On May 21, voters in Melbourne's western fringe will be casting a ballot in a newly formed electorate for the first time.
The Division of Hawke covers 1,842 square kilometres and includes the communities of Bacchus Marsh, Melton, Diggers Rest, Sunbury and Ballan.
Traditionally a safe Labor area, many voters who spoke to the ABC were unsure if the new division would change how they are represented in federal parliament.
Kim Khor, who runs Bacchus Marsh's Payne's Orchards, says he has found it hard to engage in this federal election campaign.
The past three years have been tough for his family's agritourism business.
Every "COVID pivot" has cost money and Mr Khor is finding it hard to manage labour costs.
While he believes Australian governments responded well to COVID, he yearns for politicians to have a vision beyond the pandemic.
"I think it is a shame we don't have the trademark statesman-type leader anymore, someone who has moral authority and strategic vision for our future," he says.
At a national level, Mr Khor believes more could be done to support innovation and grow agriculture exports.
Locally, he'd like to see governments put more effort into developing the tourism industry in Bacchus Marsh.
"We've grown off our own bat a fair bit," he says.
"But I want us to be competitive, in terms of food tourism, with other agritourism destinations like the Napa Valley or provincial France."
Why a new electorate?
Named after former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, the new electorate was created in July last year as part of a redistribution that also saw several Victorian electoral boundaries shift to ensure a similar number of voters for each electorate.
An Australian Electoral Commission spokesperson says it conducts redistributions "to ensure that each state and territory gains representation in the House of Representatives in proportion to the population of the state or territory".
With the creation of the seat of Hawke, the number of Victorian seats increased from 38 to 39.
As a traditionally safe seat, many in the area feel they have been neglected and Ballan retiree Gary Shaw doesn't think new boundaries will change that.
"It's all window dressing," he says.
After 34 years in the area, Mr Shaw has grown increasingly frustrated with Australia's political system.
"It's all dollar driven," the former bank worker says.
"It's hard to find somebody who has the people's interests at heart."
Area forgotten by federal governments
Geographically, the seat of Hawke takes in most of Moorabool Shire. Council chief executive Derek Madden says at a federal level the region has been "left out for a period of time".
"There really is a bit of a gap between the services that people are expecting and the services that are currently delivered within the shire," he says.
In the past 20 years, the population of Moorabool has grown by a third, from just under 24,000 residents in the 2001 census to an estimated 36,000 residents today.
Mr Madden says in the next 20 years the current population is expected to double to 70,000 people.
"Moorabool used to be very much associated with the rural community, and in particular associated with Ballarat," he says.
"What's happened with the growth of the Western corridor, people coming out from Melbourne have seen a lifestyle opportunity in Moorabool Shire."
Country living, close to the city
Many of the people who have moved into Melbourne's western fringe in recent years are young families like Melissa Atkinson-Robbins.
Ten years ago, Mrs Atkinson-Robbins and her husband bought land in Eynesbury on the outskirts of Melton.
After living on the other side of Melbourne they were attracted to the west by cheaper property prices and the prospect of enjoying a country lifestyle close to the city.
The couple now have a five-year-old son.
Mrs Atkinson-Robbins says low wage growth and cost of living pressures will be front of mind when she decides how she will vote.
"I work in early childhood education so wages are one of my main priorities," she says.
"The cost of everything has gone up, particularly petrol for our two cars, but my wages haven't."
Who will win Hawke?
The ABC's chief election analyst Antony Green says Hawke is notionally a safe Labor seat, held with a 10.2 per cent margin.
Created from segments of the seats of Gorton, McEwen and Ballarat, in the 2019 election all three areas recorded Labor majorities.
While Mr Madden understands the polling, he says he wouldn't be surprised if the margin was tighter.
"Bacchus Marsh and Moorabool Shire are going through a lot of changes that are being imposed on it through state government and federal government, such as the transmission lines, such as the hospital … such as the soil issue," he says.
"Who knows what will happen and polling day on that basis."
Labor's candidate, former Victorian secretary Sam Rae, was unavailable for an interview.
The Liberal Party candidate Enamul Haque was also contacted for comment.
