By Deanne Jeffers
CITY of Greater Shepparton McEwen Ward Councillor and Trelly’s Outdoors owner Steve Threlfall has announced he is seeking One Nation’s endorsement to contest the seat of Shepparton at this year’s Victorian election.
Mr Threlfall was born and raised in Shepparton and has operated his fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation business in the regional city for 40 years, with a second store in Bendigo. He is also involved in a range of industry and recreational organisations, including serving as President of the Firearm Traders Association of Victoria and on advisory committees relating to outdoor recreation and fisheries.
Speaking to The Adviser, Mr Threlfall said conversations with customers, residents and local businesses had convinced him there was growing frustration with the political system.
“I believe it’s the right time because the amount of people that come through the store and the people that I see on the street and out about have just had enough of the system, the political system, and they want real change,” he said.
A One Nation member on and off since the late 1990s, Mr Threlfall said he believed the party’s values aligned with many people he speaks to throughout the community.
“I think the country value or the patriotic value, being an Australian, resonates with One Nation,” he said. “It’s getting things back on track.”
If endorsed, Mr Threlfall said his campaign would focus on issues including water security, environmental management, outdoor recreation, firearm legislation, regional investment, and curbing domestic violence and retail crime.
He said securing the right balance between environmental flows and agricultural water use would be among his priorities.
“We’re probably 70 to 80 per cent reliant on water in the Goulburn Valley,” he said. “Concentrating on that and getting water back to the right spaces into the right percentage to environment, back to agriculture, is another one that’s a policy that I would strongly advocate for.”
Mr Threlfall also pointed to retail theft as an issue he regularly encounters through his business.
“We’re just seeing repeat offenders,” he said. “They go through the revolving door and then they’re back out in the street again.”
Reflecting on his time as a councillor, Mr Threlfall said local government had provided valuable insight into decision-making processes and strengthened his desire to advocate for the region at state level.
He also said, if preselected, he would keep Greater Shepparton City Council informed throughout the process.
“I’ll be very transparent with Council and our CEO,” he said. “I’ll let Fiona [Le Gassick] know every step of the way.”
Looking more broadly at Victoria, Mr Threlfall said he wanted greater scrutiny of government spending and stronger support for regional communities.
“I think people really want to see spending analysed. They want to see where our money’s going. Transparency, fair go for people in the country,” he said.
He argued Greater Shepparton had not received the same level of investment as some comparable regional centres and pointed to ongoing infrastructure priorities including health services and sporting facilities.
Mr Threlfall said the realities of running a business over four decades had shaped his approach to financial management, teaching him to negotiate through difficult periods and focus on what is essential.
“Being in business for 40 years… there have been a few times I’ve had to call up all my creditors and say I can’t pay your bill,” he said. “But that puts me in the mindset of asking: what can we do, what can we save, what do we really need?”
He added that his experience serving on industry advisory bodies had given him an understanding of how government funding systems operate and how policy decisions are implemented.
“I’m happy to learn, and I’m happy to take advice from the best people in the business around here, and table that at the right places and the right moments, and educate myself,” he said.
One Nation has not yet formally announced its candidate for the seat of Shepparton, with Mr Threlfall saying he expects the party’s preselection process to be finalised in the coming weeks.
