By Corey Everitt
Shoheli Sunjida has confirmed she will be making another run for council in the upcoming elections asking for a ‘chance to prove’ herself in representing the community.
Formerly running in Officer Ward in the 2020 elections she has switched over to the heart of Pakenham by nominating for Henty Ward.
The move comes as her career has shifted toward real estate with OBrien Pakenham with her volunteering work following the move.
“There are a lot of things needing to be done in the old part of Pakenham, it’s challenging and I look for a challenge,” she said.
“I am asking for a chance to prove myself, I would like to be a voice for the whole community and I have always worked for the community.”
Her work has centred around groups such as Living Learning Pakenham, Pakenham Rotary and the recently the Pakenham Show.
She immigrated to Australia with her family in 2002, in that time she has been a central figure for the local Bangladeshi and broader Muslim community.
Shoheli says she has ‘first-hand experience’ with a range matters from previously being a small-business owner to her current role as a real estate agent and her ongoing volunteer work.
She hopes to tackle the bread-and-butter issues of rates and local facilities to larger matters of job growth and development.
“I want to see a fair share for rates and see equal investment back into the shire,” she said.
“I want to work with businesses, see more local jobs, more accessible services.
“I hear from residents who want to use the cultural centre, but it is too expensive for them to hire. Other residents need to use a hydrotherapy pool, they say they need to travel outside the shire for it.
“Men’s Shed is asking for a large space, Pakenham Show and Pakenham Art Show need funding.”
It isn’t just a matter of spending to Shoheli, but rather one that needs a myriad of measures to streamline municipal processes and grant support to where it is needed most.
“These are groups who work tirelessly, we need to make it easier not harder, we should be supporting them,” she said.
“For something like building permits, people should be encouraged to apply, not withholding it because of excessive time and the complexity.”
Not new to the world of politics, Shoheli does not dodge the question when asked by the Gazette.
She is a member of the Liberal Party and was formerly a member of the Labor Party where she left after disputing a directive from the Victorian Branch secretary regarding preference votes during the last council election.
She says her decision to run was her own and no formal institutional backing is compelling her campaign nor will thwart her independence as a potential councillor.
“I am a proud member of the Liberal Party, I believe I must make good relationships with all my colleagues of any party, any decision I make is my own,” she said.
