NSW election 2023: Coffs Harbour election candidates Q&A
They want to represent your area – but what drives the people standing for the seat of Coffs Harbour in the 2023 state election? Find out in our Q&A.
Coffs Harbour
Don't miss out on the headlines from Coffs Harbour. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Voters in the seat of Coffs Harbour at the NSW state election on March 25 are spoiled for choice after seven candidates put their names forward.
We put a series of questions to the candidates so you know more about them and what they stand for.
They will appear on your voting paper in this order after the ballot draw at Coffs Harbour Showground last week: (1) Tony Judge – Labor, (2) Gurmesh Singh – Nationals, (3) Ruth Cully – Sustainable Australia Party – Stop Overdevelopment/Corruption, (4) Tihema ‘Tia’ Elliston – Legalise Cannabis Party, (5) Sally Townley – Independent, (6) Kellie Pearce – Animal Justice Party, (7) Tim Nott – Greens.
Mr Singh is the sitting MP for Coffs Harbour and won the seat at the 2019 state election, succeeding Andrew Fraser, who retired.
Tony Judge – Labor
How long have you lived in the electorate?
I moved to Woolgoolga with my wife Diane in 2015 after taking early retirement from a long career in the public sector, including 10 years at senior executive level.
I have three children, a three-year-old grandson and another on the way.
I am a councillor on Coffs council and I volunteer as a crisis supporter, mentor and ambassador with Lifeline.
In my spare time I cycle, bodyboard and do my best to keep fit. I am also an avid reader.
Why have you decided to put your hand up for election?
The Coffs Coast is a naturally beautiful area with a great climate and wonderful people, but there are so many areas in which it is suffering through neglect and complacency.
Nurses are working 18-hour shifts to prop up an understaffed, overworked hospital system.
Teachers are leaving in droves from our local schools, leaving classes unattended and students missing out on opportunities.
There is a lack of housing, particularly social and affordable housing, resulting in record levels of homelessness and rental stress.
The koala will become extinct in the wild in NSW by 2050 if we don’t stop habitat destruction and set aside some land for them to live and breed.
I want to be part of a government that addresses each of those problems with positive policies and initiatives. NSW Labor has a plan to address those problems and make the Coffs Coast a better place to live.
I want to be a strong local voice, advocating for our community in a Minns Labor Government.
What’s your plan for the electorate?
I want to start fixing our hospital and health services by introducing mandatory safe staffing levels for nurses. That will reduce burnout, improve patient safety and bring nurses back to our hospital.
I want teachers to be able to teach and stay in the profession. That means reducing their administrative workload significantly and giving them fair pay.
I want more social housing and more affordable housing. That means government stepping up and encouraging the right sort of development, acknowledging that many people will be lifetime renters, and creating a better system for landlords and tenants.
I want a Great Koala National Park for koalas and other threatened species.
It will give our struggling wildlife a fighting chance and create unique tourism opportunities for the Coffs Coast.
I also want clean waterways on the Coffs Coast.
It is so disappointing, at a time when Sydney Harbour has been cleaned up and people are starting to swim there, that our coastal lakes are becoming unfit for swimming and watersports. That’s something we need to fix.
There is so much else, but those are the key things we need to act on to have the Coffs Coast we deserve.
What’s the most significant issue in the electorate and how will you address it?
We need to create real, long-term careers that our young people can aspire to and we need to do it in a sustainable way.
We need to identify the opportunities and industries of the future and fight for our share of those opportunities.
The current state of low unemployment following the Covid pandemic will not last unless we invest the time, thought and energy needed to prepare for the future.
Your final pitch to voters
In the time I have lived on the Coffs Coast I have developed deep connections with our community.
Through my work as a volunteer, as a councillor and as an advocate, I have learned a lot about what we value, what we need and what we want.
Over the past six months I have learned even more through market stalls, doorknocking and community events.
I feel ready to represent our community in the NSW parliament.
I want what the community wants – better health services, an opportunity for all of our children to get a great education, affordable and available housing and the great environment that supports our coastal lifestyle.
Gurmesh Singh – Nationals
How long have you lived in the electorate?
I was born and raised in Woolgoolga and went to Woolgoolga High School.
In 2001, I attended university in Sydney where I studied industrial design. After completing my studies, I worked for Qantas and then on some of the world’s biggest brands in advertising.
