Mayor Rabie welcomes Governor of Victoria to Mansfield Shire
Published on 02 March 2026
Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria, visited Mansfield Shire on Friday 27 February as part of her tour of the fire-impacted communities of Victoria.
She was joined at Council chambers by Therese Fitzgerald APM, Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Management Victoria.
They were both welcomed at 33 Highett Street by Mayor Cr Steve Rabie who provided them a briefing on what has been and remains a busy bushfire season in Mansfield Shire.
“It has been a difficult summer for Mansfield Shire,” he said.
“To have the undivided attention of the Governor of Victoria and the Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Management Victoria felt very encouraging after what we’ve been through this summer.”
“I applaud both of them for proactively reaching out and engaging with the community.”
The Mayor ran the Governor and the Deputy Commissioner through the impacts of the fires and Council's priorities for getting the shire back on track after a difficult summer, particularly stressing the need to get the Emergency Services Precinct project over the line.
The Mayor escorted his guests to Mansfield Autism Statewide Services farm where they toured the facilities and learned about the important service MASS offers the Mansfield Shire and broader Victorian communities.
Next came a tour at the Mansfield Station Precinct where the visitors were hosted and shown around the future Mansfield Museum by Graeme Stoney AM, President of the Mansfield Historic Society.
They finished their stop in Mansfield with a visit to the Mansfield sale yards, the site of the future Mansfield Emergency Services Precinct where the Mayor and Acting CEO laid out Council's vision for the future - a vision of a shire with improved resilience and decreased vulnerability to fires, floods and other emergencies.
Before departing the shire to visit other fire affected communities, the Governor and the Deputy Commissioner accompanied the Mayor to visit Merton Memorial Hall where they were greeted by members of the fire-impacted community and CFA volunteers.
There, they listened to the shared experiences of a community that showed remarkable resilience in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Mayor Rabie offered both the Governor and the Deputy Commissioner his sincere thanks for their time and their interest in Mansfield Shire.
“It was a pleasure to host the Governor of Victoria and Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Management Victoria in Mansfield Shire today,” he said.
“Their desire to listen to the experiences of those who lived and battled their way through the Longwood fire was clear from the beginning. We thank them both for making sure the community at Merton felt heard.”
“We thank them for their time, wish them the very best for the rest of their tour and we hope to see them in Mansfield Shire again soon.”