Federal Election 2022: Cowper voters reveal issues that matter

A local seaside village is the canary in the coalmine for identifying what people are thinking in the run to the federal election. Here’s what we found.

The lifestyle at Scotts Head is coveted by residents and visitors alike.

The Federal seat of Cowper is Nationals Party heartland, but close to the geographical centre of this NSW Mid-North Coast seat is an exception in the picturesque seaside village of Scotts Head.

There, at the local polling station at the public school, it’s known as a bellwether booth - where the hyper-local vote is often reflected in who gains government at the federal level.

While The Nationals have held sway in Cowper almost uninterrupted since 1919, it’s anything but a homogenous district.

The electorate straddles the cities of Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie, and includes significant towns in Kempsey, Nambucca Heads and Macksville.

From the early days of cedar felling and bananas, Cowper now hangs its hat on tourism, light manufacturing and rural production (cattle, macadamia, avocado and most recently, blueberry).

Scotts Head is emblematic of many of the villages which hug the coastline - a tourist hotspot, with a permanent population that is aged, moneyed and has moved there from the metropolitan centres such as Sydney.

We spoke with some local residents to take the political temperature in the run to this year’s federal election.

John Bell

A resident of the town of 47 years, identified phone service as a major issue.

“There’s black spots all the way in (on Scotts Head Road) and even on the M1 - the main highway,” Mr Bell said.

“There shouldn’t be any black spots on the main highway. If there’s an accident you need to be able to call for help.”

He said he was unimpressed with the current crop of federal politicians.

“I’m not wrapped in their ability,” he said.

Scott Balfour

As captain of the local Rural Fire Service brigade, Mr Balfour said the relative isolation of Scotts Head was a challenge.

“Scotts Head Road needs to be upgraded for safety, but we tend to be forgotten about,” Mr Balfour said.

“Housing is an issue - with prices going up it’s hard for families to move into this area.”

Malcolm Dalley

Mr Dalley moved to the area 14 months ago - but had been visiting Scotts Head for 15 years - and cares for his 91-year-old mother.

He would like to see both major parties be more constructive.

“They only seem to care about trying to shoot down the other one,” he said.

Mr Dalley said there was a general lack of infrastructure in the village - and he would like to see more money for retirees.

“It must be very difficult to live on the pension,” he said.

Leslie Kingsley

The natural environment is the big issue for Mr Kingsley who also called out the need for a federal independent body to investigate any claims of corruption.

He said the fossil fuel industry’s backing of the major parties needed to be wound back, or extinguished altogether.

“Unfortunately a lot of people vote only for what’s good for their wallet,” Mr Kingsley said.

While he used to vote for whichever party most appealed, he now looks at the character of the individual.

“I want someone with good principles who is just prepared to do their job,” he said.

Terry F

A resident of Scotts Head of 20 years, and “a Labor man”, he wants to see the local road network upgraded.

“I’d like to see some bicycle tracks too because there’s nowhere to ride here,” he said.

“The lack of parking here is the other main thing.

“We need some recreational things to do, because there’s not much here.”

Greg and Chris Bell

The Bells have lived in Scotts Head for 32 years, and said the federal government should invest in local infrastructure.

Mr Bell said local government, in this case Nambucca Valley Council, had too small a rate base to cover the costs of roads.

Health spending also caught their eye.

“We’ve got a new medical hospital at Macksville - but we’ve got a growing population and it’s the same size as the old one,” Mr Bell said.

“The local federal member (Pat Conaghan) is really good. He’s really approachable.”