Founding Member
Andrew Buchanan moved full time to Apollo Bay in 1987 and established and managed a retail business, Wild dog Trading Co, which today is still trading as Home Hardware.
He was elected as a Coastal Riding Councillor in 1989 and served on many committees up until Council’s amalgamation in September 1994. As a member of the Planning Committee, Andrew helped drive the establishment of the first planning scheme for the Otway Shire.
Continuing a strong commitment to coastal planning led to his appointment as the first Community Representative to the (then) Foreshore Committee which was Department-run. Andrew is the current chair of the now expanded Otway Coast Committee, which manages approximately 30km of the Otway coastline.
In 2002 he completed what is to date the largest retail development in Apollo Bay comprising a supermarket, 5 shops and 12 multi-level apartments. This won the Master Builders regional award for 2002.
Andrew’s strong interest in community capacity building continues as a founding trustee and present Chair of the Apollo Bay and District health Foundation. In this, the Foundation’s thirteen year, it has been able to deliver more than $92,000 in grants back to the local communitys health and wellbeing organisations, and holds over $1,000,000 in assets.