LUKE McLennan was born in Swan Hill, the biggest town around that district with his parents hailing from Nullawil and Culgoa – little Mallee towns in regional Victoria.
He has lived in Stanley for exactly one year, moving up from Yackandandah during the COVID pandemic.
"It snowed the day we moved into our little iron clad house right in the village," he said.
What's your job?
I am an accountant, but not an average one.
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I run a business called The Wandering CFO and we predominantly work with small business owners, helping them control their books, improve their profit and grow their business.
Essentially, we work as a part of their team from inside their business.
What brought you to this role?
I worked for many years in the big city for a privately owned, international multi–million dollar company.
I also spent many years travelling and living in remote places around the world.
I became interested in the resilience and strength of small and often struggling communities in the face of big development– in particular Indigenous communities in the Amazon fighting oil companies and dirty government deals.
I founded The Wandering CFO to bring big business smarts to small businesses, to develop stronger, more resilient communities.
What do you love about your job?
I love that I get to work with so many different and interesting people.
No two businesses are the same.
What do you do in the community?
I love especially supporting the local music festivals, volunteering time to help out where I can as well as other community events.
I also work with a couple of not for profits and so their outcomes in the community become very important to me also.
What's the most important current community issue for you?
The shortage of accommodation for people who do not own a home.
We cannot expect our community to thrive if we do not provide affordable, clean and secure housing options for our young people, the elderly and those on low incomes or difficult circumstances.
A healthy community is inclusive and supportive of everyone.
What would you do to solve, change or improve that situation?
There needs to be more affordable housing if we are going to keep our families that grew up here in our communities and not forced elsewhere.
The rentals go to the highest bidder in this beautiful place.
What's the most important current world issue for you?
Climate change and the fall out it brings like food security, loss of biodiversity and ecosystems. Economically, if we are to successfully navigate our future, our economic structure needs to drastically change.
If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo, or was already here, who would that be and what would you show them?
Canadian–American singer, guitarist, songwriter and filmmaker Neil Young. We'd go for a bushwalk taking his guitar and listen to the old sounds out there.
Why would you do that?
It's our responsibility as humans to listen. Just shut up and listen to mother nature. I reckon he would like that.
What book are you reading?
'The Good Life' by ABC Gardening Australia presenter Hannah Moloney.
