Meet the Candidates
Paul Barker
Paul Barker
Paul Barker
Elected to the Surf Coast Shire Council in 2020, he has been a consistent staunch opponent of the direction Council has taken. From never supporting continual rate rises, being open to the Torquay pool but opposing it when costs blew out, standing against the abolition of women-only spaces & divisive flag policy and standing up for duck hunters, Paul has been resolute in standing up for residents and ratepayers who didn't have a voice elsewhere.
He seeks your support as a candidate in the Torquay ward. "I just want council to be boring. No grandstanding, no state, federal or international issues. Focusing our finite resources on the roads, parks and basic infrastructure. If you pay attention when you drive around the shire you'll see what needs maintaining".
"I understand there are many doing it tough in our shire, with working families needing food aid to put food on the table. I think it's unfair for these people to be paying for discretionary spending".
To contact Paul: councilcampaign@outlook.com
Paul is a member of the Libertarian Party
Joel Grist
Paul Barker
Paul Barker
I will be a standing as a candidate for our community at the upcoming council elections. I have lived in the Winchelsea Ward for 21 years.
In this time I have been managing director of our Allied Healthcare business with locations in Torquay, Colac and Geelong West. Through these businesses I have served the urban and small town residents, shire businesses and farmers in all corners of the Winchelsea Ward, which gives me a unique understanding of the people and issues across our ward. My community work has led me to be past president and life member of our little athletics club and past president and chair of Geelong Little Athletics Centre.
I have spent my career asking the right questions to diagnose problems and provide practical solutions. I am a critical thinker and my volunteer and business roles have made me outcome driven, with exceptional abilities to streamline processes to reduce resource, man hour, and monetary waste while maintaining good governance, which are key operational areas that the Surf Coast Shire needs to improve.
I am of the strong opinion that the shire should be run like a large body corporate, councilors be apolitical, and council not be a forum for social justice issues or ideological governance. I will ensure the council will focus on excellence in local product and service delivery; not state, federal or international issues. I will ensure service delivery, infrastructure development and road maintenance in our hinterland townships are increased to meet demands of projected growth.
I will work to cut the costs, and streamline the cumbersome and expensive ‘roadblocks’ small businesses, start ups, and family farming face when interacting with local government. I will support, protect and encourage recreational access and all activities that make use of the open spaces and infrastructure our shire holds to foster a healthy and connected community.
In summary my focus in council will be increasing productivity, better budget management, and growing our commUNITY.
Please let me know of any local issues and follow me on the campaign trail via any of my social pages found at :
To contact Joel: joelgristforsurfcoast@outlook.com
Joel is a member of the Libertarian Party
Eric Menogue
Rebecca Bourke
Rebecca Bourke
Eric Menogue is a father of three, a skilled carpenter/joiner, and an Army special forces veteran, deeply committed to the future of the Surf Coast community. Eric’s journey began in the trades, where he mastered the values of hard work, precision, and dedication. Seeking new challenges and a greater way to serve, he enlisted in the Australian Army at 24, further honing his leadership and commitment to service.
Now, Eric is channeling his experience and passion into serving the Surf Coast Shire as a councillor. His deep roots in the community began when he moved to Torquay as a teenager to finish school. Today, Eric, his long-term partner and their three children call Torquay home.
Eric believes it’s time for the council to return to the basics: being led by the community, for the community. He’s not just committed to listening, but truly hearing what the community has to say about the issues that affect them. He’s a strong advocate for full transparency in council operations, the importance of streamlining the flow of information to make smarter, faster decisions that deliver real-world results.
Eric understands that when the basics are done right, the entire community benefits. As a councillor, he’s committed to protecting the Surf Coast’s natural beauty while ensuring the local community’s needs are met. His vision is a well-managed, thriving region that future generations can be proud of.
Join Eric Menogue on this journey to bring fresh, community-focused leadership to the Surf Coast Shire. Let’s work together to build a better future. Vote for Eric, and let’s make sure your voice is truly heard.
To contact Eric: ericmenogue@outlook.com
Eric is a member of the Liberal Party
Rebecca Bourke
Rebecca Bourke
Rebecca Bourke
Rebecca is a Family Counsellor, Family Law Mediator and Elite Athlete Mindset Coach to our Gold Medal winning Olympic Dive team in 2008.
Most importantly, I am a mother and wife.
"Every day, I see more and more how families are hurting through poor economic management on all levels of government, and social cohesion falling apart at the seams from irresponsible and grandstanding ideologies. This has very real and hard-hitting impacts on families and communities. I now feel compelled to stand up and make a difference where I can and support our local families and community to the very best of my ability in a way that celebrates who each and every one of us are, without the divisive politics and manage resources efficiently and effectively".
Rebecca is married to former Geelong Cats Captain, Damian Bourke, who has a strong connection to Torquay, with hundreds of hours spent surfing the Torquay waves. Together we are raising our young family in beautiful Torquay.
Torquay has one of the most beautiful environments in the world with one of the most amazing communities. I am so proud to be part of this incredible part of the world.
To contact Rebecca: rebeccabourkerunning4council@gmail.com
Rebecca is an independent, and has never been a member of a political party.
Our Policies
Economic
1. We will prioritise Roads, Rubbish and Spending Rates wisely
2. Grant funding to be voluntary contributions from ratepayers
3. Stop wasting ratepayer’s money on low integrity carbon offsets
4. Reduce wasteful spending
Services
5. Ensure KPIs for core services are met
6. We will prioritise roads, infrastructure, stormwater, other existing assets and associated services over all other services
7. We will cease promotion or advocacy for affordable or social housing
8. Cease ‘gifting’ public land to private developers for ‘social or affordable housing’ developers, unless there is verified public support through full provision of information and an independent, properly designed community survey
9. Rule of Law. We are committed to treating everyone equally regardless of their status, preferences, ethnicity or beliefs
10. We will restrict gender equity assessments to those needed to achieve legal compliance for volunteer-run clubs
Governance
11. Cease engagement on State, Federal or International issues. We are not a vehicle for activist groups
12. We will engage in sensible advocacy directed at State and Federal Governments on behalf of Surf Coast residents in areas such as Health and Education
13. We will ensure maximum transparency by making Council information public as a default
14. We will only fly flags that are required by law
15. We will seek representation on GORCAPA board to have a closer relationship with our neighbouring land manager
16. We will support individual Councillors to raise Notices of Motion
17. We commit to making decisions that sensibly consider and protect our local environment
Social
18. We will support the celebration of Australia Day and Christmas
19. We will return Citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day in the Surf Coast
20. We will support the provision of Women-only toilets
Diversity of Opinion
21. We encourage candidates on the Back to Basics ticket to have free choice on all other topics not specified
Back to Basics Community Survey Results
Indepenent Community Satisfaction Survey
Data from the last ten years shows an overall decline in community support for all metrics.
If the status quo of council is returned, expect this to continue on a downward trend.
Vote for Back to Basics Team to turn this around!
Back to Basics Survey Results
We are listening
Our community survey shows that there is significant support for Council getting Back to Basics. We acknowledge there are some views that support the current direction of council, however, these views appear to be the minority.
Given we have finite resources, the Back to Basics team is committed to allocating these resources in ways that provide maximum support to the most amount of people possible.