Meet the Wollondilly Candidates for the state election
Meet the people vying for your vote this state election in the seat of Wollondilly.
The Bowral News
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The NSW elections will be held in less than a week as the election race heats up in Wollondilly.
With five local candidates vying for your vote, it's more important than ever to know where they stand.
We asked political hopefuls about their goals and priorities for the region. Here’s what they had to say
Angus Braiden — Labor
Labor candidate Angus braiden is a lifelong resident of the Wollondilly region.
“I’ve grown up here, and I’ve seen the change that it has gone through over the past decade,” he said.
“It’s clear to me that we are not getting our fair share from our parliament, and we are not represented in parliament.
“We need someone who will fight for our interests in parliament, someone with the energy and motivation to push for what we need in the Wollondilly, someone from the community, who will fight for the community.”
He said education, healthcare and overdevelopment were key issues facing the region.
“We have a need for greater access to healthcare services, with only one hospital in the electorate, and staffing of nurses/GPs/specialists a significant problem,” he said.
“We also need to address our worsening teacher shortage in schools, with which Labor has a plan to bring 10000 new permanent teachers into the workforce.
“ Other than these two, overdevelopment is wreaking havoc on our region, our environmental disaster is worsening and our roads are a mess.”
He said the region needed a local member who will “bring new energy into our parliament, someone who will fight for our interests and represent our local community”.
“If Labor wins in Wollondilly, we will never, ever be taken for granted again, and we will without a doubt receive the resourcing and funding that we need to take on crucial infrastructure and community projects in our region,” he said.
“ A vote for Labor is a vote for change, and we need change in the Wollondilly and Highlands.”
Ildiko Haag — Sustainable Australia Party
Sustainable Australia candidate Ildiko Haag has lived in the Wollondilly region for more than a decade.
Ms Haag said she was running with the Sustainable Australia Party to “stop corruption and prioritise environmental preservation, recognising that a healthy environment is essential for human survival”.
She said the biggest issues facing the electorate included protecting the environment, stopping overdevelopment and stopping corruption.
Ms Haag said if elected she would focus on protecting the habitats of endangered species, would focus on preserving native forests and local tree canopies and would act on climate change.
In regards to development Ms Haag said she’d oppose high rise buildings and sprawl in the region, and said she would focus on delivering new community infrastructure before increasing housing.
She said she would focus on “stabilising Australia’s population size”
In regards to integrity in politics, Ms Haag said she’d focus on transparent reporting of political donations and lobbying and banning political donations from “ big business and unions”.
Ms Haag said she and the Sustainable Australia Party were “fighting to protect our environment, stop overdevelopment and stop corruption.”
Judy Hannan — Independent
Independent candidate Judy Hannan has lived in the Wollondilly electorate for 30 years.
Ms Hannan says she is running because she is “sick and tired of our community being taken for granted by political parties”.
“We never get our share of grants or infrastructure, but we are being forced to take massive developments with no consultation with our council or residents,” she said.
“We are under threat of the raising of the Warragamba Dam wall, the Special Conservation Zone over our private land to offset the Governments new Bradfield city and the removal of rights of what we want to do on our own land.
“I am running to protect our unique character and the public ownership of Sydney Water.”
She said cost of living, road infrastructure and the lack of high schools, transport, health services and police were key issues facing the electorate.
“When elected I will re-evaluate the false promises made by previous member and assign them to easy fixes, medium and long term aims,” she said.
“ I will look at which items threaten peoples lives such as the lack of a bypass to be able to evacuate people during emergencies and deal with them quickly.
“I will listen to my community and work hand-in-hand with them to address the issues.
“To the people of Wollondilly and the Southern Highlands, it’s time to do something good for your community – vote independent and have your voice in parliament.”
Rebecca Thompson — One Nation
One Nation candidate Rebecca Thompson has lived in the electorate for ten years and said she “fell in love with the area and community immediately”.
Ms Thompson said while on the campaign trail the biggest issue raised by voters was cost of living pressures.
“I’ve spoken to small businesses who are hanging on by a thread, the cost of electricity and increasing rent is almost putting them out of business,” she said.
“This is an issue for all families which is causing them to spend less at local businesses who really need the income.
“I’ve had people approach me and tell me they know people who are currently living in cars because the interest rate hikes are pushing up rent they cannot afford.”
Ms Thompson said people in the region were “tired of being neglected and forgotten about by elected politicians”.
“I have had a large amount of lifelong Labor or Liberal voters approach me or contact me and offer their time to help One Nation and my campaign because they are no longer truly represented and they are looking to us as the alternative,” she said.
She said the community was “ craving very basic and common sense infrastructure”.
“Our region has many estates being built or soon to commence building and yet there are only two hospitals, both at least a 30 minute commute from the centre of Wollondilly, only one public high school being Picton and very minimal primary schools,” she said.
“The community is tired of the unsafe and poorly managed roads but after years of asking we are neglected.”
Ms Thompson said she would be “honoured” to be elected as the member for Wollondilly.
“Wollondilly is an amazing community, one to which deserves so much more than they have been given,” she said.
Nathaniel Smith – Liberal
Incumbent Liberal MP Nathaniel Smith has been the member for Wollondilly since 2019.
He started his career as a plumber and ran a plumbing business across Sydney and surrounds for six years.
Mr Smith also worked as a communications consultant for more than six years and earned a Master of Arts in Organisational Communications.
Prior to entering politics Mr Smith worked as a professional policy Adviser to both State and Federal Ministers.
“After working for many years in the private sector, I have always looked for opportunities to put the issues facing small and family businesses on the agenda, and to help ensure that they can succeed and prosper,” he said.
“I have a vision for the Wollondilly community and will fight for local services, open space and facilities for young families, and protection of the area’s local character.”
Jason Webster — The Greens
Greens candidate Jason Webster has lived in the Wollondilly region for seven years.
He says he is running for the Greens because they are “the best party to take action on climate”.
“Like everyone in the electorate, I experienced the extreme flooding events that destroyed so much property and especially the roads,” he said.
“I remember telling my wife after the first flood ‘Don’t worry, we only ever get one flood and the next one will be several years off’.
“After that the floods kept on coming and coming and it was then that I knew we had to do something about the climate very urgently.”
Mr Webster said it was important to maintain the community feel and character of Wollondilly as the region grows.
“This is done by ensuring adequate public infrastructure – schools, hospitals, walking tracks, public transport and natural reserves for the native flora and fauna such as our local koala population,” he said.
The infrastructure needs mentioned above don’t just come about they need to be planned, funded, and built around our ever increasing communities.
“We also need to maintain the community spirit with arts, craft and sporting facilities as well as shopping districts and employment lands for business to grow and thrive.”
He said Wollondilly “needs a member that cares about the people”.
“It is important that the member for Wollondilly has an understanding of the community and a plan to support that community as it grows.
“More people mean more cars, so we need not only to build bigger and better roads, but also improve public transport so it is more usable.
“We need staff for the hospitals, bus and trains and schools and we need to take care of the vulnerable in our society with more public housing.”
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