Opinion & Perspectives
5 November, 2026
A message from Member for Lowan Emma Kealy
For the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of representing Stawell, building on more than a decade of working alongside communities across the Grampians, including Halls Gap.
During that time, I’ve been proud to work with local families, schools, sporting clubs, businesses and community organisations to secure investment in the services and facilities our region needs.
We’ve seen more than $12 million invested in Stawell Secondary College, $12.4 million committed to modernise Stawell Primary School, and $4.7 million for Stawell West Primary School.
There’s also been significant investment in Stawell hospital, upgrades to sporting facilities at North Park and Central Park, and improvements to Halls Gap’s visitor facilities.
But representing a community is about much more than securing funding.
Some of the most important work I’ve done has been supporting families, businesses and communities through devastating bushfires across the Grampians, particularly in Pomonal and Halls Gap.
I’ve stood alongside people who have lost homes, livelihoods and precious memories, helped navigate government support, and fought for the assistance needed to recover and rebuild.
I’ve also worked with local tourism operators and businesses to support their recovery, knowing that the impact of a bushfire doesn’t end when the flames are extinguished.
The resilience and generosity of our communities, emergency services volunteers and local organisations throughout these difficult times has been extraordinary.
I’m proud of the role I’ve played in securing investment and supporting our communities, but equally proud of the local people who have worked so hard to make things happen.
Of course, there’s still much more to do. Our roads desperately need attention, families deserve to feel safe, and our businesses and tourism operators need the confidence to invest and grow.
In four years representing Stawell, and through many more years working with our Grampians communities, I’ve seen what we can achieve together, even from the opposition benches.
Imagine what we could achieve together in government.
The Nationals’ Fair Share Guarantee is about making sure communities like Stawell, Halls Gap, Great Western, Pomonal, Marnoo and Glenorchy receive the investment, services and opportunities they deserve.
I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together, and determined to deliver even more.