NSW election 2023: Ballina election candidates Q&A

They want to represent your area – but what drives the people standing for the seat of Ballina in the 2023 state election? Find out in our Q&A.

Flood recovery will be front of mind for many Ballina voters. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Danielle Smith

The seat of Ballina has an interesting history – but you can decide its future at the ballot box.

Once a National Party stronghold, Greens politician Tamara Smith secured Ballina on the back of Don Page’s retirement in 2015.

Ms Smith remains the sitting member, but will face four challengers come the state election on March 25.

We put a series of questions to the candidates so you know more about them and what they stand for.

The ballot draw last week determined which order candidates will appear on voting slips:

(1) Peter Jenkins – Sustainable Australia Party – Stop Overdevelopment/Corruption, (2) Andrew Broadley – Labor, (3) Kevin Loughrey – Independent, (4) Tamara Smith – The Greens, (5) Josh Booyens – The Nationals.

Peter Jenkins – Sustainable Australia Party – Stop Overdevelopment/Corruption

How long have you lived in the electorate?

I have lived in regional NSW for nearly all of my adult life. I currently live in the town of Bellingen.

Why have you decided to put your hand up for election?

I am running for Sustainable Australia Party to de-corrupt politics in NSW and implement sustainable solutions for our future. SAP has practical and realistic solutions to the current problems of overdevelopment and environmental destruction.

What’s your plan for the electorate?

We are fighting to protect our environment, stop overdevelopment and stop corruption. This includes protecting endangered species habitats, native forests and local tree canopies, reducing Australia’s waste production, acting on climate change, stopping inappropriate high-rise and sprawl and delivering new community infrastructure before more housing.

We are also fighting to stabilise Australia’s population size, for transparent reporting of political donations and will lobby to ban political donations from big business and unions.

What’s the most significant issue in the electorate and how will you address it?

The most significant issue in our electorate is protecting our environment. This includes stopping overdevelopment and stopping corruption, particularly through reform of the NSW planning system.

Your final pitch to voters

Sustainable Australia Party is an independent community movement with a science and evidence-based policy platform.

As an independent community movement from the political centre, after you vote 1 for Sustainable Australia Party we ask that you decide where to direct your own preferences.

Andrew Broadley – Labor

Andrew Broadley. Picture: Supplied

How long have you lived in the electorate?

We moved to the electorate in 2012.

Why have you decided to put your hand up for election?

When the floods happened in our region, I watched how effective Janelle Saffin, the Labor member for Lismore, was in representing her community. She fought constantly to get support, standing up against political opponents and delivering outcomes. I was moved by her commitment, and it motivated me to stand up and be that voice for the Ballina electorate.

The Labor Party reflects my values that everyone deserves to have a secure and fulfilling life. Being part of the Labor Party in government also provides the capacity of legislating, a chance to make real and effective change. Minor parties can only make suggestions.

The other reason I put my hand up to run is that we are the fastest growing regional community in NSW and yet for the past 12 years our electorate has been neglected by the NSW Government. Essential services such as disaster preparedness and response, hospital funding, affordable housing and support for young people and ageing, have not received the resources they desperately need.

We must have a strong voice in the Government that addresses these priority issues.

Our electorate is ready for a fresh start, and I believe only a Minns Labor government can deliver that.

What’s your plan for the electorate?

The priority list is already long.

Domestic violence is occurring at alarmingly high rates

Compounding the issue is a lack of government funding for community centres which link homeless and people displaced by domestic violence to the providers of services like emergency housing.

I’m proud to be a member of a team who have a plan.

Labor have committed $100m over five years to women’s health centres, doubling their current funding and securing their future.

Additionally, following years of advocacy across multiple sectors, we have committed to introducing longer-term five-year funding arrangements for key community service providers including domestic violence support services. This will mean these services can forward plan and expand, providing women fleeing domestic violence with the certainty these vital organisations will be there if or when they need them.

What’s the most significant issue in the electorate and how will you address it?

