This free, public event will be co-hosted by Committee for Greater Shepparton chief executive Linda Nieuwenhuizen and McPherson Media Group assistant editor Shepparton News Geoff Adams.
Ms Nieuwenhuizen said the forum was an important opportunity for the local community to learn more about the candidates and what they intended to deliver on behalf of the region if elected — and if their party formed government.
“At the last election the former member for Nicholls retired so there was a strong contest between both coalition parties and from our local independent candidate,” she said.
“This time, there won’t be a Liberal candidate contesting the seat, but we won’t know the final full list of candidates until midday Friday.”
The current representative, Sam Birrell, has completed his first term, and Ms Nieuwenhuizen said people were eager to see what he intended to do in his next term.
“With the polls suggesting a very close outcome overall, it’s important for us to understand Sam’s plan for all possible scenarios — if the coalition wins government, if he is in opposition for another term, but also how he intends to work for our region if it’s a minority government,” she said.
“We expect there will be other candidates from parties that may end up with representatives in the next parliament, so we want to know how their parties will engage and vote on issues that matter to our region.
“These issues include water and the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, energy security and transition, housing, key infrastructure and migration — especially for a city that is built on welcoming workforce and talent from around the globe.”
Ms Nieuwenhuizen said the impact of United States President Donald Trump and the tariff tensions were incredibly relevant to our region, which exports to the world.
“But it’s also key to the cost of products like farm machinery, manufacturing plant and medical supplies that we import,” she said.
“The big issues are clearly the costs of living and the costs of doing business.
“It will be interesting to see how our candidates are approaching these issues and the policies they think can drive better outcomes for our region.”
Mr Adams said he was looking forward to hearing candidates outline their plans for the region.
“We have a powerful economic base driven by agriculture,” he said.
“How do we enhance and develop that industry in the face of overseas competition, rising input costs and declining water availability?”
