Federal Member for Farrer David Farley is touring the electorate, meeting with businesses, community groups and councils to discuss regional priorities.
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Daniel Harvey
Fresh from his election to the House of Representatives, Federal Member for Farrer David Farley is travelling throughout the electorate, a trip which has included a stop in Moama, on Wednesday, July 22.
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He has been meeting with community groups, businesses and councils to discuss the challenges facing regional communities and how they could be addressed.
The Riv spoke to Mr Farley during his visit to Moama.
Reflecting on what it meant to represent such a diverse regional electorate, Mr Farley said the win came with a great sense of humility.
“People were looking for change and that change was that they were prepared to back me and give me their vote and the party of One Nation,” he said.
“You’ve got to be thankful for that and humbled by that they had a choice, and I was their choice.
One Nation Member for Farrer David Farley (centre), with his wife and daughter, speaks to supporters after winning the Farrer by-election in May. Photo: AAP/Bianca De Marchi
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AAP
The seat of Farrer sits in the southern part of the Murray-Darling Basin, an area that grows roughly 40 per cent of all of Australia's food.
“It's a big responsibility to make sure that the food producing assets are there,” Mr Farley said.
He spoke of the responsibility of making sure both private and government investment was looked after and respected, not wanting to downgrade the investment quality of the location and the assets there.
“I'm humble, I'm responsible, and I enjoy the responsibility and accountability,” he said.
Mr Farley identified the Murray-Darling Basin water program as one of the most pressing challenges confronting him and the communities he represents.
“Secondary industries now are responding to the farmers not planting some of the crops because they haven't got the water,’’ he said.
“Rice mills, flour mills, oil mills, wineries and processing plants that support local producers have already started standing down workers.
“We're arriving at the critical time in the Murray-Darling Basin program where it's going to bite and not only are we going to lose people, but we will lose the investment in skills, the intellectual property those people carry,” he said.
Mr Farley went on to say that the investments in machinery and the businesses themselves would begin to deteriorate, and that the equity businesses had built, and their goodwill value, would also fall away.
“And then it'll be in the retail shops, the retail supermarkets where consumers will have less choice, and we'll end up choosing from an inferior imported quality.”
Healthcare was a major focus of Mr Farley's campaign, with him saying the region faced challenges including ageing health infrastructure, workforce shortages and training healthcare professionals.
“The Federal Government policy is lagging there so that we're being left with 1980s technology when we should be focusing on what's available for 2026 and beyond,” he said.
Mr Farley also pointed to the National Disability Insurance Scheme as the single biggest driver of current federal health policy, arguing it was pulling skilled workers away from areas of critical need and redirecting them into disability support roles.
Mr Farley argued that NDIS funding had increased wages in the disability sector, making it more attractive for some nurses and care workers than aged care and contributing to workforce shortages in the aged care sector.
The new member also spoke on border communities, saying they faced unique healthcare challenges because Victoria and NSW operated different health systems, qualifications and pay structures.
He said the differences could create barriers for healthcare workers moving between the two states, while health services also had to manage separate administrative systems.
“We should be able to go back, in today's world of technology, and streamline it and take those inefficiencies out of it," Mr Farley said.
Mr Farley said local councils were facing a heavy challenge from inflation in the way they can operate, absorbing rising prices of bitumen, electricity, and fuel.
He said the Federal Government Assistance Grants had declined over time despite rising costs, leaving councils with few options other than seeking additional revenue from ratepayers.
“The councils themselves were in a very difficult position, principally due to federal government policy,” he said.
On the growing support of One Nation in the region, Mr Farley attributed this to the party’s ability to focus on reality, as well as managing the tough and sensitive issues.
“When One Nation speaks, it speaks on behalf of the people,” he said.
Mr Farley said One Nation's position on immigration focused on whether Australia could handle current migration levels without adequate housing, education and healthcare infrastructure.
"Australia is starting to realise that One Nation is the only political party that has got courage and tenacity to speak the truth," he said.
Mr Farley spoke highly of NSW Member for Murray Helen Dalton, naming her as the ‘Joan of Ark’ of the NSW Parliament.
“She knows how to put her narrative together and deliver a message, she's action-orientated, and no nonsense,” he said.
"I do feel that we work effectively in opposition, and I think we'll work more effectively when we get the opportunity to be in power."
Mr Farley is touring the electorate while the Federal Parliament is out of session.
