QUARTERS WARD
Suburbs: Lyndhurst, Cranbourne West, Cranbourne
Candidates: Ian Wood, David Rolfe, Carolyn Rolfe, Kuljeet Kaur Robinson, Craig Baird, Aftab Hussain, Ridvan Rasimi, Jagdeep Singh Sukhija
KULJEET KAUR ROBINSON
Suburb of residence: Cranbourne West
How long have you lived in Casey? 9 years
Political party (past and present): Labor (Non endorsed)
Occupation, business/employer name:
Registered psychiatric nurse, Peninsula Health
Property interests:
Property owner (Mortgage payer)
Business interests:
Husband owns a small business in Cranbourne
Three most important issues for your ward:
• Safety and Security of the community
• Youth crime and mental health
• Overdevelopment
Describe your involvement in the local community:
I actively engage with the local community through various initiatives and activities. This includes running a not-for-profit organization (Punjabi Sath Melbourne), participating in community get-together events, supporting local businesses, and attending local group meetings to stay informed about community issues. I also enjoy organizing workshops and events that unite people to share skills and knowledge, fostering a sense of connection and collaboration among residents. As a writer and poet, I love Engaging in cultural and literary activities that help improve the community and strengthen relationships among its members of every creed and age group.
As a mental health nurse, I believe that actively engaging with the local community has a positive impact on mental health and well-being in several ways. Social connections, building friendships, listening to others, and helping others can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. I like to learn new skills from others, especially from diverse groups of people.
Why are you standing for election?
I am very practical in my life; I believe in talking less and working more. I’m standing for election to make a positive impact on the local community and address the concerns that matter most to the residents. My goals include promoting open communication, promoting transparency in decision-making, and improving Council-Community relationships. I believe in the power of collaboration and want to bring diverse voices together to create solutions, that reflect the community’s needs. Additionally, I aim to focus on key issues such as fixing the potholes on the roads so that the vehicles are not damaged, the young community’s mental health issues, and Transparency in council communication (While campaigning, I came to know that many community members were not aware of coming elections, many people were not aware of Casey council had been dispended over corruption and many people did not have any knowledge about what a council does and where their house rates have been spent).
What is your campaign budget?
$15000
Who are your campaign donors? How much have each contributed?
I do not have any campaign donors; I contributed my own
What councillors, ex-councillors, MPs or ex-MPs have assisted or advised your campaign?
I have taken advice from local female MPs and businesswomen.
Who will you direct your preferences to?
Undecided
CRAIG BAIRD
Suburb of residence: Cranbourne
How long have you lived in Casey?
4 years
Political party (past and present):
Freedom Party (current member)
Occupation, business/employer name:
Software developer
Property interests:
I own the property I live in.
Business interests:
None.
Three most important issues for your ward:
Back to basics.
Focusing council back on core business like Rates, Roads and Rubbish. By getting Casey council out of areas of state and federal responsibilities and cutting back the layers of over-regulation, we can provide better services in the core areas of council responsibility.
Upgrading storm water drainage to fix our current flooding issues.
There have been numerous flooding events in the ward in the past few years. To fix this we need a real upgrade to storm water drainage capacity in the right locations.
Road maintenance and pothole fixes.
The biggest complaint I’ve heard from the public is potholes. With the Victorian government now cutting spending on road maintenance, it’s more important than ever that council doesn’t drop the ball on roads.
Why are you standing for election?
Because we are over-governed. Governments in Australia seemingly want to stick their noses into every facet of our lives and Victorian councils have been some of the worst examples of this.
I want to bring Casey council back to basics, no more sticking their noses into areas of state or federal responsibility. No more committees for special interest groups. No more additional layers of over-regulation and mismanagement. No more wasting rate payer’s money on pet projects and jobs for mates.
By focussing on the basics we can provide better services in councils core areas of responsibility, like Rates, Roads and Rubbish.
What is your campaign budget?
approx $2,000-$3,000
Who are your campaign donors? How much have each contributed?
My campaign is wholly self-funded.
What councillors, ex-councillors, MPs or ex-MPs have assisted or advised your campaign?
None
Who will you direct your preferences to?
Ian Woods 2, Aftab Hussain 3.
AFTAB HUSSAIN
Suburb of residence: Lyndhurst
How long have you lived in Casey? 9 years
Political party (past and present): Labor
Occupation, business/employer name: Higher Education Professional / The University of Melbourne
Property interests: I own two houses. A smaller first home and a larger one to cope with an expanding family with a mortgage.
Business interests: I am a director of Dost Painting Group PTY LTD which started its business in June 2024.
Three most important issues for your ward:
Having door knocked over 8000 homes across Quarters ward along with my team, we have listened to community concerns and prioritised major issues as part of my TeamAftab Action Plan which include,
· Freeze council rates for next financial year and conduct an ongoing review
· Improve the condition of play facilities in parks for our children and families
· Fix potholes, uneven footpaths, and better maintain the grass on local roads
· Improve Kindergarten and Maternity and Child Health Services to meet local demand
· Establish school crossing at Cranbourne West Secondary College
· Support local businesses and create local jobs
· Advocate to establish “Casey Transparency Hub”
· Improve local traffic management by strong advocacy with the State Government to open Glasscocks Road, duplicate Evans Road and add a third lane on the South Gippsland Highway.
Describe your involvement in the local community:
I served as President of Lyndhurst Primary School council for two years and have ongoing engagement in the community to improve quality of education and disability support.
Why are you standing for election?
I am a people person and talking to the local community comes naturally to me. Over recent years, I have seen there is a gap that has developed between council and our community and I believe I can reduce that gap by ensuring residents’ views are heard in the Council.
What is your campaign budget?
$17000
Who are your campaign donors? How much have each contributed?
My self = $10,000, and family friends=$7,000
What councillors, ex-councillors, MPs or ex-MPs have assisted or advised your campaign?
Only one retired ex-councillor – Dale Wilson
Who will you direct your preferences to?
I am required to give preference to fellow Labor party members (2) Kuljeet Kaur Robinson and (3) Jagdeep Singh Sukheja. Then (4) will go to Craig Baird as promised in exchange for a (3). (5) to Carolyn Eaves, (6) Ridvan Rasimi, (7) David Rolfe, (8) Ian Wood
