This is the place for me, this is home - Rachel Summers

In the first episode of Latitude 40 Season 2, Jacqui Cooper sits down with Flinders Mayor Rachel Summers for an honest and heartfelt conversation about community, leadership and life on a remote island.

From accidentally moving to Flinders Island after confusing it with Bruny Island, to becoming Mayor, Rachel shares her journey, the challenges facing the island, and the power of community spirit.

This episode explores volunteering, housing, ageing well, infrastructure projects and what the future of Flinders Island could look like — all grounded in the people and stories that make this place so special.

What we talk about in this episode

• Finding home on Flinders Island
• The realities of remote island living
• Honouring a friend through community fundraising
• Stepping into local government and leadership
• Why volunteering is declining — and how it could change
• Major infrastructure projects shaping the island’s future
• Housing, workforce shortages and ageing well
• Voluntourism and visitors giving back
• Protecting what makes Flinders Island unique

Show notes and links

Flinders Council - https://www.flinders.tas.gov.au

Don’t try to change this place; let this place change you - The Islander Way Story - https://www.furneauxcollective.com/islander-way

Guest

Rachel Summers
Mayor of Flinders Council and long-time community member passionate about transparency, participation and the future of the island.

About Latitude 40

Latitude 40 is a podcast by the Furneaux Collective celebrating the people, stories and spirit of the Furneaux Islands. Each episode shares conversations with locals who help shape life on the island.

If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

Transcript

Jacqui Cooper:
Welcome to Latitude 40, brought to you by the Furneaux Collective. This podcast celebrates the heart, soul and history of the Furneaux Group, told by the people who call these islands home. Here we share stories of island life, resilience and connection, of land and sea, of old ways and new beginnings. From the windswept shores to the heart of our communities, each episode captures a piece of what makes island life so unique.

So islanders and visitors alike, settle in and join us as we explore the stories that shape the spirit of the Furneaux Islands, one voice at a time. Welcome to Latitude 40 with Jacqui Cooper. Thank you so much for joining me today.

Jacqui Cooper:
This is my first ever podcast, and Rachel Summers has kindly agreed to be my guest today. Rachel is the Mayor of Flinders Island and is known for her commitment to open, accountable local government, and her belief that strong community participation, fresh ideas and teamwork are key to tackling the island’s challenges and taking on opportunities.

Often as members of the public, we scrutinise our Council representatives. We like to hold them to account. We’re more often critical than complimentary. But today is about getting to know Rachel — Rachel Summers the person — an active and vibrant member of the Flinders Island community: mum, wife, friend and colleague.

Welcome, Rachel.

Rachel Summers:
Thanks for having me, Jacqui.

Jacqui Cooper:
Fantastic. So Rachel, before we chat about your role as Mayor, can you tell me where your Flinders Island story began?

Rachel Summers:
Over 15 years ago, I’d trained as a chef, and I was looking to move back to Tasmania and try to get some work in that field. I saw a job come up for the Bakery on Flinders Island and I thought, “Oh — there’s that little island south of Hobart, that must be it.”

When I came down for my interview, they flew me through Launceston and I thought, “Well, that’s strange. Shouldn’t I be going to Hobart?” So I got onto Google Maps and looked up where Flinders Island was — and no, it wasn’t Bruny Island.

But I still came. And from the second I got here, it was like, “This is the place for me.” I’ve lived in other countries and other states, but when I moved here with my little dog Archie, it was like, “This is home for us now.”

Jacqui Cooper:
That’s amazing — and lovely. So where did you stay when you first moved here?

Rachel Summers:
I was living in a house on the Esplanade, just across the road from the beach. I think I was paying about $180 a week rent for a house that pretty much anywhere else in the country would be six or seven hundred dollars a week. Right on the beach — and Archie loved that.

Jacqui Cooper:
I bet.

Rachel Summers:
He did love it. He especially loved wallabies he’d never seen before. Coming from Perth in Western Australia, he was a city boy — and he really became acquainted with our wallabies. He enjoyed them.

Jacqui Cooper:
So, did you have a favourite spot on the island?

Rachel Summers:
It took me a couple of years to explore the island properly. When I arrived, I didn’t have a driver’s licence and I didn’t have a car, so I had to rely on my legs. People kept telling me about all these wonderful places — “You’ve got to go to Sawyers Bay, you’ve got to go to Walkers Lookout, you’ve got to go here, you’ve got to go there.”

