MIA Davies continues her push to earn the trust of residents in the newly proposed federal seat of Bullwinkel and met with the Shire of Mundaring this week to discuss community priorities.

Ms Davies and Nationals Infrastructure and Transport and Regional Development spokesperson Senator Bridget McKenzie met with Echo News on Monday and spoke about the concerns they anticipated from Mundaring council and residents.

“I’m here to understand how we can get people moving as quickly and as safely around this community as possible and we’ve heard today from communities in the hills about the need for road infrastructure to make sure that that’s a safer trip up and down the mountain,” Ms McKenzie said.

“Also, telecommunications are a significant issue.

“Rolling out telecommunications infrastructure to communities, (is) something that we’ll be having more focus on.”

Ms Davies said telecommunications also fed into bushfire management concerns which remained a priority for hills residents.

“Really simple infrastructure stuff like battery backups and having that capacity in the aftermath of an emergency so people can be reconnected,” she said.

“I see that right across my current electorate — certainly, an issue that will be raised again and again.

“We just need to see some funding going in to make sure that the resilience is built into the system, and it also impacts businesses.

“If you’ve got gaps in the system, so mobile black spots, you’ve got businesses that can’t operate efficiently let alone the safety aspect.”

A Shire of Mundaring spokesperson confirmed The Nationals members met with Shire President Paige McNeil and chief executive officer Jason Whiteaker and spoke about the expected issues.

“The meeting covered a range of topics, which are featured in the council’s advocacy strategy with a particular focus on telecommunication resilience in the Perth Hills, potential funding opportunities for the Mundaring town centre and cultural hub project, Brown Park precinct redevelopment as well as the commitment from the shire of providing universally accessible public facilities, with a particular focus on female accessible changerooms,” they said.

“The shire president, and council, will continue to advocate for the projects and priority areas with all candidates.”

Ms Davies recognised the fresh challenge of representing the hills compared to the regions but said there were more similarities than differences.

“I know the National Party hasn’t presented itself here in the hills and down in the foothills traditionally,” she said.

“But my experience is that the issues we’re talking about: telecommunications, bushfire preparedness, housing pressures, cost of living, the ability to work or retire close to the community you love — they’re all issues that resonate and are very close to my heart as someone that’s represented the broader regional community in the hinterland.

“So, my job is to come and listen and find out what the aspiration of that community is and then fight like anything to get it over the line, and we’ve got a history of doing that.”

“Because of our smaller population centres here, because we are so remote, and I’m talking remote from Canberra, when they make decisions, they make them for Bendigo, Ballarat, Sydney and Melbourne.

“They don’t make them for Western Australia, and I’ve banged my head against a brick wall for so long, I’m actually going to go to Canberra and try and have a go at it at the end where the decisions are made — and that to me is important.”

When asked how she will ensure that commonsense approach isn’t lost from being so far from home, Ms Davies said connection to community was key.

“If you remain in your community, connected to it, then whatever happens in Canberra, you always got to come back and be able to be accountable,” she said.

“The accountability, particularly in the electorate that I hold now, they hold you to a very high regard.

“They don’t necessarily expect you to win every fight, but they expect you to have the fight and be in the ring.

“Stay true to the values that actually got you to where you are today: family, your team, being part of a community — that’s what grounds you.

“I think for me they’ve always been the most important things in my career no matter where I’ve been and no matter what role I’ve held, and that’s not going to change.”