What comes to mind when you hear the word "council"? Roads and rubbish?
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Horsham Rural City Council's newest candidate is making the first of these a key part of her campaign.
Advertising and sales professional Claudia Haenel is running at next month's 2020 Local Government Elections on a platform of advocating for roads and infrastructure.
"There is a lot of positivity and growth in the future of Horsham, and we have to cater for that growth," she said.
"I think possibly the bypass is something to be considering: That has been in the peripheral for a while now. Nothing has been decided yet, and if there is going to be growth that is something that needs to be looked at.
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Ms Haenel said she thought upgrades at Horsham's Aquatic Centre, the Dooen intermodal freight terminal, and before that Horsham Town Hall, were the best investments in the municipality by the outgoing and previous councils.
Born and raised in Horsham, Ms Haenel now lives in St Helen's Plains having spent time in the UK, New Zealand, Brisbane and Adelaide
She has taken on the role of relationship manager with Business Horsham and staged an online musical festival, "On the Brink", in the past 12 months.
"Another thing I'd like to see is jobs growth: My proposal is to run 'On the Brink', to raise money for critically-endangered wildlife, as well as the Horsham Rock festival, which I am hoping to get going for February 2021," she said.
"Our hospitality and entertainment sectors have been hit really hard - so if I could get that happening, and all the infrastructure required to make that happen, that would be an achievement for myself.
"I feel I have a lot to offer. I understand what's important to people in the area."
Other candidates announced so far:
Nominations for the Victorian local council elections open on Thursday. Candidate information will be progressively made available on the Victorian Electoral Commission website from that date (vec.vic.gov.au).
Candidates for each council will be updated progressively on the VEC website during the nomination period, from Thursday until 12 noon Tuesday September 22. The list will be updated twice daily each weekday during the nomination period.
No nominations will be taken over the weekend.
Following the close of nominations, each council's Election Manager will conduct a ballot draw to determine the order that candidates' names will appear on the ballot paper. This final list of candidates, in ballot paper order, will be available on the VEC website late Tuesday afternoon.
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Alexander Darling
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
