Legislative Assembly · District of Bass
Nikole Schellekens
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Bass›
Bass covers a mix of outer-suburban and rural/coastal areas southeast of Melbourne, including Clyde, Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang, Grantville, Wonthaggi, Inverloch, Cape Paterson and Phillip Island. Created in 2002 from traditionally conservative territory, the seat was held by the Liberals until Jordan Crugnale (Labor) became the first Labor member ever to win it in 2018. At the 2022 election Labor's Crugnale retained Bass by just 202 votes (50.24% to 49.76% two-candidate-preferred), making it the most marginal seat in Victoria. Crugnale announced on 2 October 2025 that she would not recontest the seat in 2026, so none of the current declared candidates is the sitting member.
Background
Describes herself as a farmer, mental health social worker, small business owner, parent and community leader with more than 20 years of frontline and leadership experience across mental health, education and community services. SSelf-stated — ON-SCHELLEKENSOne Nation Victoria, "Nikole Schellekens for Bass"View source
Runs a beef farm with her husband, continuing a multi-generational farming legacy, and works as a mental health social worker supporting military veterans. SSelf-stated — ON-SCHELLEKENSOne Nation Victoria, "Nikole Schellekens for Bass"View source
She founded AgMind Australia, which delivers peer-led mental health workshops on farms; the South Gippsland Sentinel Times reports more than 20 workshops in its first year across Victoria. RReported — SGST-ONENATIONSouth Gippsland Sentinel Times, "One Nation turns to Bass Coast farmer and mental health care worker for state's tightest seat"View source
She was a Victorian finalist in the Toyota Wellbeing and Safety in Agriculture category at the 2026 Australian Agriculture Awards. RReported — SGST-ONENATIONSouth Gippsland Sentinel Times, "One Nation turns to Bass Coast farmer and mental health care worker for state's tightest seat"View source
Served three years as president of San Remo Preschool and is secretary of the Victorian Farmers Federation's Bass Coast branch. RReported — SGST-ONENATIONSouth Gippsland Sentinel Times, "One Nation turns to Bass Coast farmer and mental health care worker for state's tightest seat"View source
Her 2024 council candidate profile also lists co-founding Bass Playgroup. SSelf-stated — PISRA-2024Phillip Island and San Remo Advertiser, "Western Port Ward candidate: Nikole Schellekens"View source
Began volunteering at age 14 with the local CFA ladies auxiliary. RReported — SGST-ONENATIONSouth Gippsland Sentinel Times, "One Nation turns to Bass Coast farmer and mental health care worker for state's tightest seat"View source
Born in Tooradin and says she has lived in the Bass electorate for most of her life. SSelf-stated — ON-SCHELLEKENSOne Nation Victoria, "Nikole Schellekens for Bass"View source
She attended Tooradin Primary School and Koo Wee Rup Secondary College. RReported — SGST-ONENATIONSouth Gippsland Sentinel Times, "One Nation turns to Bass Coast farmer and mental health care worker for state's tightest seat"View source
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
"Parliament needs representatives with real-world experience who listen, remain accountable and speak up for their community."
Easing cost-of-living pressures and delivering roads, health, housing and infrastructure that keep pace with growth, while protecting Bass's farmland and rural character.
What Victorians say matters most
5 poll-led issuesCost of living and crime have ranked 1st or 2nd in every Victorian poll since mid‑2025, with debt and housing close behind — see schema §3 for the polling this grouping is based on (DemosAU, Ipsos Issues Monitor, Roy Morgan). The 0-10 'priorityScore' on each candidate's issue entries is NOT a measure of true importance or an independent ranking of what a candidate actually cares about. It reflects how much detail and specificity exists in what that candidate has actually said publicly on that issue -- a named policy mechanism and a verified voting record score higher than a one-line stated priority, regardless of the issue's real-world weight. Render this distinction in the UI wherever the score appears; do not label it just 'Priority' without the qualifier.
Cost of living
Called cost of living "a major issue affecting everyone, especially down in Bass", citing mortgages, rent, groceries, electricity and fuel; no specific measure is attributed to her.
The One Nation Victoria platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would remove insurance duty on premiums and end renewable subsidies.
Crime and community safety
Said "shooters, hunters and farmers are law-abiding citizens who follow the rules", while arguing violent firearm crimes need stricter treatment.
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would tighten bail and sentencing for repeat youth offenders and expand youth detention capacity.
Housing affordability and supply
Lists housing among the services that must keep pace with growth, without a stated policy.
