Award-winning mental health advocate and former 2025 federal election candidate Richard Hendrie has again nominated as the Greens’ candidate for Farrer.
Mr Hendrie brings a strong background in health system reform and lived-experience advocacy at both state and national levels, supported by qualifications in social work, psychology and law.
He has called Farrer home for about 25 years, having moved to Henty in Greater Hume Shire at the age of 14. He is now living in Albury.
Mr Hendrie said he was motivated to run to ensure better representation for regional residents.
“Too often, decisions are made without the input of the people most impacted,” he said.
“I am standing to advocate for strong public health care, better mental health support, fair access to education, and environmental protection.
“My own experiences of health care and disability support drive me to push for change at a community and a systems level.”
Water security and the proper management of the Murray-Darling Basin remain critical issues for the region, with Mr Hendrie calling for greater transparency, stronger accountability and tougher environmental protections.
He has also identified health equity as a key priority, warning that access to care is becoming increasingly difficult for Farrer residents, with regional services falling behind those available in larger cities.
With talks of a private community hospital on the table for Moama, Mr Hendrie said he was not against the idea but believed that residents should have access to care through the public system without needing to rely on private proposals.
Housing affordability is also on his radar, as home ownership has become unattainable for many across the region.
Mr Hendrie said if elected, he was willing to give Farrer “real representation”.
“Having lived and worked from Greater Hume to Albury and Griffith, I understand our enormous electorate is diverse,” he said.
“Real representation means listening, showing up and remaining accessible — although that’s harder for me at the moment than it should be on a Veterans’ Affairs pension with fuel prices so high because of Trump’s illegal war.”
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