Moves are afoot to establish a political party to better advocate for the needs of rural communities in NSW Parliament.
Endorsing the attempt to form The Rural Party is state Member for Murray Helen Dalton.
While saying she will remain an independent if the party is successful, Mrs Dalton said she was comfortable providing support as the aims of the proposed party were similar to her own.
She said the primary goal was to get at least one The Rural Party member, and preferably more, in the upper house to better influence decision-making.
She said this would be particularly useful in this term of government, where both the agriculture minister and water minister are both members of the upper house.
“There's often ministers that you want to quiz (in parliament) about important issues, and if we can get that upper house person, it'll absolutely be a bit of a game-changer for us in rural NSW,” she said.
“If we don't fill those positions, they may go to some other group, giving us a harder time than what we've already had.
“We may end up with more who have a limited understanding of our issues and the consequences of some of their decisions.”
Mrs Dalton said it would also be beneficial to have more people in parliament with similar beliefs to her own on what’s needed in rural NSW.
“I feel like I'm punching without hands or arms sometimes, and I need a hand.
“People might ask ‘well, why can't we just have an independent like you in the upper house?’, but it can be hard.
Three policy pillars
Water management
Securing our water resources for generations to come through responsible management and sustainable practices
No harmful water buybacks that devastate farming communities
Expand river-system storage for sustainable water security
Comprehensive plan to eradicate invasive carp species
Housing plans
Making regional housing more accessible and affordable through practical policy changes
Release underutilised Crown land for new rural housing developments
Mandate 60-day approval deadlines to fast-track housing projects
Slash unnecessary council red tape delaying home construction
Community health
Ensuring rural Australians have access to quality healthcare services close to home
Dedicated training and housing for rural clinicians to encourage regional practice
End the doctor pay gap between metropolitan and rural areas
Significant investment in regional hospitals and ambulance services
Classify MND as a notifiable disease to improve research and treatment
“You've got to be a party and a ticket to have more success.”
To be registered as an official political party, the group must apply to the NSW Electoral Commission.
This application must have the support of at least 750 signatories.
Mrs Dalton said no-one who signs is obligated to vote for the party in the future.
A set of The Rural Party policy platforms have already been developed, each with an aim of “building a stronger rural Australia” and “standing up for water, housing and healthcare in regional Australia”.
Anyone wishing to know more or join the prospective party can go to theruralparty.com