Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the 2025 Federal Election, which will be held on Saturday, 3 May 2025.

The Macedon Ranges Shire is divided between the electorates of Bendigo and McEwen.

For this election, MRSG has asked all candidates in both electorates to respond to six key questions on sustainability and climate action.

On this page, you’ll find:

  • A copy of the email we sent to candidates

  • A list of the candidates we contacted and the status of their responses

We will publish all responses in full as they are received.

Following the response deadline on Friday, 18 April, a subgroup of MRSG members will review and summarise the answers to help our community make informed voting decisions. Keep an eye out for our social media posts and news articles.

Letter sent to candidates on Friday, 4 April 2025, at 4:41 pm.

Dear Bendigo and McEwen candidates,
(please note we have sent this to Wayne Taylor and Ali Anioniou through their website, and been unable to find contact details for Evelyn Keetelaar)

The Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group (MRSG) is a volunteer organisation with over 400 members. For more information about us, please visit our website at [here]. We are passionate about fostering a sustainable future for your electorate and the MRSG Committee has endorsed the following questions to be sent to our local Federal Candidates seeking election.

As the federal election approaches, we aim to help our members make informed voting decisions by sharing each candidate's stance on sustainability challenges that align with MRSG's purpose. We invite you to answer the six questions below on essential topics, including energy, biodiversity, and emissions reduction. MRSG will publish your complete response on our website (here), in our newsletter, and it may also appear in newspaper articles. For transparency, MRSG will publish a non-response on our website if you choose not to reply, and we may also include the fact that you did not respond in any news articles.


Please send your responses by close of business on Friday 18 April, to president@mrsg.org.au. We'd be happy to arrange a suitable time if you have any questions or would like to confirm our purpose.

Thank you for your engagement with these vital issues. We look forward to hearing back from you.

QUESTIONS: 

  1. RENEWABLE ENERGY: Due to significant technological advancements, renewable energy has become the most cost-effective source of reliable electricity. A recent CSIRO study found that an electricity grid based on 95% renewable energy sources can provide excellent reliability at a very low cost (see a link to the report series here). It can also be easily scaled up to meet growing demand. In your view, should Australia’s energy future be driven primarily by renewable energy or nuclear power? What factors, including cost, waste, and implementation timelines, do you consider most important in making this decision? 

  2. COMMUNITY RESILIENCE: As climate-linked disasters continue to increase, it is expected that by 2035, at least 10% of homes in Australia will be uninsurable (see related reports here, here, and here). In one part of the McEwen electorate, this figure reaches as high as 100%, and in the Bendigo electorate, it reaches as high as 94.71% (see here). What climate impacts concern you the most? What are the priority actions you would take to address them if elected?

  3. BIODIVERSITY: McEwen and Bendigo encompass regions with significant biodiversity. Suppose you were part of the federal government. What measures would you implement to protect local ecosystems from threats such as invasive species, urban expansion, and habitat fragmentation?

  4. CIRCULARITY: Many communities and businesses in Bendigo and McEwen are eager to transition to a circular economy to maximise resource efficiency and reduce waste. If elected, what policies or incentives would you support to help businesses and local governments adopt circular economy principles, such as product stewardship, waste reduction, and material reuse?

  5. TRANSPORT EMISSIONS: As we see declines in emissions from other sectors, the transport sector’s emissions (see here), particularly those related to freight and shipping, continue to grow, causing significant health problems. If you were part of the federal government, what types of policies or actions would you seek to implement to reduce emissions in the transport sector?

  6. CLIMATE WARMING: The World Meteorological Organization warns that global temperatures are likely to temporarily exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels within the next five years (see here). How do you propose developing climate policies that support both the built and natural environments, ensuring that our residents, businesses, and biodiversity can thrive in a changing climate? What measures will you implement to ultimately return warming to 1.5°C, in line with the Paris Agreement?

Kind wishes and all the very best with your campaigns.

For and on behalf of the MRSG,

Lenka

Lenka Thompson (she/her)
President 
MRSG - Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group   mrsg.org.au

List of candidates who received the email.

Last update 4/4/2025

Bendigo Candidates:

Andrew Lethleane from Nationals: Yet to respond.

Avery Barnett-Dace from Greens: Yet to respond.

Evelyn Keetelaar from Family First: NOT SENT as we are unable to find contact details. Please reach out if you have details.

Lisa Chesters (Sitting MP) from ALP: Yet to respond.

Matt Evans from LIB: Yet to respond.

Rohan Tyler from Victorian Socialists: Yet to respond.

Wayne Taylor from Legalize Cannabis Party: Yet to respond.

McEwen candidates:

Ali Antoniou from Gerard Rennick People First representing McEwen: No response yet

Cassandra Bell from Family First: Yet to respond

Erin McGrath from Fusion: Yet to respond.

Jason McClintock from LIB: Yet to respond.

Marley McRae McLeod from GRN: Yet to respond

Rob Mitchell (Sitting MP) from ALP: Yet to respond.

If you have any questions about this initiative, please forward them to robert.bruhn@mrsg.org.au.