Sorell Moving Forward

My family and I live in the community; my children were educated here. For many years I ran the Sorell School canteen. I have volunteered in the community, including the Wattle Hill Fire Brigade for 13 years. I am always happy to be an extra pair of hands, to cook the community BBQ, or to stack the chairs at the end of the night.

Being Mayor has become the full-time job, and it has taken me away from the canteen — but not from the people. Those years are where I learned to listen; the connections I made enable me now to have honest conversations right around the municipality. I recognise the many differences between our communities, their strengths and needs.

In 2024 I said that as Mayor I would lobby every level of government for our unique municipality. That is a large part of what the mayoral role has turned out to be. In the last couple of years, the Sorell Southern Bypass has opened. State and federal funding has been secured for our roads, sewerage and power that the Sorell East subdivision will need, with a share of the identified housing growth set aside for first home buyers.

The duplication of the causeways is in the program identified in the state’s 2028–29 forward budget. The Community Precinct is in progress. The Urban Study Hub and Jobs Hub are successfully operational, as is the Urgent Care Clinic. A Catholic K–12 school is on the table and a Christian infant school is in progress. None of that is one person’s doing — council plans years in advance, and many people work on it — but a confident, informed mayor can make all the difference, making sure Sorell is not forgotten, remains relevant and on top of the pile when decisions at a higher level are made.

Growth is the big topic of this election, and my response has not changed: progress without costly disruption. Sorell East (subdivision) alone means well over a thousand new homes, staged through to 2034. Planned properly, it is good news. It means the essential infrastructure — schools, health services, economic and employment opportunities — arriving with the growth rather than years after it, and, importantly, protecting what makes Sorell special: our coast, our farmland, our environment, and our culture of connection and inclusion. We all benefit from growth.

Progress is best achieved together.

I am told my strength is collaboration, and over two years in as Mayor, I believe it more than ever: progress is best achieved together. The Sorell East master plan will run for a year or more with several rounds of community consultation, and the Southern Beaches Plan has been out for your input this year. A South East Sports Complex and Municipality Play Space audit will shape the future of those spaces for the next 20-plus years. In the last two years council’s community engagement has increased, as has the engagement team. You will have a real say in the future of Sorell Municipality and council’s actions.

A councillor is elected to represent the community: I take on board what I hear and put my own personal feelings aside. I wrote “through you and for you” when I first stood as councillor in 2022. I pledge to continue to honestly represent you and connect your organisations to bring your aspirations to life.

I will happily talk waste — it is a pet topic. Sorell now has Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) bins. I am very proud of this introduction, diverting up to 60% of waste from landfill. The Copping waste facility is a nation-leading facility addressing resource recovery and disposal of our waste. Sorell Council is a joint owner of the facility, and I sit on the joint authority overseeing Southern Waste Solutions for its owner councils. Education is key, along with taking responsibility for our own personal actions. Council has the responsibility to support the community and to lead by example: placing street bins in appropriate places and creating vibrant, pleasing streetscapes and precincts everyone wants to take pride in.

The diverse natural environment of our municipality brings challenges; water is a vital resource for everyone. I am committed that council continues to improve the methods of stormwater discharge into our waterways, reducing pollution and erosion. I understand the necessity of water protection and weed control in the upper water catchments, and proper access to the South East Irrigation Scheme in the lower catchment to support sustainable agriculture.

I would like to see a ‘Regional Brand’ for our agricultural sector. We are gifted with some of the best meat, fruit and wines in Tasmania. With an international airport just minutes down the road, we can send our produce out of the state and to new markets in a matter of hours, whilst also welcoming visitors to join us in celebrating all the South East has to offer. This will boost our economy, create jobs and highlight our area for further investment. As Mayor I can advocate and facilitate an economic environment to create a South East brand.

We live in a beautiful place with an incredibly connected society. I will continue to support the lifestyle that we celebrate. I will create an environment where wrap-around support is available when it is needed. I will support the development of more tracks and trails, more vibrancy in our increasing public spaces. Facilitate and connect our organisations to support resilience and success. I will not stop working for everyone.

Ballot packs arrive in letterboxes between 5 and 9 October, and voting closes at 2 pm on Tuesday 27 October. I am asking for your vote, so that together we can keep Sorell moving forward — uniting community and opportunity, people and place.

Please vote 1 Janet Gatehouse for Mayor and Councillor.