As the clock counts down to the upcoming Victorian state elections, a defining question persists on the suburban fringe: will voters opt for top-down metropolitan megaprojects, or will they rally behind a hyper-local mandate focused on community preservation, cost-of-living relief, and grassroots accountability?
To understand how this battle for the outer east is being fought, look no further than The Asian Executive’s interview with Nicole Werner. Having grown up locally, attended Presbyterian Ladies’ College, and studied at the Chinese language school in Doncaster East, Werner’s deep-rooted personal history exemplifies authentic representation.
This community has shaped so much of who I am. I understand what makes our area special because I have lived it, from our strong local schools and community organisations to the small businesses, sporting clubs and families that are the heart of our suburbs.”
From Infrastructure to Green Wedges
Werner made history as the first woman to represent the Warrandyte electorate in the Victorian Parliament. Rather than treating her historic win as a solitary milestone, she views it as an open door for a more diverse generation of public servants.
I want young people, women and Australians from culturally diverse backgrounds to be able to look at our Parliament and see public service as somewhere they belong and can provide a meaningful contribution.”
On the ground in Warrandyte, that contribution translates into hard-nosed advocacy against local bottlenecks. For years, the notorious “Five Ways” intersection has tested motorists’ patience. Following sustained community advocacy, $25 million was secured for the site, and Werner’s singular focus is securing swift execution.
Residents should not have to keep waiting for an intersection that everyone knows needs attention.”
She is also fiercely protective of the region’s rural charm, vowing to defend the Green Wedge from overdevelopment.
We need more homes in Victoria, but that cannot imply abandoning sensible planning or treating every community as though it is the same.”
Housing Affordability
As Shadow Minister for Home Ownership and Housing Affordability, Werner attacks cost-of-living pressures with structural clarity. Acknowledging that younger Victorians feel locked out of the market despite working harder than ever, she endorses supply-side solutions paired with direct tax relief. Under a Liberal-National government, first home buyers would be exempt from stamp duty on properties valued up to $1 million, a $55,000 lifeline.
Families are being forced to cut back on spending, which means less money flowing through local businesses.”
Her policy framework intends to:
- 1Restore local planning controls
- 2Scrap the emergency services tax on family homes
- 3Lift the land tax threshold
- 4Abolish duplicate levies that burden small businesses
A Front-Line Vision for Youth and Child Protection
Before entering parliament, Werner spent years working on the front lines as a youth worker alongside disadvantaged young people and multicultural communities. That background heavily informs her responsibilities as Shadow Minister for Child Protection and Youth. Rather than waiting for social systems to hit a crisis point, she advocates for early intervention.
Too often government systems respond when a situation has already reached crisis point. That is why I'm proud that our plan will invest $100 million in early intervention and rehabilitation programs to stop youth crime.”
To safeguard vulnerable children, her structural blueprint centres on rebuilding the volunteer foster workforce, shifting children from residential care into stable family homes, and enforcing rigorous accountability.
Too many carers feel ignored and undervalued, treated as a liability rather than an ally.”
Werner pledges a new Carer and Volunteer Workforce Strategy to put them back at the heart of the system.
Day-One Priorities for a New Liberal Government
Peering ahead to November, Werner’s ambitions are grounded in execution, not rhetoric. When asked about her absolute day-one priorities should the Coalition form government, her answer is definitive: delivery.
My priority from day one would be delivery. In my portfolios, that means exempting first home buyers from stamp duty up to $1 million, fast-tracking home building, and starting the independent review of child protection with foster and kinship carers back at its centre. For Warrandyte, it means making sure our community gets its fair share and commitments become real outcomes.”
By connecting grassroots lived experience with macro-economic pragmatism, Nicole Werner is proving that modern political leadership requires more than just making promises. It demands showing up, listening intently, and fighting every day for the community you call home.