In a recent interview on 94.7 The Pulse with Rob Cameron, Kate Lockhart shared important updates on two closely linked fronts: the ongoing push for women’s representation in local democracy – and the next phase of the Community Independent movement in our region.
→ Listen to the interview here
Since the 2024 election, Kate has stepped into the role of president of Women in Local Democracy (WILD), an organisation that has worked for more than a decade to improve gender equity and women’s participation in council leadership across Greater Geelong. Despite this long-standing effort, the most recent council election saw only three women elected directly – a result Kate describes as falling well short of a community that is majority female and richly diverse in experience.
Kate argues that the issue is not capability. Women already run households, small businesses, community organisations and essential local systems. What’s missing is fair representation at the decision-making table. A lack of diversity, she says, leads to narrow perspectives and weaker outcomes for the whole community.
Looking ahead, Kate highlighted a practical opportunity for women considering public leadership. Later this month, Women for Election will run a full-day “Power Up” workshop at the Geelong Library, designed not only for potential candidates, but also for campaign supporters – media, policy and community organisers – ahead of the upcoming state election.
The conversation also turned to the Community Independent model that Kate helped bring to Corangamite at the last federal election. In a short, late-starting campaign, the independent effort attracted more than 4,500 votes – a clear signal that many people want representation that listens first to community needs, not party lines.
Kate sees this movement as one of the quiet strengths of Australian democracy. Independents, she argues, have helped shift the national agenda on issues such as education debt, gender equity and environmental action, while challenging the dominance of the two-party system.
As president of Voices of Corangamite, Kate says the focus now is on reconnecting with volunteers and residents through local “kitchen table” conversations – particularly in South Barwon – to ensure community priorities are heard ahead of the state election.
Kate's message is clear: democracy works best when more voices are invited in – and when communities organise to hold power to account.