So when I finally did get my P plates, that very first weekend Archie and I went around the whole island — probably about three times. I remember driving up to Walkers Lookout — it’s a single lane all the way up, with a very sheer drop down the other side — and thinking, “I don’t think this was a good idea, and somehow I’m going to have to get back down from here.”

And then just as I got to the top, another car appears in front of me, and I was like, “Oh no.”

Jacqui Cooper:
Oh no.

Rachel Summers:
Someone’s going to have to reverse, but fortunately they did. And I’ve never driven up Walkers Lookout again.

Jacqui Cooper:
No — post-traumatic stress: Walkers Lookout.

Jacqui Cooper:
So Rachel, what do you think people who don’t live here might never quite understand about island life?

Rachel Summers:
I think people have unrealistic expectations of what living on an island is actually like. Some people think it’s going to be like living on Hamilton Island, where there’s a big resort that can serve your every need — and that’s not here.

I don’t think people fully understand some of the difficulties we have. If the boat doesn’t come one week, or it gets stuck, that can really impact what’s available at the supermarket. If the mail plane can’t come in for a few days because of fog or bad weather, that parcel from Myer is going to be late. Just little things like that.

And the fact that everything is just that little bit more expensive here. But it’s the price you pay to live in paradise, is what I often say. And I know that’s really cliché, but I think we’re so lucky to live in such a beautiful place as Flinders Island. If I have to wait a few extra days, or if I only get to choose from two cartons of milk instead of five, so be it.

Jacqui Cooper:
Yeah, I agree. And it’s another conversation when you go down the street — people can complain they haven’t got their newspaper. But I agree: we’re very fortunate to live in paradise.

So when things get heavy — especially with your roles and responsibilities — what keeps your sense of humour intact?

Rachel Summers:
I always try to make a joke out of things — sometimes inappropriately. I find if I can lighten the mood, even within myself, I can deal with it better.

I’m really fortunate that I haven’t had to experience too many hard things in my life. I’ve been blessed not to have had major traumas. There’s a saying — I don’t know if I saw it on Facebook or someone told me once — and it was: “This storm shall pass.”

Jacqui Cooper:
Yes.

Rachel Summers:
No matter how bad the storm gets, we’re going to get through it. You can either sit in a corner and mope — “Oh my gosh, this storm is so terrible” — or you can get on with things, try to find some joy in life, and you’ll get out of it a lot quicker.

Jacqui Cooper:
Yeah, great. Just a bit like this easterly wind — it will come to an end. It will pass.

Rachel Summers:
One day. One day.

Jacqui Cooper:
Yeah, that’s right.

Rachel Summers:
Fingers crossed.

Jacqui Cooper:
On a little more serious note — something I know is very close to your heart. After losing your close friend Vicki Warden to cancer, you chose to honour her in a way that was heartfelt, courageous, humorous, and unmistakably Rachel.

You created a fundraiser for cancer research and invited the community not just to donate, but to get involved — suggesting challenges, discussion topics and ideas. And you even stated up front that you were built more for feed than speed, which I love.

Rachel Summers:
Very true.

Jacqui Cooper:
As you walked and danced and ranted and climbed — and potentially swore at the little distances.

So can you take us back to that time and tell us what it was like for you, and how the idea of bringing the community along on that journey came about?

Rachel Summers:
When Vicki passed, I was sitting in Launceston Airport. I was due to fly up to see her — she was in hospital, in palliative care. We knew it was going to happen soon, and I was literally being called to board the plane when I got the phone call to say she’d passed.

That night I went to the hotel I was staying at in Launceston and I was doom-scrolling through Facebook. Up popped this Cancer Foundation fundraiser, and I thought, “Oh — I should do something like that. I should try and raise some money so other people don’t have to lose their friends to cancer.”

I don’t know if we have more cancer here on the island, but we’re more aware of it because of our community. It impacts us, unfortunately. And I thought if I can raise $500 and it goes toward finding a cure, better treatment, or helping someone get through cancer, then it’ll be worth it.

The challenge was to walk, I think, 60 kilometres in the month of May.

Jacqui Cooper:
Wow.

Rachel Summers:
Yeah — about two kilometres a day. And I thought, “I could do that, surely.”

Jacqui Cooper:
And how many kilometres were you walking before the challenge?

Rachel Summers:
Zero. I used to walk to the car. But two kilometres? Surely that’s easy.

After the first week or so, my donations weren’t really getting there, and I’d tapped out close friends and family as much as I could. So I got onto ChatGPT — I call mine Dave — and I’m like, “Hi Dave, I’m trying to raise funds for cancer and I need a way to get people to donate.”

