FOUR of the candidates for the Nepean electorate at the upcoming state election gathered for a Mornington Peninsula Shire organised election forum on Wednesday 14 October.
The night was marked by lively discussion, but general consensus among the group on what was needed to be achieved in Nepean to improve the lives of residents.
The candidates in attendance were Sianan Healy (Greens), Darren Hercus (One Nation), Anthony Marsh (Liberal Party) and Kim Robbins (Independent).
Indicating they will contest the election but not in attendance were Mike Brown (Family First), Tamara Champion (Animal Justice Party), and Seth Willcocks (Victorian Socialists).
Candidate had two minutes to introduce themselves.
Kim Robbins told the audience she was standing because this is her home and she is tired of seeing the same problems election, after election.
She said she, as an independent, can work with anyone in government. “I don’t need a party’s permission to speak for you.”
Anthony Marsh told the crowd he had been in the community for 34 years. “I’ve got three young kids under 10. And I want to have them have a future on the peninsula but also in Victoria.”
Marsh said he is here to fight to make sure the peninsula gets a fair share, the residents are heard and have a voice in parliament.
Darren Hercus said businesses have been struggling and small businesses are bleeding and he will fight for small and medium businesses.
He also said Rosebud Hospital is a huge issue for him. “We need a hospital the community deserves.” Hercus also said crime is a huge issue on the peninsula.
Sianan Healy said “I’m a proud Mornington Peninsula local”. Healy said she isn’t a career politician, and she believes Nepean deserves to have someone to represent them and fight for their values.
“The major parties are clearly not working for the communities they represent, but rather for the big donors and fossil fuel companies that back them.”
The first discussion was based around housing and homelessness.
Healy said homelessness and housing is at crisis point on the peninsula.
“I will push for the peninsula to receive its fair share of funding for housing and homelessness services.”
Marsh said “The government has a huge budget in this field. The issues is allocation. The Big Housing Build state government project has an $8b budget but just $30.5m is allocated here”.
Robbins said she would be asking for transparency on the allocation of the Short Stay Levy. “We are not getting our fair share to deal with the crisis caused by the short stay dwellings.”
Hercus said One Nation has a good policy in that regard rewarding those that rent out a spare room or granny flat.
In terms of boosting the supply of affordable housing on the southern peninsula, Healy said one of the first things we can do is start releasing some of the empty stock back into the peninsula. “Housing is a human right,” said Healy.
Asking the candidates about transport infrastructure and roads, Marsh said, referring to state roads, “The problem is they repair them, but the repairs are done sub standardly”.
“It’s about funding it appropriately but making sure that money is directed to getting a return.”
Hercus said he thought dangerous intersections are a huge problem too. “We need to lobby state government for more money for the roads down here.”
Robbins told the audience she believed the peninsula should be removed from the road service contract that runs from Whitehorse Road down to the peninsula. “We should be put into our own contract”.
Healy said the larger issue is that road maintenance has been privatised and it that should never have happened. “The Greens would be advocating for appropriate funding.”
Asked if the candidates would support a separated bike path between Sorrento and Blairgowrie, Robbins said, “I’d always advocate for separate bike lanes, but it can’t be at the cost of other infrastructure projects.”
Marsh said “It’s really important we allow people to connect in whatever way works for them”.
Hercus said it has to stack up financially. “There are more pressing projects money is needed for”.
Healy said The Greens would broadly support the bike path project. “This is core policy for us”.
When it comes to health services, the first question was about Rosebud Hospital. Specifically, if each candidate supported the redevelopment and at what level.
Robbins said she absolutely supports the redevelopment of the Rosebud Hospital. “If I were the member for Nepean, I would be working with the Liberal government to make sure we get the $340m we’ve been promised.”
Hercus said he supports the redevelopment “100%”. He said another proposal that should be looked at would be a privately funded hospital.
Marsh said he had met with Bayside Health during the by-election. “Our plan is a full rebuild,” said Marsh. “We haven’t talked about shutting it down for two years. I don’t think the community would accept that.”
Healy said maternity health care should be back in the hospital. “We would like to see CT machines, screening services reintroduced into Rosebud Hospital.”
Hercus asked where the money is coming from.
Marsh said the state is in a “shocking state of finances”, but that “hospitals are not something you compromise on”.
In terms of debt, the next question was how each candidate would drive down state debt.
Robbins said “every dollar needs to be going to where it needs to be going” and ensuring that “everything is accounted for”.
Hercus said One Nation would scrap the Suburban Rail Loop and look at other avenues of cutting government expenditure.
Healy said the money is there “it’s just being held by the one per cent that are making a profit from the cost-of-living crisis”.
Marsh said “There are quite a few ways. One way is to rule out corruption and extreme pricing on commercial projects and infrastructure”.
“Everyone should be challenging the line items in front of them. Not just accepting them as fact.”
Marsh also spoke about “growing our way of debt” by restoring confidence in Victoria.
Robbins said she agreed with Marsh’s sentiments and believed we should be looking at every line item.
In terms of the cost-of-living crisis, Healy said the Greens have a suite of policies. “Free dental care” was one of the Greens policies that would be funded by taxing gambling corporations.
Marsh said there is no “money tree” to pay for free dental care promoted by Labor and the Greens.
“Ben Carroll said there would be free dental every year but said there would only be 100,000 appointments a year, so that the average Victorian would have to wait 35 and a half years to have their teeth checked once.”
Robbins said free dental is a good concept but that the Labor Party doesn’t think there isn’t anything south of Frankston.
Hercus said, “there are lots of things we can do on cost of living”. Hercus said government subsidies should be removed from things like solar farms, and reinvested in things like gas and fuel production here.
Healy said the government currently subsidises the fossil fuel industry.
Asked what role the Victorian government should play in finishing assets like Flinders Pier and Portsea Front Beach, Robbins told the audience, “I don’t understand why a heritage listed pier is sitting half finished”.
“The Labor government have completely forgotten about the Mornington Peninsula.”
Marsh said both the issues have been long supported by him.
“I’m well aware of the frustration. This is a great example of just utter mismanagement by this government,” said Marsh.
Hercus said he supports the required works to restore Portsea Front Beach. “The state government should do the rectification works.”
Healy said she supports the rebuilding of Flinders Pier, and was opposed to the gutting of services in Parks Victoria. In terms of Portsea Front Beach, she said she supports “evidence based and cost-effective solutions”.
In terms of protecting the green wedge, all four candidates committed to committing it.
All candidates said they were against charging staff to park at Rosebud Hospital.
At the end of the questions, all candidates were given one minute to make closing statements.
Healy said a Greens MP on the peninsula would be “fighting for you each day”.
Hercus said if you want change, you need good representation and that his team (One Nation) wants to restore trust.
Marsh said, “When you’ve got a governing party that hasn’t even selected someone to be on the ballot yet, it shows what they think of the peninsula”.
Robbins said, “you shouldn’t have to wonder whose interest your MP is putting first. My loyalty will always stay here with you”.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 21 October 2026
