supports delivery of council-funded infrastructure in a timely manner ahead of or meeting growth.
Three ways to make council budget savings: Continued implementation of the Efficiency and Effectiveness initiative initiated by me three years ago. Even at the stage it is now will deliver $15 million in savings in the next five years.
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: Unnecessary political stunt but I didn’t vote against it.
Law-and-order solutions: Law and order is the province of the State Government. All policing budgets, heavier penalties and mandatory sentencing and granting of bail are solely in the realm of the Victorian Government. All local state Lower House members are part of the government.
STEVE BEARDON
What ward/municipality do you live in: Casey
Political party membership: None
Place of Worship: Anglican
Campaign sponsors and donors: None
Campaign cost/budget: $5000
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council: Cranbourne ‘Luna Park’ style entertainment precinct. Local level cricket and footy facilities for Cranbourne East. Road funding for Lyndhurst.
Three ways to make council budget savings: Performance review of council operations independent of the CEO. This will identify potentially millions in savings councillors can then implement.
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: Political stunt not well thought out.
Law-and-order solutions: Having spearheaded the campaign for a police presence at rail stations over 13 years ago, and successfully petitioned for more police, the most effective response is to continually raise the need with all political parties. Police numbers should not be used as an opportunity for politically membered councillors. Council could assist with more CCTV cameras, more effective planning to ensure resources and services in place before giving the go ahead for urban development.
GRAHAM SMITH
(preferences Stapledon, Ward)
What ward/municipality do you live in: Mayfield
Political party membership: Liberal although not active.
Place of Worship: Home
Campaign sponsors and donors: Some local disgruntled neighbours.
Campaign cost/budget: $1000
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council: To be honest will have to talk to residents to find out what they want and need.
Three ways to make council budget savings: Get rid of consultants, reduce staff, restructure council for efficiencies.
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: If it highlights the lack of police, great.
Law-and-order solutions: Stop wasting money on Myki etc and spend it on more police officers, and we need harsher sentences for major crime.
HANS CASPERSZ
What ward/municipality do you live in: Mayfield
Political party membership: None
Place of Worship: None
Campaign sponsors and donors: None
Campaign cost/budget: $7500.00
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council:
* Make workings of council more transparent, consultative, accountable to the community, and deliver more value for ratepayers. Make council work within its financial means and the current rates;
* Improve transport infrastructure, e.g. main roads, Cranbourne rail upgrade and stations at Clyde and Cranbourne East. Controlling developments. Maintaining green spaces and access to the centres by bike paths;
* Improve support for victims of domestic violence, drug users and assistance for the less well off.
Three ways to make council budget savings:
* Refocus council’s operations to services delivery to the community;
* Assess all of council’s operations for value that is being delivered to the community. Look at what sections of council’s operations might be better delivered by the private sector;
* Assess all of council’s staffing levels for need and level of remuneration and adjust. Especially at senior executive levels.
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: Must not be used to make cheap political point as it demeans the value of the ceremony for everything else.
Law-and-order solutions:
* Lobby State Government in a meaningful way to enact laws to make it illegal to carry on any public roads, weapons and/or anything that can be used as a weapon, without good reason, regardless of whether the person is licenced for that weapon;
* Make lawful the random searching of cars etc. for weapons etc. Much the same way that Booze Buses operate;
* Not allow bail for offenders in certain categories of crimes (e.g. aggravated burglaries) regardless of circumstances or age.
PARAMPREET SINGH RAJPUT
Political party membership: Independent candidate
Place of worship: –
Campaign sponsors and donors: KPG Taxation Campaign cost/budget:$4000.
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council: Keeping rates as low as possible, investing in community safety, sensible planning decisions, better transport infrastructure, advocating for more police resources in our area, and investing appropriately in community sport and recreation facilities.
Three ways to make council budget savings: –
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: –
Law-and-order solutions: –
ARAVIND PUTTA
(preferences Rowe)
What ward/municipality do you live in: Mayfield
Political party membership: Liberal
Place of worship: Hindu Temple, Gurudwara, Buddhist temples, church, at home/work etc. Basically, I believe in God. It can be any place where I find peace.
Campaign sponsors and donors: So far none.
Campaign cost/budget: Cost $1250 as of now. Budget $2500.
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council: If elected by the ‘Power of the People’ our top three achievements would be to:
1. Lobby hard to State/Federal Governments to “Say no to crime in Casey by giving more police numbers and police power” with an additional police station, to tighten laws for minors too, to upgrade/expand and build more schools, hospitals, sports centres and new/better roads;
2. Detail nature strips and keep rates low;
3. Provide more child/aged care to meet the current population growth.
Three ways to make council budget savings:
1. Consult before promising or venturing to spending;
2. Stick to spending promises to current year’s revenue rather than overspending to the next term;
3. The increase in population in the council is helping in additional revenue. This should be diverted to major capital projects by creating a fund called Casey Growth Fund.
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: The City of Casey’s half-mast flag has made people talk about the State Government’s inaction to our problems. Basically, we all pay tax, so why should we live in fear in our own houses.
Law-and-order solutions: Simple – don’t take it in your hands. Let the authorities deal with it. Give them the required power and strength. Don’t let culprits out because of loop holes. Fix them now before it’s too late.
ROB WARD
(preferences Stapledon)
What ward/municipality do you live in: Mayfield, of course!
Political party membership: None, although I hold family friendly conservative views!
Place of worship: Crossway South-East.
Campaign sponsors and donors: Largely self-funded.
Campaign cost/budget: Too much! A bit hard to tell yet, I keep finding new things I need to do.
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council: Number one is to make sure the council works as a team, not as a political battleground. I will work to bring new employment and training opportunities for all residents and especially for our young people. Getting some infrastructure projects fast-tracked, such as Evans Road.
Three ways to make council budget savings: Smarter is the way, looking to get the best value for every dollar is the right way forward. We need to maximise council services in the right areas, improve efficiency and ensure we are spending money in the right places.
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: I understand the motivation, but a bit tokenistic for me. Let’s get real action not make empty gestures.
Law-and-order solutions: Greater community involvement in groups such as Neighbourhood Watch. Community safety is everyone’s issue. We certainly need more police resources in the area but this is not the entire solution. Much crime is opportunistic and we need to do our part as well.
AMANDA STAPLEDON
(preferences Ward)
What ward/municipality do you live in: Mayfield (for the past 20 years).
Political party membership: Liberal – but no endorsement, support or influence on council.
Place of Worship: St Johns Anglican Church, Cranbourne.
Campaign sponsors and donors: Held fundraiser.
Campaign cost/budget: Not sure yet.
Top three projects you’ll achieve on council: Advocating for an underpass at Thompsons Road and Westernport Highway, Marriott Waters, Lyndhurst. Further enhancements to the Better Bus Services. A review to bring more services and consultancy in-house.
Three ways to make council budget savings: Public private partnerships. More community groups able to renovate and build infrastructure on council land. Greater scrutiny on timelines and outcomes of projects.
Your view on half-mast Casey flag: Supported.
Law-and-order solutions: Promote family values. More police and greater powers to enforce the law. Strong penalties imposed on offenders who make our community feel unsafe.
[ More Casey Council Ward candidates here… ]