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would ban foreign ownership of residential property and speed land releases and building approvals.
State government debt and fiscal management
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would run a comprehensive spending review and phase out payroll tax; nothing is attributed to Schellekens personally.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Said "growth isn't the problem, but we need the appropriate planning and infrastructure to support it."
Lists improved roads and transport among her priorities.
Also on the record
6 substance issuesThese don't top “biggest issue” polling, but carry real 2026 policy weight and genuine differences between parties.
Education and training
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would establish elected school boards with a parent majority; nothing is attributed to Schellekens personally.
Health and healthcare access
Highlighted gaps in bulk-billing GPs and Wonthaggi Hospital staffing, and proposed incentives to attract medical professionals to regional areas.
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, includes financial incentives for GPs in shortage areas.
Her professional background is in mental health, including work with military veterans and farmers.
Urban planning and housing density
Her comment that growth needs "the appropriate planning and infrastructure to support it" is her only planning statement.
Climate and energy transition
Said "government and organisations forcing infrastructure like renewable energy and transmission lines onto farming land is despicable."
Told the Sentinel Times she would "prefer to see a million dairy farms over a million solar farms any day."
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would prohibit wind and solar on agricultural land, forests and high bushfire-risk zones.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would oppose and repeal Victoria's Statewide Treaty framework; nothing is attributed to Schellekens personally.
Regional and rural Victoria
Says she is a multi-generational beef farmer and wants to protect Bass's productive farmland and rural character.
Cited farmland protection as one of her main issues alongside cost of living, growth and health services.
Her AgMind Australia work targets farmer wellbeing, and she is a Victorian Farmers Federation branch secretary.
Local & party context
2 fieldsNot scored the way the eleven issues above are — these are fixed facts about the seat and the party, not positions with more or less emphasis behind them.
Wonthaggi Hospital staffing and bulk-billing GP shortages in Bass Coast. RReported — SGST-ONENATIONSouth Gippsland Sentinel Times, "One Nation turns to Bass Coast farmer and mental health care worker for state's tightest seat"View source
Renewable energy and transmission lines on Bass farmland, which she calls "despicable". RReported — SGST-ONENATIONSouth Gippsland Sentinel Times, "One Nation turns to Bass Coast farmer and mental health care worker for state's tightest seat"View source
Growth in the electorate needing matching planning and infrastructure. RReported — SGST-ONENATIONSouth Gippsland Sentinel Times, "One Nation turns to Bass Coast farmer and mental health care worker for state's tightest seat"View source
Schellekens's priorities (cost of living, roads and health, protecting farmland) sit within One Nation's statewide themes. SSelf-stated — ON-SCHELLEKENS, ON-VIC-PLATFORMOne Nation Victoria, "Nikole Schellekens for Bass"View sourceOne Nation Victoria, "Victoria, it's time to take our state back"View source
Her opposition to renewables and transmission on farmland matches the party platform, and she goes further with personal quotes on dairy versus solar farms. RReported — SGST-PARALLEL, ET-ON-POLICYSouth Gippsland Sentinel Times, "Political parallel in fight for Bass"View sourceAustralian Election Tracker, "One Nation policy profile — 2026 Victorian election"View source
No point of divergence from the party was found.
Track record & prior candidacies
Contested Western Port Ward at the 2024 Bass Coast Shire Council election, receiving 1,176 first-preference votes (12.99%), fourth of six candidates, and was not elected to one of three seats. VVerified — VEC-BASSCOAST-2024Victorian Electoral Commission, "2024 Bass Coast Shire Council election results"View source
The Sentinel Times reports she finished 80 votes short of Cr Jan Thompson at the final count. RReported — SGST-ONENATIONSouth Gippsland Sentinel Times, "One Nation turns to Bass Coast farmer and mental health care worker for state's tightest seat"View source
She is not among the 2022 Bass state election candidates, so this is her first state contest. VVerified — VEC-BASS-2022Victorian Electoral Commission, "Bass District results — 2022 state election"View source
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Per the Victorian Electoral Commission's funding guidance (vec.vic.gov.au, accessed 2026-09-29 via search snippets of its independent-candidate and registered-party funding pages), a candidate is eligible for public election funding if they receive at least 4% of first-preference votes in their contest, or are elected. Funding is reimbursed against an audited statement of campaign expenditure, and advance funding must be repaid in full if the threshold is missed.
Schellekens has not previously contested a state election, so she has no state funding entitlement from an earlier contest. Her 2024 council run does not count towards state funding.