Dave came up with a big list of ideas — some were scary, definitely not doing that — and I thought, “Alright. If I raise $1,000 I’ll do this, if I raise $1,200 I’ll do that.” Just silly fun.

Then we hit $2,000 and we were only halfway through, and it was like, “Yeah, let’s keep going.” So I asked Dave for more ideas — and Dave suggested I climb Mt Strzelecki.

Jacqui Cooper:
Oh — maybe he knows where you live.

Rachel Summers:
Yeah, you know, technology. It knows all this about you. So I’m like, “Sure — if I raise $4,000, I’ll climb Mt Strzelecki.”

Because no one’s going to give me that much money, right? And then I had two anonymous people give me $500 each — and I hit that mark very quickly. And I’m like, “Damn it.”

My mother always said when I was a kid, “Rachel, your big mouth is going to get you in trouble one day.” And it did.

I haven’t quite made it to the top yet. We did have an attempt — AK decided he’d come and motivate me along. He was great and he kept the mood light, which I needed. But we didn’t make it all the way. There are so many stairs.

Jacqui Cooper:
A huge effort though.

Rachel Summers:
It was. So I’ve started going to the gym, I’m walking again, and I am going to get to the top of that mountain. It might just take me a bit longer.

Jacqui Cooper:
Amazing. From no kilometres to Strzelecki — even part of Strzelecki. It was fun for all of us watching.

Rachel Summers:
One of the challenges was that I was going to dance into town for one of my walks. And Vicki was a big dancer — she loved dancing. She’d be the only person on the dance floor as long as she could dance. She used to do belly dancing — she was really into it — so I thought that was a good way of honouring her.

One of the other things was dressing in a costume. So I put the two together and dressed in an inflatable T-Rex costume, which I don’t recommend because it’s about a thousand degrees inside.

And then my son Matthew saw me ordering it and said, “I’ll do that with you, Mum. Get me a costume.” So he dressed up as a baby T-Rex. We did parkrun, did some dancing, and we crossed the line to David Bowie’s Heroes, which was Vicki’s favourite.

Jacqui Cooper:
Fantastic. That’s amazing — bringing the community along with you.

Rachel Summers:
That’s it. It’s what we love.

Jacqui Cooper:
It is what we love. Well done — and well done to Matthew.

Rachel Summers:
He’s a good kid… when he wants to be.

Jacqui Cooper:
So did you ever expect you’d become Mayor?

Rachel Summers:
No.

Jacqui Cooper:
When you came to the island?

Rachel Summers:
No. I didn’t even think of running for Council. It wasn’t a desire or ambition of mine at all. But some things happened on the island — decisions by a previous Council — that I wasn’t comfortable with. And rather than just sitting back and whingeing, I thought, “No — put your money where your mouth is. Run for Council.” So I did, and I was really happy when I got elected as a Councillor.

Four years later, when elections came up again, I had feedback from the community that people thought I’d do reasonably well as Mayor. Again, I didn’t know if I wanted that level of responsibility. There are parts of the job I’m not comfortable with — like public speaking. Even now, three years in, I still panic every time I have to do a speech or a radio interview.

Jacqui Cooper:
Well, we don’t see that from the other side.

Rachel Summers:
I’m faking it well.

Jacqui Cooper:
Yeah — you’re faking it well.

Rachel Summers:
I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave it a shot. I know not everyone is happy with decisions made by Council, and I’m the spokesperson, so I take that — if people want to be mad at me, they can.

But I think we’re trying to operate transparently. We get a lot of feedback now that people know more about what’s happening — more information is going out. I’m constantly saying to people, “If you can think of another way we can get information to you, let us know.”

We’re going back to doing Mayoral Minutes, which were really popular.

Jacqui Cooper:
That’s fantastic.

Rachel Summers:
Not really my cup of tea. The first time we did them, we had about 32 takes.

Jacqui Cooper:
Oh, really?

Rachel Summers:
As soon as the record button hits, my brain goes blank. But we’re getting better, so it’ll be good to start those again.

I did a presentation at the Furneaux Futures Forum.

Jacqui Cooper:
Yep — that was really good.

Rachel Summers:
It was about myth-busting in Council — things people believe about Council that aren’t actually true. People have asked if we can do it as little segments, so we’re looking at that too, which could be quite entertaining.

We also have to adapt how Council shares information. A lot of younger people aren’t reading the Island News or getting the Householder — they want 30 seconds of information to flash up on their screen. So we’re trying to evolve.