Young adults in Ballina not be able to afford to buy a home in the community they grew up in. It’s impossible for kids in our community to live and work here.

The Nationals and the Perrottet government have done nothing to address the housing crisis. In fact made it worse by selling off $3.5bn of government housing.

After 12 years of neglect there is no quick fix, but Labor has a plan aimed at short term relief and long-term solutions.

Labor will make it easier for first home buyers to get into their own homes by abolishing stamp duty outright for first home buyers purchasing homes up to $800,000.

And, let me be very clear – under Labor you will never pay land tax on your own home, whereas the Liberal and Nationals are promising you will pay land tax forever.

Our housing crisis also means that people can’t afford to rent and are sleeping in cars and tents. This is the largest social dislocation our community has ever seen.

Labor understands that in communities on the North Coast the underlying lack of supply is being exacerbated by the impact of short-term letting.

This is creating significant pressure on prices and availability of rental properties for local working people. We are keen to work with Local Government, to find practical solutions to this crisis.

One of the most exciting NSW Labor housing initiatives is the mandatory requirement for 30 per cent of homes built on surplus government land to be set aside for social and affordable housing.

The rental commission to be established by Labor will restore the rights of renters and end secret bidding.

Your final pitch to voters

Public health and education is in crisis, particularly in the regions. I believe everyone deserves access to good quality health care and a good education.

People living in regional areas should have the same access to health care as people from Sydney. The National Party have really failed us here – they promised $80m to finally fix Ballina hospital and they have broken that promise. I know too many people that have to be transferred to the Gold Coast for basic services. We need a new hospital for Ballina, we need 24/7 ambulance service.

NSW Labor has a comprehensive plan for healthcare, including a commitment to recruit 1200 nurses, 500 more regional paramedics and implement the Rural Health Inquiry recommendations.

We should also have a fully funded, well-resourced public education system that meets the needs of every single child. As a teacher I have witnessed my colleagues devote their lives to educating our kids – working over 55 hours a week to provide the education our kids deserve. The system is only held together by the sacrifices these staff are making.

Children are missing out because the system is broken.

NSW Labor have committed to establish an Education Future Fund, which will raise the SRS level to 100 per cent for all students in NSW. We will also convert 10,000 casual teachers to permanent and cut teacher administration hours by five hours per week.

Tamara Smith – The Greens

Tamara Smith. Picture: Suze McLeod

How long have you lived in the electorate?

My family have lived in the Northern Rivers since the late 1800s, and I‘ve lived here for 32 years. I have raised my own family here and was a secondary school teacher for many years in the region.

Why have you decided to put your hand up for election?

I am standing for a third term because I believe that I have delivered well for the Ballina electorate.

I want to continue to champion for our communities in Macquarie Street, and lobby for strong action on climate change and the environment.

I am proud to be the first woman Member for Ballina, holding the only Greens regional seat in Australia.

What’s your plan for the electorate?

In the first 100 days of my re-election I will:

– Deliver the second round of flood recovery money for the Resilient Homes Program to raise, retrofit and relocate eligible homes in the Ballina electorate.

– I will see that recurrent funding is given to community organisations that have been doing the heavy lifting in terms of flood recovery, and providing mental health services.

– I will introduce a law that reigns in holiday letting of whole homes in regional communities where vacancy rates are below 3 per cent.

– I will push for measures to relieve cost of living pressures for people in our community.

– I will deliver; A Women‘s Advisory Service for Ballina new purpose built Police and Fire and Rescue station in Byron Bay, and Money and governance changes to address the issues causing the poor health of the Richmond River.

– I will facilitate an extension of the Patient Transport System in our area so that ambulances are used only for life threatening incidents.

-My party will deliver a 15 per cent pay rise to public school teachers, and nurses, midwives, and paramedics.

What’s the most significant issue in the electorate and how will you address it?

Over the last six months my campaign team and I have spent countless hours talking to members of the community. Since we kicked off in October we have had one-on-one conversations with thousands of people, listening to their concerns through door knocking, phone calls and meetings.