We moved back to the Coffs Coast in 2009 and have lived here ever since.
During the past four years as the local member, I’ve travelled to every corner of the electorate and got to meet thousands of people and the hundreds of groups, organisations, and clubs that make up our community.
Why have you decided to put your hand up for election?
This electorate has seen a tremendous amount of investment over my first term in parliament, but there is much more to do.
The electorate deserves someone they can trust to fulfil the wishes of the electorate, and someone able to deliver.
I am committed to making the Coffs Coast the best place to live, work and play it can possibly be.
Now more than ever the Coffs Coast needs someone who is pragmatic and not driven by ideology. Someone who does more than complain about the issues and actually offers solutions and plans.
I have been agile enough to respond to the challenges as they’ve arisen, and I have a mindset of a problem solver.
I’m excited for the challenges ahead, and I look forward to tackling them on behalf of this electorate.
What’s your plan for the electorate?
In four years, Coffs Harbour will be a bypassed city. We have to plan for our region’s economic future now.
We have committed $10m to build an amenity wall between two of Coffs’ biggest infrastructure projects to enable them to coexist.
The Coffs Bypass and the Pacific Bay Studios represent a significant opportunity.
The economic opportunities and the jobs created by the film industry will be a game changer.
The Jetty Foreshores is one of my favourite spots and I’m there most days. I want to see it retain its character, but I also recognise that it is essential to our social and economic future that the precinct be enhanced in a sensitive and balanced way.
I also want to continue enabling the infrastructure required for eco-tourism – to build on the investments we have made into our mountain biking facilities and walking tracks.
What’s the most significant issue in the electorate and how will you address it?
There are two most significant issues facing our electorate at present.
As cost of living pressures continue to mount, we are reducing the cost of living with more than 70 cost of living measures including: seniors, apprentice and university travel cards, vouchers for families, the low income household rebate, the gas rebate and the Family Energy Rebate.
The second major issue is housing. By creating a mixture of urban infill and enabling new greenfield housing sites, our plan enables more housing to be built at every level.
We’re doing this by helping councils build enabling infrastructure, like (with) the $5.85m to upgrade North Boambee Rd, enabling more than 860 homes to be built.
Our $175m Growing Regional Economies Fund will invest further in infrastructure and facilitate projects that unlock housing in regions like the Coffs Coast.
We also have a plan for social and affordable housing through the redevelopment of Argyll Estate that will increase the number of social homes as well as increase mixed-tenured affordable homes close to amenities.
Your final pitch to voters
Throughout my parliamentary career, I’ve listened to the community and responded to the challenges we’ve all faced over the past four years.
I have worked hard to create opportunities for our region, but there is much more to do.
I want to help create a future where our communities are thriving, where jobs are plentiful, and where your children can grow up and follow their dreams. Where grandchildren can live in the same town as their grandparents because we’ve created opportunities for their parents.
I’ve got the energy, drive and passion to help create those opportunities – to listen to the wishes of the community and be your voice in the NSW parliament.
Ruth Cully – Sustainable Australia Party
How long have you lived in the electorate?
I first lived here in 2009, when I took long service leave, and my daughter attended a local school. We fell in love with the unspoilt beaches, the bush, the native birds and wildlife.
l eventually bought my home here in 2016, and returned as often as I could.
Why have you decided to put your hand up for election?
Sustainable Australia Party is an independent community movement with a science and evidence-based policy platform.
We are fighting to protect our environment, stop overdevelopment and stop corruption.
What’s your plan for the electorate?
Stop land clearing. Regenerate indigenous vegetation in all coastal areas, including the Jetty Foreshore, to support wildlife, eco-tourism, and operate as a buffer for extreme weather events and storm surges.
Stop building on fertile agricultural land.
Support farmers who are trying to do the right thing by improving soil health, water quality, reducing erosion and toxic chemical use.
Stop logging old growth forests.
Establish the Great Koala National Park. Plant more trees and source timber from plantations.
Invest in health, education and research. Offer free tertiary and TAFE education.
Abolish current HECS/HELP debts.
Train more doctors and properly remunerate nurses and teachers.
Invest in sustainable agriculture and value-adding processes. Re-build core manufacturing with scale-up capacity to prepare for future economic shocks (such as pandemics, natural disasters and conflict).
Stabilise the population to reduce pressures on environment and housing stock
What’s the most significant issue in the electorate and how will you address it?
