Legislative Assembly · District of Eureka
Emma Muir
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Eureka›
Eureka is a Legislative Assembly seat covering east/south-east Ballarat suburbs (Eureka, Brown Hill, Ballarat East, Golden Point, Canadian, Mount Pleasant, Mount Clear, Mount Helen and Buninyong) plus large parts of the Golden Plains and Moorabool shires. It was created by the 2021 redistribution and first contested at the 2022 election, largely replacing the abolished district of Buninyong. Labor's Michaela Settle, the sitting Member for Buninyong, recontested and won the new seat of Eureka in 2022, defeating the Liberal candidate 57.2%-42.8% (a 14.3-point margin). The 2026 field is seven candidates: Labor's Michaela Settle, the Liberals' Emma Muir, the Greens' Sam McColl, One Nation's Paul Ballinger, Family First's Ian Harkness, the Animal Justice Party's Wendy Morrison and the Victorian Socialists' Andy Raven. At the 2022 election Settle won 41.0% of first preferences.
Background
Is a farmer and small business owner who runs a family farming business. RReported — MM-MUIRThe Moorabool News, "Emma Muir to contest Eureka"View source
A roundup of the field says she previously worked in communications. RReported — WVB-EUREKAWest Vic Brolga, "Victorian Election 2026: Western Victorian Candidates"View source
Says she has decades of experience in small business, communications and advocacy. SSelf-stated — LIBV-EMMA-MUIRLiberal Victoria, "Emma Muir — Liberal candidate profile" (21 July 2026)View source
Founded the Moorabool and Central Highlands Power Alliance, a community group opposing transmission lines such as the Western Renewables Link and VNI West. RReported — MM-MUIR, MM-MUIR-SEARCHThe Moorabool News, "Emma Muir to contest Eureka"View sourceFacebook / Liberal Victoria / Times News Group, "Emma Muir - Liberal for Eureka"View source
Was named Moorabool's Citizen of the Year in 2024. RReported — MM-MUIRThe Moorabool News, "Emma Muir to contest Eureka"View source
Lives on a farm in Myrniong with her husband Peter and family. RReported — MM-MUIRThe Moorabool News, "Emma Muir to contest Eureka"View source
Describes herself as a fifth-generation local. SSelf-stated — LIBV-EMMA-MUIRLiberal Victoria, "Emma Muir — Liberal candidate profile" (21 July 2026)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.
Safer towns and cities, better local infrastructure, lower household costs and a fair deal for regional Victoria.
Says: "Now I'm putting my hand up because Eureka deserves a strong local representative who will always stand up for our community."
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
Names lower household costs as a priority.
Crime and community safety
Names safety and safer towns and cities as priorities.
The Coalition's bail and sentencing policy, per the ABC, would automatically deny bail to reoffenders under a one-strike rule.
Housing affordability and supply
The Coalition would lift the first-home buyer threshold to remove stamp duty on homes up to $1 million, per a housing-policy comparison; nothing is attributed to Muir personally.
State government debt and fiscal management
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Names roads and better local infrastructure as priorities.
Opposition leader Jess Wilson's Facebook page says that with Muir on her team the Liberals will deliver a $5 billion roads plan in Eureka, per a search summary.
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
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Health and healthcare access
Names health services among her key concerns.
Urban planning and housing density
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Climate and energy transition
Founded a group opposing transmission lines such as the Western Renewables Link and VNI West.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Regional and rural Victoria
Wants "a fair deal for regional Victoria" and runs a family farming business.
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.
Track record & prior candidacies
Named Moorabool's Citizen of the Year in 2024. RReported — MM-MUIRThe Moorabool News, "Emma Muir to contest Eureka"View source
Founded the Moorabool and Central Highlands Power Alliance. RReported — MM-MUIRThe Moorabool News, "Emma Muir to contest Eureka"View source
She is not among the candidates in the 2022 Eureka results; the Liberals' candidate was Paul Tatchell (31.6%). VVerified — WIKI-EUREKA-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Eureka"View source
No earlier election candidacy was found, so this appears to be her first.
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.
Muir has not previously contested an election, so she has no funding entitlement from an earlier contest. The Liberals' 2022 Eureka candidate polled 31.6%.