By Parker McKenzie
It’s a rare occurrence when two sitting Members of Parliament run against each other but come November, Ferntree Gully MP Nick Wakeling will be facing off against the incumbent MP Jackson Taylor in Bayswater after redistricting abolished his seat before the state election.
Their careers share more than a few superficial similarities, despite being on opposite sides of the aisle in parliament. Both spent two years as Knox City councillors before entering state politics. In 2006, Mr Wakeling won the seat of Ferntree Gully by just 27 votes and in 2018 Mr Taylor entered parliament with a margin of .04 per cent, one of the closest in the state, and both beat sitting MPs in their first tilt at state politics.
The Star Mail spoke to Mr Wakeling and Mr Taylor about how the electoral boundaries will affect them, the issues facing locals and the November state election.
The rising cost of living was a primary concern for the local community according to both Mr Taylor and Mr Wakeling, however, they expressed a different outlook on the role the State Government was playing in addressing the issue.
Mr Wakeling said many residents in Knox feel the area has been neglected and hasn’t had its fair share of government investment.
“People are tired, angry, and looking for a change. Particularly after the last two years, lots of people have raised concerns with me about the direction of this government,” he said.
“You’ve got cost of living, house prices going through the roof, interest rate rises, increased costs, and the government’s response instead of supporting Victorians is they’ve increased or introduced new taxes and charges.”
Mr Taylor pointed to the $250 Power Saving Bonus, free kinder starting in 2023, over 60 free TAFE courses and the sick pay guarantee for casual and contract workers as ways the State Government is delivering real assistance for households.
“Since elected in 2018 I have worked alongside our community to deliver around $500 million in local projects and helped to create local jobs,” he said.
“There’s always more to do and I’m committed to continuing to listen to every single local on what matters most to them and the challenges they’re facing and matters they raise with me.”
Mr Taylor said he had helped secure nearly $100 million for a major expansion of the Angliss Hospital, $60 million for local school upgrades, sporting ground upgrades and revitalising Boronia since joining parliament in 2018.
“It has been the honour of a lifetime to continue to represent the community I love and live in. Representing my neighbours, listening to them about what matters most, each and every single day is the most important part of my job,” he said.
“I’ve held over 250 mobile offices, knocked on thousands of doors and called tens of thousands of locals to speak with them, not just at election time, but week after week, month after month.”
Mr Wakeling said an example of the community not being listened to on local issues is the development of a manmade dam dubbed ‘Lake Knox.’
“It’d be easily solved if the government sat down with the local community and came up with a workable solution,” he said.
“Residents aren’t being obstructionists, they aren’t being malicious, they just want to be heard, be listened to and engaged.”
In March, Mr Wakeling called for an advisory group including local representation to determine the future of the site and to consider designating it as a sanctuary.
Mr Taylor said it was disappointing to see the politicisation of the matter after the plan to retain the man-made dam was discovered to be unworkable.
“Investigations found it was structurally unstable with leaks and cracks detected in the dam wall and at risk of collapse, meaning it would need to be completely drained to rectify this regardless of future use,” Mr Taylor said.
“At the end of the day this will create a nature reserve, a fit-for-purpose wetlands sanctuary which will allow the Blue-billed Duck and other wildlife not just to survive, but to thrive and flourish for years to come.”
After the redistricting, parts of Ferntree Gully are now in Mr Taylor’s electorate of Bayswater, including the Burwood Highway and McMahons Road intersection. In the March 2022 state budget, $30 million was allocated to upgrade the intersection with traffic lights with planning and design slated to begin this year.
Mr Wakeling said advocating for the upgrades had been a long-term mission of his, having raised the issue over 20 times in parliament since 2016.
“Every time I raised it with the Roads Minister, I was told it was not needed. Now it’s been funded a few months before the state election,” Mr Wakeling said.
“It’s not just a good outcome for Ferntree Gully residents, it’s a fantastic outcome. We shouldn’t be fighting like this to get infrastructure, we shouldn’t be fighting like just to get a set of traffic lights.”
Mr Taylor said he ended “the talkfest” once and for all on the issue and solved the issue quickly for locals after the boundary changes.
“I was proud to secure funding in this year’s State Budget which will deliver lights here making it safer for all locals,” he said.
The state election will be held on Saturday 26 November. The revised Bayswater electorate now covers Wantirna, Bayswater, Boronia and parts of Ferntree Gully. The rest of the Ferntree Gully electorate was split between Rowville and Monbulk.