The most significant issue in the electorate is the protection of the environment. There is no Planet B.
We need to develop incentive frameworks that reduce human impact, reward conservation and make polluters pay the full cost of remediating their damage.
We need government to address human need, and not human greed. Corrupt vested interests should not be deciding how we live.
Your final pitch to voters
I’m running for the NSW parliament to de-corrupt politics in NSW and implement sustainable solutions for our future.
Sustainable Australia Party will address the root causes of our problems rather than simply deal with symptoms.
Finally, if I am elected, I pledge to donate my salary to Coffs Harbour charities for wildlife, the homeless, and flood relief (apart from travel and electoral office expenses).
Sally Townley – Independent
How long have you lived in the electorate?
I have lived on the Coffs Coast since 2000, including various locations on the Northern Beaches, Sawtell and Korora. For the past few years I have lived in Bellingen.
Why have you decided to put your hand up for election?
I have put my hand up to offer voters a real chance to move away from the party system and represent the interests of our area.
What’s your plan for the electorate?
My plan for the electorate is to consider the natural environment and the people who live here as being part of one ecosystem.
This means having consideration of sustainability at the heart of every decision.
What’s the most significant issue in the electorate and how will you address it?
I believe one of the most significant issues is making sure our young people are getting a healthy foundation for life.
I will address this by advocating for more public preschools, a new school for Moonee and a Youth Wellbeing Hub at Toormina.
Your final pitch to voters
Being an independent means being able to make the best decisions for our area, not a predetermined decision mandated by a party.
It means advocating for transparency in government spending, not pork-barrelling and last-minute election spending.
It means placing a value on our waterways, forests and public lands and maintaining them for now and future generations.
I will work for improved health outcomes by supporting better conditions for our nurses.
I will work for better education outcomes by addressing the critical teacher shortages and school infrastructure shortcomings.
I will work to make sure the Jetty Foreshore is not sold off for private residential apartments but remains as public parkland.
I will work to increase the provision of social housing in our area.
I will work for moving towards carbon-neutral living.
Most of all, I will work for residents to get what we need for a sustainable future.
Kellie Pearce – Animal Justice Party
How long have you lived in the electorate?
I have lived on my property at Nana Glen for more than 20 years.
Why have you decided to put your hand up for election?
To raise awareness of the need to act to protect our climate, our wildlife and our domestic and farm animals.
The Animal Justice Party has direct policies to tackle animal abuse and cruelty, and policies to protect our biodiversity, unique wildlife and address the climate emergency.
I also wish to see greyhound racing banned in NSW, see the establishment of the Great Koala National Park and legislation to stop native logging within our National Parks.
Without a human voice in parliament, animals are not represented, and therefore often not considered when policies are created. I would like to change this.
What’s your plan for the electorate?
To ensure that our elected representatives understand how important action on climate change is and how important animal welfare issues are.
Coffs Harbour has amazing natural attractions, but due to unregulated farming, logging and pesticides usage, flora and fauna is under threat.
We need to take action to protect our waterways, and to stop logging native forests to protect our koalas and other wildlife.
We need to ensure the establishment of the Great Koala National Park.
We need to take action to protect the Jetty Foreshore from residential development.
We also need to address public housing in the area and ensure this region remains accessible for everyone, not just the wealthy.
What’s the most significant issue in the electorate and how will you address it?
So many issues, but personally I believe if we don’t have a government serious on addressing climate change, then everything else is of no avail.
Specifically to this electorate, I would like to see the protection of our native forest combined with the establishment of the Great Koala National Park.
Your final pitch to voters
Vote 1 Animal Justice Party (AJP), and then vote 2 for your next most important candidate. Due to the preferential voting system, if the AJP doesn’t win, your vote will be assigned straight to that next candidate.
The AJP has strong representation for animals in the Upper House of NSW and we have been able to secure millions of dollars in animal welfare reforms because of this.
We cannot do this without you and your vote
Tim Knott – Greens
How long have you lived in the electorate?
I moved to Coffs Harbour 18 years ago and have worked in several townships on the Mid North and Coffs Coast.
I was born in Inverell but spent my childhood in PNG and then lived in various towns throughout NSW.
I graduated from the ANU with a degree in Science (Resource and Environmental Management) and have a Graduate Diploma (Marine Science and Management) from the National Marine Science Centre here in Coffs Harbour.