The issue that we are hearing over and over, in almost every conversation, is the impacts of the cost of living crisis. At the centre of this crisis is housing affordability and flood recovery. Rents and mortgages are at breaking point, forcing people into homelessness or out of the region all together. Hundreds of homes across the region are sitting empty, some deemed unlikeable after the floods, others are short term holiday rentals – taken off the market and only available to tourists.

One year on from the floods and there is still no clarity on when the state and federal government will deliver funding and support under the Resilient Homes Program to the Ballina electorate.

To address the cost of living crisis the Greens will push the next government to deliver the second round of flood recovery money to raise, retrofit and relocate eligible homes in the Ballina electorate. We will regulate Short Term Holiday Letting and invest $1bn per year for the next 10 years to address the social housing shortage across regional NSW.

The Greens will also scrap the public sector wage cap, put power assets back in state hands to bring down energy bills and fully fund public education and preschool.

Your final pitch to voters

Vote out the Liberal Nationals and put the Greens in the balance of power so we can push the next government to stop new coal and gas, provide secure housing, and clean up corruption. NSW Greens do not take donations from any corporation so we are a truly independent and grassroots party.

A vote for the Greens not only keeps the bastards honest, it has the power to remove the bastards entirely.

Josh Booyens – The Nationals

Josh Booyens. Picture: Facebook

How long have you lived in the electorate?

15 years. Like anyone who lives here, (I think) the pristine environment and diversity of our community is like nowhere else, and it’s why we live where we live.

I’m heavily involved in our community and love engaging with our people, from all walks of life.

Why have you decided to put your hand up for election?

The role of local member is conduit between people and government. Community first, party second.

We have had eight years of an ineffective Greens MP – our flood drains are blocked, rivers silted up and still no solution to housing. If not now, when?

I want to take 20 years of private sector experience serving and finding solutions for people, and translate that into actions and outcomes for the people of the Ballina electorate.

The people of Ballina are calling out for, energetic, strong and effective representation that actually gets people in to shelter, brings down cost of living pressures and clears our drains and rivers, cutting through environmental green tape and Greens ideology.

What’s your plan for the electorate?

I’ve knocked on thousands of doors from the north to the south of our wonderfully diverse electorate. I also had half a metre of water through my own home in West Ballina.

I can tell you housing, cost of living, flood mitigation/recovery are top of people’s minds. After eight years, people are crying out for effective representation on these issues. Someone who listens, not someone preaching Green ideology and playing politics at every opportunity. My vision is for an electorate where all three levels of government are working cooperatively together, with outcomes for its people as the focus. An electorate where we are making inroads on housing, cost of living and flood mitigation/recovery. An electorate where we are receiving our fair share of investment in infrastructure and investment in community.

What’s the most significant issue in the electorate and how will you address it?

The Northern Rivers has the fastest growing regional population in NSW. This population growth is putting significant pressure on housing.

Right now, we have the Greens focused on shutting down holiday letting in our area and strangling the visitor economy that so many small family business’ rely on. This from the Greens spokesman for Tourism – madness.

My approach to housing is far more holistic and solution focused: Checks and balances for short term holiday letting, increase housing supply, and innovative housing policy for our most vulnerable and in need (including ‘rent to buy’).

This ‘three pillar’ approach provides for a holistic, whole of community approach to getting people into safe shelter.

Your final pitch to voters

Eight years of Greens, nothing to show for it – and the electorate is suffering as a result.

It’s time Ballina had an energetic, community minded representative in parliament.

I will put the needs of our diverse and unique community first, like I have done for the last 20 years.

Respect for our environment, focus on delivering for people and economic accountability are what I stand for.

Actions and outcomes for the Ballina electorate is what I will deliver. Just vote 1, Josh.

* Questions were also sent to Kevin Loughrey, independent candidate for Coffs Harbour, but a response had not been received at time of publication. Candidate Peter Jenkins has not submitted a photo. Answers may have been edited for clarity or due to length.