A Murrumbateman resident for the last ten years, Kristin Butler is passionate about the community and wants to bridge the gap between locals and Council.
With a focus on recreation, business opportunities, and better roads the mother of two has a proven track record of getting things done.
Dental hygienist by trade, Kristin noticed back in 2019 that there wasn’t a lot for children to do in the area in terms of junior sport or recreation.
So, she asked ACT Little Athletics to start a club in Murrumbateman, expecting about 30 participants initially but three years running the club has grown to nearly 150 kids.
“We’re one of the probably biggest clubs,” Kristin, the Murrumbateman Little Athletics Club President said. “We’ve got the most registrations at the moment for the entire ACT, it just it blew my mind.”
“For me it wasn’t just about the kids it was also about community,” she said. “Especially here in Murrumbateman, we don’t really have anything here for adults to meet.”
To address this Kristin ran an event earlier this year for local women, selling out at 60 tickets engaging local wineries and businesses to market their wares for the occasion.
She also started ‘Recreation For Murrumbateman’, a group that fosters ideas on what the community needs and aims to work with the council to implement them.
“Getting better facilities and getting the oval irrigated, at the very least, is a really important thing because we do have sporting groups that use that oval.”
“I know for a fact that footy players have twisted their ankles because the grass and the grounds are so hard,” she said.
Kristin then went a step further and got Kristy McBain involved in helping Murrumbateman secure funding for a playground. The Council has since applied for a grant to upgrade the swings at the rest stop, she said.
“I want to set a good role model for my kids,” Kristin said. “They see and watch everything that I do.”
“If you want things done, you have to put in the work and you have to be passionate about things in life.”
By Brianna O’Rourke