Why have you decided to put your hand up for election?
With a housing crisis, mass extinction event and now climate emergency coming from years of failed policy, I will put people before profit.
Policy is increasing wealth inequality with the Coffs Harbour representative voting along party lines every time, thus giving our vote to Sydney-centric decision making.
A corrupted system gives unelected people more power than the community. I support democratic principles.
We now have a changing climate risking our economy and my town’s long term viability.
Significant decisions have not included risks in the assessment, costing the community more. Lives and livelihoods are at risk.
I will lead with courage and have the skills to stand up for my community.
The recent emergency declaration in five states and territories was predicted but our leadership didn’t act. We have predictions of increasing heat and cold extremes, and storm damage.
I take this risk seriously with the recent Lismore floods costing lives, jobs and more than $4bn.
The continued investigations of politicians is wasting money and increasing distrust. The system should demand those in higher positions have greater accountability not less.
Our policy should not be up for sale and we need politicians with better memories.
The current system includes legislation drafted by lobby groups to benefit corporations.
The Greens do not accept corporate donations and are thus not expected to give advantage to anyone but my community. I will put my community first.
Wealth is being taken from the community and given to the few through numerous mechanisms.
When my neighbours and friends struggle to find a home and pay for food while the super-rich are making record amounts from monetising community resources, policy makers are failing the people who own the resources.
I will follow a different path, a conservative approach to economic management ensuring we get value from our resources.
What’s your plan for the electorate?
The Greens will change the development approval system to include basic planning principles and stop building critical infrastructure in zones unable to be fully utilised when needed most.
We will remove subsidies for unviable or sunset industries and focus on sunrise industries.
Thus I plan to stop all native forestry and encourage plantation harvesting operations to be sustained long term.
If we act soon, we may save the forestry industry and even be able to use our hardwood to build houses instead of woodchips, firewood and pallets.
I support the Great Koala National Park, artificial reef and growing our tourism industry by protecting our resources.
The Greens will encourage housing and transport options, diversifying our economy.
The Greens support funding of our public service and will empower communities to have control of development decisions by removing the inefficient and corrupted grant system and reinstate council funding.
What’s the most significant issue in the electorate and how will you address it?
The changing climate impacts all of our lives. With most of NSW revenue coming directly from the environment and more than one million people allowed to build on flood zones, a lot is at stake.
The predictions of extreme weather events accelerating exponentially is alarming.
Wealth has not been created in a stable climate and impacts health, housing, economic strength, prosperity and thus national security.
It’s clear that the lack of basic planning principles in our development system magnified by privatisation of land and infrastructure has increased the cost burden on the community, giving a false impression of climate risks.
Serious issues should not be avoided, such as the current increase in deaths and loss of testosterone in men.
We must stop all new coal and gas to protect our economy.
The longer we wait to deal with difficult issues, the more it costs. Vote Greens for sensible economic and resource management.
Your final pitch to voters
Coffs Harbour deserves quality financial and resource management, not pork barrelling.
I will bring transparency and accountability back into governance.
Planning should include services and infrastructure prepared before homes are built.
I support increased housing options, but not homes on land that floods.
Renewable energy, a sunrise industry, will build economic resilience and enable good stewardship of our resources once we stop subsidising the competition.
Stopping coal and gas will give us more jobs, higher incomes and cheaper baseload power.
The Greens will: Stop unfair evictions, start a treaty process, mandate ratios for nurses, end costly native forestry logging, support cashless gaming cards, reinvest in public housing and repeal the anti-protest laws.
As a financial conservative believing in free choice, I don’t support current corporate socialism.
Our money should be spent building our community and prosperity, not profit for the few.
For quality financial and resource management, vote for Tim Nott.
* Questions were also sent to Tihema Elliston, Legalise Cannabis Party candidate for Coffs Harbour, but a response had not been received at time of publication. Answers may have been edited for clarity or due to length.
‘Melted’: Toddler horribly burned on playground slide
A shell-shocked mother is demanding answers after her two-year-old daughter suffered severe burns from an overheated council-owned playground slide. Here’s the latest.
Ground ‘covered in junkie needles’ ahead of kids sporting event
Several syringes have been found strewn across the grass near a major international sports stadium in the lead-up to one of the state’s biggest junior sporting events of the year.