MaryAnn MARTINEK for Lockwood Ward
Community. Courage. Accountability.
MM4Lockwood
I’m MaryAnn Martinek, and I’m standing to represent Lockwood Ward on the City of Greater Bendigo Council.
Lockwood Ward takes in communities including Ironbark, Long Gully, Maiden Gully, Myers Flat, Leichardt, Wilsons Hill, Shelbourne, Lockwood and Marong.
I believe local government should get back to the fundamentals: listen to residents, look after our neighbourhoods, spend ratepayers’ money responsibly and make decisions openly.
I’m standing because I want residents to have a strong, independent-minded local voice who is prepared to ask questions, challenge unnecessary bureaucracy and advocate for practical results.
About MaryAnn
Service before politics
My life has been shaped by service.
I served in the Australian Army, including as a commissioned officer, and reached the rank of Major. That experience taught me leadership, responsibility, resilience and something particularly important in public life: when you accept responsibility, you remain accountable for the outcome.
Today, much of my community work centres on veterans and their families.
I founded the Golden Square & Long Gully Veterans Centre, supporting veterans with advocacy, welfare assistance and practical community support.
I am also working to develop the Rocky Vale Villa Veterans Precinct Project at Maiden Gully, with a vision for a place where veterans can find camaraderie, purposeful activity and practical support.
But my campaign is about much more than veterans.
It is about families, older residents, young people, small businesses, farmers, volunteers and everyone who calls Lockwood Ward home.
Why I’m Standing
Putting community back into Council
Residents deserve councillors who remember that Council exists to serve the community—not the other way around.
I want Council decisions to be understandable, transparent and grounded in the everyday realities facing residents.
That means listening before deciding.
It means asking whether spending represents genuine value for ratepayers.
And it means ensuring that the smaller communities and neighbourhoods of Lockwood Ward receive the attention they deserve.
Your councillor should be accessible, visible and prepared to speak up.
That is the councillor I intend to be.
My Key Priorities
1. Roads, Footpaths & Essential Infrastructure
Council must concentrate on the infrastructure residents use every day.
I will advocate for:
- better maintenance of sealed and unsealed roads;
- safer footpaths and pedestrian connections;
- improved drainage and roadside maintenance;
- sensible cycling and transport connections;
- accessible public facilities; and
- long-term infrastructure planning that keeps pace with population growth.
Residents pay substantial rates and deserve to see those rates translated into reliable local services.
2. Responsible Rates & Council Spending
Every dollar Council spends ultimately comes from the community.
I will scrutinise spending and ask a straightforward question:
Does this expenditure deliver genuine value for Greater Bendigo residents?
I support responsible budgeting, transparent decision-making and concentrating resources on services and infrastructure that directly benefit the community.
Council should live within its means just as households and small businesses are expected to do.
3. Housing & Homelessness
Housing affordability and homelessness are affecting people across our community.
I have seen firsthand through veterans’ welfare work how quickly someone’s circumstances can change.
Council cannot solve Australia’s housing crisis alone, but it can be part of the solution.
I will support sensible consideration of appropriate Council land, planning policies that encourage diverse housing options and constructive partnerships with community organisations and other levels of government.
Development must also respect the character, environment and heritage of the communities that make Lockwood Ward special.
4. Stronger Communities & Safer Neighbourhoods
People deserve to feel safe in their homes, streets, parks and community spaces.
I will advocate for well-maintained public areas, appropriate lighting, thoughtful planning and stronger cooperation between Council, community organisations and relevant authorities.
Community safety also comes from connection.
Sporting clubs, neighbourhood organisations, service clubs, veterans’ organisations and volunteers create the networks that make communities resilient.
Council should work with them, not create unnecessary barriers for them.
5. Supporting Veterans, Seniors & Vulnerable Residents
Greater Bendigo has a proud military and veteran community.
My work with veterans has reinforced something that applies across our entire community:
People sometimes need someone prepared to stand beside them and help navigate the system.
I will advocate for accessible community facilities and policies that recognise the needs of veterans, seniors, people with disability, carers and residents experiencing hardship.
A strong community does not leave people behind.
6. Local Business, Jobs & Tourism
Local businesses employ local people and keep money circulating through our community.
Council should make it easier—not harder—for responsible businesses, community enterprises and events to succeed.
I support practical initiatives that strengthen local shopping areas, encourage tourism, promote regional events and showcase what Greater Bendigo has to offer.
From our heritage and arts to sport, food, agriculture and regional communities, Bendigo has enormous potential.
7. Protecting Our Rural Lifestyle & Environment
Lockwood Ward contains growing residential communities as well as important rural landscapes.
Growth needs to be planned carefully.
I will support responsible development while protecting neighbourhood character, rural amenity, natural reserves, open spaces and our local heritage.
Growth should improve communities—not overwhelm them.
Community Work
Veterans Helping Veterans
My community work is based on a simple principle:
Don’t just talk about helping—turn up and help.
Through the Golden Square & Long Gully Veterans Centre, I have worked alongside veterans, advocates, volunteers and community supporters to assist veterans and their families.
Our work includes advocacy, welfare support, community connection and helping veterans navigate complex systems.
The proposed Rocky Vale Villa Veterans Precinct Project at Maiden Gully represents the next stage of that vision: creating opportunities for veterans to reconnect with community, undertake meaningful projects and support one another.
These experiences have reinforced my belief that some of the best solutions come directly from communities themselves.
Council should help those ideas flourish.
How I Will Represent You
If elected, I will bring the same determination I have brought to military service, veterans’ advocacy and community work.
I will:
- listen to residents;
- remain accessible;
- ask difficult questions when necessary;
- scrutinise Council expenditure;
- advocate strongly for Lockwood Ward;
- support community organisations and volunteers;
- encourage transparent decision-making; and
- put community outcomes ahead of political games.
I won’t promise that every problem can be solved overnight.
I will promise to listen, investigate, advocate and keep residents informed.
Support MM4Lockwood
This is a community campaign.
There are many ways you can become involved:
Host a corflute
Put a Mary-Ann MARTINEK campaign sign at your home, farm or business.
Letterbox your neighbourhood
Help deliver campaign information to residents across Lockwood Ward.
Volunteer
Join the campaign and help us reach communities throughout the Ward.
Follow and share
Help spread the campaign message through your community and social networks.
Talk to your neighbours
Local elections are decided locally. Conversations between residents matter.
MaryAnn MARTINEK
Candidate for Lockwood Ward
Community. Courage. Accountability.
MM4Lockwood
Authorised by M. Martinek, Don St, Bendigo VIC 3550
Mary-Ann Martinek | MM4Lockwood | volunteer complex Case Researcher 