Samantha McIntosh endorsed as Wendouree candidate in 2022 Victorian election

Liberal Party opposition leader Matthew Guy, on a flying visit to Ballarat on Thursday, confirmed the selection of the three-time mayor and 14-year City of Ballarat council veteran Samantha McIntosh.

Ms McIntosh told The Courier she was honoured to be officially endorsed as the Wendouree candidate.

"Having a long experience with the local council and very strong connections with our local community, I have a great understanding of what our people want and need," she said.

"I am also very prepared to listen to how they feel and what they think we need to do moving into the future."

So far the only other candidate confirmed for Wendouree is Labor's incumbent Juliana Addison.

The two other key seats for Ballarat will be Eureka (formally Buninyong) and Ripon.

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The Liberal candidate for Eureka has not been confirmed yet.

Labor's incumbent Michaela Settle will run, along with Wendy Morrison for the Animal Justice Party and Independent Nicola Reid.

Ripon, one of the most marginal seats in the state, will see current member Louise Staley run against Labor candidate Martha Haylett.

This coming campaign is not Ms McIntosh's first time campaigning in Ballarat. In 2007 she ran as the Liberal candidate in the federal election against Labor's Catherine King. She said she was ready to take on this next challenge.

"It will be a very busy couple of months that I am absolutely ready for," Ms McIntosh said.

After some time off, Ms McIntosh said she had taken a breath and was ready for the next few months.

"It is so important that our community has a voice, and it is about their voice.

"My role over the last few terms on council has been about listening to our community and being a voice."

Ms McIntosh said two key issues for the electorate will be the health sector and transport infrastructure.

"I am quite excited to listen to Matt Guy and his team talk about shelving the Cheltenham to Box Hill rail line, for instance, to be able to focus on a health system that really requires attention.

"We need regional solutions, we need to know that we have got leaders that will put pressure on the government to make sure that there is funding to be delivered in our regional cities."

Another item on the top of her list is making sure there are plans for the growing population, so the city is connected including the next stage of the link road to the city's west and south-west.

"Projects like Link Road (Stage 2) are really important to me," Ms McIntosh said.

"As a councillor ... I have worked very closely with both local, state and federal governments lobbying for (Ballarat's) Link Road stage one."

"We know now it is time, and (it is) absolutely overdue for the next stages of that project to be funded and delivered.

"I think it is time that our community had a representative that is experienced, that is connected and who cares."

State election voting will take place on November 26. More information about early voting and voting locations will be available in the coming months on the Victorian Electoral Commission website.

Residents who have recently moved will be able to change their address on the VEC website; the roll will close on November 8.

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