hi I'm Norman Pater, son of Pachamama, lucky husband, father and pop to Mr Four; retired software entrepreneur, now focused on climate and biodiversity imperatives. Large-scale land restoration and strategic impact investments are key planks of my work; I’m especially keen to decarbonise Australia’s energy grid and restore wildlife corridors.I focus on helping transformative projects for success, drawing on my business background. Commerce and MBA degrees are helpful as is board service on numerous private, public, listed and not-for-profit boards over the last 37 years. I advocate for carbon drawdown as well as estate drawdowns; am passionate about leaving the world in a better state and actively exploring reconciliation with First Nations peoples.I'm pleased to be part of Voices for Forrest and joining a non-partisan community group working to promote participation in democracy and accountable representation. We deserve genuine local representation! “A local who knows our needs and goes to Canberra to represent us, not just toe another party line.” To quote Denis Ginivan, co-founder of Voices for Indi: “Some people think that the Voices group means you’re getting rid of an unpopular incumbent, but it isn’t that at all. The reason we formed was that people weren’t happy with the way in which politics was playing out for us in Indi. We decided to build a community engagement process.” Politics used to be something I watched on Insiders each Sunday morning; now I realise it is the key machinery that enables or blocks so much of what I believe the world needs right now! I'm super keen to be more actively involved in our political processes to drive better outcomes for all.  

Wendy Trow CSM I have lived and worked in Balingup since 1998. Prior to that I worked in the air forces of UK, Australia and in civil aviation (with a few other jobs thrown in along the way!). My first regional job was as a Telecentre Coordinator and it was during that time I joined several community groups – discovering my real passion was in community work. I eventually landed my dream job working as a Community Development Officer for the Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup and it was here that I experienced firsthand the challenges of working in local government. In 2011-2013, I completed an 18 month Ausaid tour working as a volunteer in Cambodia. I continue to support my Cambodian friends by visiting each year and raising funds through my “One Family” project. This project supports families living in some of the poorest rural areas in Cambodia and has taught me the value of freedom, democracy and social justice. I retired when I returned to Australia but in 2016, I became actively engaged in the anti-fracking movement and my disappointment with the decision making processes of State government led to me carrying out extensive research into political party donations. In 2019, I announced I was running as an Independent in the WA State Election but a bout of ill health made me re-think the idea and I withdrew in October 2020. I still think that independent members of parliament are better placed to represent their communities than members representing major parties. I want my elected representative to make decisions based on the wishes of the community; with well researched factual evidence and most of all, honesty and integrity.

I've lived and worked in the southwest for the last 25 years. My work in healthcare has helped to establish Urology services in the area, and I work with Australian Doctors for Africa. I'm also a board member for Accord West.I'm passionate about the local environment and have been active with Friends of the Gelorup Corridor and Doctors for the Environment. What I love about living in Forrest: the natural beauty, the capacity for isolation and community, the diversity of landscapes and people.I feel our current system of representation no longer truly reflects the community and is based on party politics, not what we actually want. It’s time for a change. Democracy to me means representation by members of our community who listen and advocate for the interests of the community. It means changing your view based on true listening and advocacy across a wide range of issues and perspectives. It is a privilege to have a say in how we are governed but when government is no longer listening or are seen to be self serving, people disengage and democracy weakens. We need strong voices to stand up with integrity and enthusiasm and integrate collective opinions into policy.  

Hi, I'm Gita, nice to meet you! I'm originally from the Netherlands and moved to WA eight years ago. I've grown to love Australia, and became a proud citizen last year - but have kept the funny Dutch accent:-) I have a broad background in psychology, project and business finance, project management and IT. In WA, I've worked for the Conservation Council of WA as a database manager. Since moving to Margaret River two years ago I've been a volunteer with Nature Conservation and Transition Town Margaret River. I've grown to love this part of the world deeply and want to do whatever I can to help look after this country and its people. So when I learned about Voices for Forrest, it felt like just the right kind of movement was starting in our electorate. A positive movement to aim for political representation which is truly community driven and puts values like integrity, honesty and sustainability first.