Indigo Interview: A love of living in Wahgunyah

PAUL Hauff grew up in Sydney and, with his parents and sister, lived in Castle Hill, then an area of orchards and market gardens. He has lived in Wahgunyah with his wife Jennifer since January 2018. What do you do workwise? I retired from Shell International 12 years ago. I was in Shell all my working life, initially in industrial relations in Australia and Scotland, and thereafter in broader personnel roles in Australia, London and The Netherlands. What brought you to your role/career? I studied law at university and having married in my final study year I “needed a job”. I enjoyed studying labour law so a role in industrial relations was an obvious choice. I was lucky that role was in Shell, an excellent employer. What do you love about your work? I loved working in an industry with global impact, politically and economically, in a company with high standards and incredibly intelligent people, being at the cutting edge of technological development and sought after expertise. Nowadays I love continuing to develop my garden, a large patch with many established trees and shrubs which, when we moved in, required a lot of restoration. It is a joy to be outside, with a fabulous view over the vineyard and over 58 species of birds. What do you do in the community? I am a member of the Rotary Club of Rutherglen Inc, which I joined in 2021 for the opportunity to contribute to the local community, mainly through projects. I am now one of the organisers of the Vintage Bike Ride which raises funds for good causes, local and national. I am also a member of the parish council for the Anglican parish of Rutherglen Chiltern. I delight in experiencing that the Rutherglen area has an excellent community, with friendly people and a positive willingness to help others. Is there an important community issue that you think needs addressing? One that concerns me is the application, now before VCAT, to build a 24/7 truck stop near Lake Moodemere, effectively “in the middle” of pristine vineyards and wineries. This is not the place for such a development. What would you do to solve change, improve that situation? I would ensure the application, and others like it, is rejected entirely. The Rutherglen wine industry has put our region “on the map” and our serene environment, with abundant bird life, gentle cycling paths, quality restaurants, excellent hotels and motels, and pristine landscape needs to be protected. In my opinion there is an adequate supply of truck stops around the area, and if industrial type development is to occur it should be appropriately located. What do you see as one of the most important current world issues? Overpopulation, the cause of many of the world’s current ills – climate change, mass migration, water and food shortages. World leaders tend to address the symptoms, not the cause, of these ills. If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo Shire (past or present), or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them, and why? I have a friend in Sydney who is suffering from motor neurone disease. He is almost completely crippled and unable to travel, but his mind is as sharp as ever. I would like to bring him to Wahgunyah and show him my garden and vineyard, the wonderful wineries of our district, the view from Olive Hills, the picturesque scenes at St. Leonards and Pfeiffer’s bridge, have him listen to the magnificent acoustics in the Rutherglen Wine Bottle and our wide variety of bird calls. What book are you reading? ‘Karla’s Choice’ by English author Nick Harkaway.

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