Jacqui Cooper:
Move with the times, while still keeping our older community members included.

Rachel Summers:
Absolutely. We’ll still always do the Island News and householders, but we need to make sure information reaches everyone — without having to personally go door to door.

Jacqui Cooper:
So what’s been your most awkward, humorous or unexpected moment as Mayor?

Rachel Summers:
The most awkward was last year when a Councillor put up a motion to remove the Acknowledgement of Country from Council meetings and from any event Council is involved in — which, in a community our size, is basically everything.

It exploded nationally. I was getting interview requests from national newspapers, and it was uncomfortable. When I went online and read comments, people didn’t understand what our community is about. Because one Councillor put forward a motion, the whole community was being tarred — and that wasn’t the case.

It was powerful, though: we had over 50 people come to the Council meeting that day — the most I’ve ever seen. The motion failed. Our local Aboriginal community spoke passionately about why Acknowledgement of Country is important to them.

I did receive some really unpleasant, rude emails — including from people who weren’t from the island. Some were supportive and polite, and others were just name-calling. That’s not making your point. I’m not going to read an abusive email and think, “Actually, that’s a well-thought-out argument — I’ll change my mind.”

I’m really glad the motion failed, and that we’re keeping Acknowledgement of Country for our meetings and Council events.

Jacqui Cooper:
And well done for sticking with it and staying strong. Is there an achievement during your tenure that stands out most to you?

Rachel Summers:
Nothing I’d tie to myself. Council works as a team. We’ve made decisions, and worked with staff to get things done that benefit the community.

I’m really glad the Safe Harbour project is almost complete. The vet clinic project is coming along. And we’ve got the airport project — which is nothing but drama from sun-up to sun-up.

Our switchboard that operates the lights is from World War II. We can’t get spare parts anymore. If that goes, we can’t have lights at night — which could impact things like RFDS landings. And when the wiring was first installed, it was done without conduits, so bare wire has been laying in the ground. That’s starting to rot.

We’ve managed to get $3 million in funding to fix all of that, bring the lighting up to current CASA standards, and build a new airport office, which will give better visibility of the runways for airport staff.

Jacqui Cooper:
That sounds huge.

Rachel Summers:
It is. For a community of our size, we do achieve quite a lot in government funding — but there are many other critical projects too. We try what we can, we get what we can. It’s a group effort, so I can’t claim credit for anything.

Jacqui Cooper:
It is a team effort — and it’s something you believe in. And if you can hear a little snoring right now, it’s not Rach going to sleep — it’s my big Maremma under the table having a snooze.

Jacqui Cooper:
Rachel, I noticed that in the recent Council newsletter you wrote about volunteering.

Rachel Summers:
Yes.

Jacqui Cooper:
I’m going to read the first paragraph for our listeners:

“Not all that long ago, Flinders Island topped the national charts for community volunteerism, with more than 40% of residents volunteering in some capacity. That’s an extraordinary figure and one we were rightly proud of. Fast forward to now, and a number of our community organisations are struggling to survive — not because they’re irrelevant or unwanted, but because they simply don’t have enough people to keep them going. And I feel that volunteering is a large part of the fabric that makes for a vibrant community.”

I do see the same faces volunteering in multiple groups. Do you have any ideas — or maybe Dave — on how we can encourage more people to volunteer?

Rachel Summers:
I don’t have any grand ideas. I think we need to find out what’s stopping people from volunteering.

These days most families have both parents working — then you come home and you’ve got the farm, the family, everything you’re trying to run.

Do people know what’s out there? Do we need to share it more? Are people happy to help out but don’t want to come to meetings — and is there a way they can still contribute?

I got an email after the Island News went out from someone who’d moved to the island. They said they wanted to volunteer and get involved, but they didn’t know what was out there. They suggested that as part of the new resident pack, we list community organisations with a paragraph on what they do, their purpose, meeting commitments, and other ways to help if you don’t want to attend meetings.

Like the Show Society — they have a core committee, but in the weeks before and after the Show, they’re always looking for volunteers for a couple of hours. Sweeping out the pavilion, setting up marquees — it makes a big difference.

The Lions Club used to host an annual Christmas Day where Santa would come and all the kids would get a gift. They still wanted to do it, but they have fewer members now and need helpers. So they decided they didn’t have the capacity.

Jacqui Cooper:
It’s a shame.

Rachel Summers:
It is. Myself and our Deputy Mayor put it out there that we were happy to help coordinate it — we just needed parent volunteers — and we didn’t have any.

