Independent · Tasmania
Standing up for the people who have lost their voice.
Current contest: Derwent Valley Council 2026. Postal votes from 5 October. Close 2pm, 27 October.
33 days, 14 hours until 2pm, 27 October
21 September 2026
We don’t need another baby bonus. Fix the foundations first.
Birth rates matter. Money that wouldn’t cover nappies does not. Last week I continued a sustainable vision for Tasmania. The broader picture is housing, health, the river, waste and a wage that keeps up.
Read the full piece
A plan for Tasmania, not one ballot paper
Health, housing, timber, hydro, the river, the bush, waste, food and power. Written for this state — not one ballot paper.
Families
Fix the foundations first
Birth rates matter. Cash bonuses do not buy a house, a wage that keeps up, or a future worth raising children in. Make it possible to have kids. Do not bribe people into it.
Housing
Homes Tasmanians can actually afford
Cut out the middlemen. Directly employ tradies and apprentices, release land, buy materials in bulk, sell homes at cost plus a thin margin, and offer a 2% fixed loan for the full term.
Forestry
Saw it here. Build with it here.
I do not oppose logging or forestry when it is done right. I do not support logging old growth that is not regrowth. Sawlogs should go to Tasmanian mills, and that industry should grow so we can build cheaper houses.
Health
Train people here so they stay here
A dedicated teaching and general hospital, satellite hubs in the bush, paid clinical placements, and reopen basic care at Ouse. Stop pouring money into a city block that cannot grow.
The Derwent
Do not wreck the river to save the paddock
I am not against irrigation. Farmers need water. Taking so much out of the Derwent that we wreck the river is not a win. Do the independent flow study before 2030 and publish it.
Waste
Waste to energy, not more landfill
The landfill levy is $70.56 a tonne and illegal dumping is still growing. Copenhagen showed leftover waste can become power and heat. Investigate a Tasmanian Amager Bakke.
Keep people on the country — and look after it
Hiking, fishing and hunting are jobs, health and how regional Tasmania lives. Manage the bush properly or we lose the regional economy, the country, and the reason people stay.
- Recreational fishing: $270 million and 2,670 jobs (FRDC, 2019–20)
- Inland angling: $82.7 million spent in 2021–22 (IFS / IMAS)
- Hunting and sports shooting: $88.4 million GSP and 676 jobs (BDO for NRE Tas, 2022)
- Walking visitors stay longer and spend more — 12.2 nights and $3,513 against $2,691 (Tourism Tasmania)
About the Man
Straight shooter, keen gardener, lover of the outdoors, and a tradesperson in the family business. Deputy Chair of Derwent Valley Railway. President of Shooters Union Tasmania. Not just at election time — year-round, and for anyone who asks for help.
More about PhillipI won’t back down from a challenge. The people of this state can trust I will work with anyone who puts community first.
The Valley as it is
New Norfolk, Magra, Bushy Park, the river and the oast houses.
News and statements
1 September 2026 · Media release
Standing for Deputy Mayor and Councillor, Derwent ValleyOfficial announcement as an independent candidate for Deputy Mayor and Councillor. The communities of the Valley at the front of every decision — not only the new and shiny.
26 March 2026 · Phillip Bigg
On the board of Derwent Valley RailwayWith previous support for rail in Tasmania I have taken a board role at Derwent Valley Railway. Slow, practical restoration — not neglect dressed up as heritage.
7 August 2026 · ABC Hobart / Tasmanian Times
Candidate safety takes priorityIndependents are forced to print a contactable address on election material. After threats, I will not treat that as a reasonable ask. Safety takes precedence over the current rule.
Derwent Valley Council · October 2026
This campaign runs on people, not party cheques.
Ballot packs land from 5 October. If you can spare an hour or a gift, use it.