Waratah-Wynyard Mayor Candidate Interviews

This is second of the candidate interviews, this time with Chloe Foster.

1. How do you think Council can be improved?

One of the biggest opportunities for Council is improving community engagement. While there are already online consultation processes and opportunities for residents to provide feedback, I believe we need to offer a wider range of ways for people to have their voices heard.

We have an ageing population, people from diverse backgrounds and households facing cost-of-living pressures. Not everyone is comfortable using online forms or engaging with Council in the same way. If we genuinely want to represent our community, we need to meet people where they are through face-to-face conversations, community forums and more accessible communication channels.

I also believe Council should continue its strong reputation for responsible financial management. Every dollar comes from ratepayers, so it’s important that those funds are spent wisely on the services and infrastructure our community is asking for. Good decisions start with listening, and community feedback should be at the centre of Council’s priorities.

2. What do you think are the priorities for Council to focus on?

For me, the priority is getting the basics right. That means delivering the essential services our community relies on, maintaining our infrastructure, and ensuring ratepayer money is invested where it delivers the greatest benefit.

We also need to support people at every stage of life. That means making Waratah-Wynyard a great place for young families, creating opportunities for young people to stay connected to our community, supporting local businesses and employment, and ensuring we have the facilities and services needed for our vast demographic, including older residents.

Council should focus on practical outcomes that improve everyday life while planning responsibly for the future. As a mum, I want our municipality to be the best place to raise kids, which means supporting local business which drive opportunity and protecting our environment to maintain the special coastal and rural lifestyles we lead. I want Council to ensure young people see a future here for themselves.

3. What qualities would you bring as Mayor if you were elected? What have you done in the past that reflects these qualities?

I’m the General Manager at 7BU and Sea FM based in Burnie, prior to that I was a small business owner for 9 years.  I lead a team of 16 people and work with many of the business leaders on the north west coast. Leading people in business, community or on council means listening, understanding and making strong informed decisions. 

I believe one of the mayor’s most important roles is to be an advocate for our municipality. I would use the networks I’ve developed throughout my professional career to ensure Waratah-Wynyard has a strong voice when funding and investment opportunities arise. I’ve built strong relationships across all levels of government. I’m someone who can pick up the phone and have those conversations and fight for Waratah-Wynyard’s fair share of funding and investment.

The reality is that communities with strong advocates are often the ones that secure the best outcomes. I understand firsthand how important budgeting is. Council needs to be managed with the same financial discipline as any successful business, ensuring every decision delivers value for ratepayers while investing responsibly in the future.

I’ve been fortunate to lead community initiatives like Burnie’s New Year’s Eve celebrations and, more recently, the Wynyard Youth Forum. That forum is an example of how I like to work. There was an issue people were genuinely concerned about, so rather than just talking about it, I brought the right people together – community, police, government, educators and youth services to listen, have the conversation with our community and work towards solutions.

That’s the proactive approach I’d bring to Council. I want Council to be easy to work with and actively help people to navigate the process, not making things unnecessarily difficult with challenging procedures. It needs to be human. I’m a strong communicator. Councillors make decisions collectively, the Mayor represents those decisions within the community and with the media. That’s where my experience is particularly valuable. Over the coming months I will continue to have conversations with people from every corner of our municipality so I can better understand their priorities and ensure they are reflected in the decisions Council makes.