Then afterwards some parents said, “Oh, I would have helped with that.”

So it’s about getting the message out clearly and loudly — and maybe changing how we share that information, including using social media more.

People also need to think about what these community organisations provide — events, support, assistance — and whether we want to lose that. It would be devastating if the Show didn’t happen. It’s such a phenomenal day.

The CWA, every Christmas, puts together hampers of food and treats for older people on the island who don’t have family here or who are by themselves. That’s community spirit. But if you’re down to one or two members, it becomes really burdensome — especially if those members are older too.

Jacqui Cooper:
So hopefully it’s not a lack of community spirit.

Rachel Summers:
I really hope it’s not. I think it’s about getting information out there and finding ways for very busy people to fit it into their schedule.

Jacqui Cooper:
Volunteering — fitting volunteering into modern life.

Rachel Summers:
Yeah, pretty much.

Jacqui Cooper:
On the topic of volunteering — do you see visitors playing a role? Volunteering to help fill the shortfall for some events?

Rachel Summers:
It’s something that could be explored. The question is consistency — you’d need to know in advance you’ll have enough people to assist, because you can’t just chuck an event together two days out. If they don’t come…

Jacqui Cooper:
Maybe it’s more working bees?

Rachel Summers:
Exactly. If community organisations can schedule working bees further in advance, then it can be advertised. People with an interest might even come specifically during that time.

Like the museum — if someone is interested in history, they might visit during a working bee to take part and learn more, get to know locals and contribute.

Jacqui Cooper:
So it’s also about getting that information out to visitors.

Rachel Summers:
Yes. And we already see examples — people come specifically to help with projects, like Friends groups and conservation work. It shows voluntourism could be something.

Jacqui Cooper:
Looking forward, Rachel — what do you hope Flinders Island holds on to as the years go by, and what do you hope changes for the better?

Rachel Summers:
That’s a hard one. I hope the island holds on to its community spirit — the way we look after our neighbours, that we participate, that we don’t sit back and let things happen to us. I hope everything we love about the island continues.

Looking ahead, I hope we embrace sustainable technologies that make life easier. Hydro has the wind and solar project, which is great — it means we’re not relying on diesel generators. Council is looking into sustainable waste initiatives around recycling so we’re not just putting waste into a hole in the ground, costing millions and millions of dollars.

I’d like to see us increase our population — not by thousands, but enough to make the island function. We have shortages in childcare and aged care. Hospitality providers struggle to find staff — cleaners too. We don’t have the workforce for critical services, even if we can get the housing — which is the other problem. Chicken or the egg.

Council is looking into housing, but you need money, and we don’t have a lot of that. If we could bring an extra 200 people to the island, I think it would make a real difference. Forty-five per cent of our population is over 60, which means we’re going to need more services for seniors in the coming years — and we need somewhere for them to live so they can stay.

Jacqui Cooper:
So they don’t have to go off-island after living here all their lives.

Rachel Summers:
Exactly. We’ve had people go into care off-island because our aged care facility is full, and it’s really tragic. You lose family, friends, your support network — everything you know — and you have to start somewhere new with no ties.

It would be great if we can find a way to keep people on the island, and have enough people here to support them — so they can even age in their own homes rather than going into a facility.

Jacqui Cooper:
A statement that came through the Islander Way project was: “Don’t try to change this place. Let this place change you.” It really resonates with me. What does it mean to you?

Rachel Summers:
I’m probably looking at it simply, but to me: people move here for a reason. You don’t come here because you want live music every night or big shopping centres. So when you move here, accept that the island doesn’t offer that — and don’t try to bring it here. Don’t try to bring central Melbourne to Flinders Island. That’s not what we’re about.

If you want the perfect cup of coffee at four o’clock on a Sunday afternoon, that’s not here. If you want McDonald’s on a Tuesday night, that’s not here — and I hope it never will be.

It’s about loving what we love about this place, and not trying to change it to fit someone else’s ideal.

Jacqui Cooper:
I love that. Thank you so much for your time today, Rachel. It’s been an absolute pleasure chatting with you.

Rachel Summers:
Thanks for having me, Jacqui.

Jamie West:
We acknowledge the ancient history of the Tasmanian Aboriginal people as the first people of lutruwita, Tasmania. This episode was recorded on the lands and waters of the Furneaux Islands. We recognise the continuing spiritual and ancestral connections of Tasmanian Aboriginal people to these islands, and we honour the strength, resilience and living culture of Aboriginal people today.