NSW Election 2019: Jamie Parker’s Balmain has over-development issue
Climate change and over-development have been some of the key issues for people voting in the closely-contested seat of Balmain this morning as part of the NSW Election.
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Climate change and over-development have been some of the key issues for people voting in the closely-contested seat of Balmain this morning as part of the NSW Election.
Voters at Forest Lodge Public School had barely stepped inside the gates before being faced with the queue to the ballot box at about 8am.
Labor candidate Elly Howse is the most likely contender to challenge Balmain Greens MP Jamie Parker, who holds the seat by 4.7 per cent.
For Forest Lodge couple John and Zhaan Fargher, climate change was a central issue.
Mrs Fargher said: “We should support renewables rather than digging up the ground”.
“I don’t believe in coal-fired power.”
Mr Fargher also named climate change as important to him, along with support for people running small businesses.
He runs a business which designs software for farmers.
For Camperdown husband and wife Paul Mayne and Penelope Chapple, over-development was the greatest issue influencing their vote.
Mrs Chapple said: “I’m not in favour of developers having a great say in Sydney and NSW”.
Mr Mayne said: “It’s the over-development of the wrong things, like stadiums and roads, rather than schools and hospitals”.
Ms Howse was expecting federal deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek at the school later to help campaign.
Ms Howse’s final message to voters was a vote for Labor could change the government.
“Labor has to win Balmain if we want to win government,” she said.
In addition to Ms Howse and Mr Parker, the other candidates for Balmain are Anita Finlayson (Animal Justice Party), Emilia Leonetti (Keep Sydney Open), Angela Dunnett (Sustainable Australia) and Wenjie “Ben” Zhang (Liberal).