Federal election: Numurkah, Wunghnu and Tungamah voters have their say on Nicholls election battle

Voters in the battleground seat’s farming towns reveal who they will back in the election and why. Watch the videos.

Nicholls has barely rated a mention in past federal elections.

The seat covering large swathes of Goulburn Valley farmland and major Murray River tourist towns of Echuca, Cobram and Yarrawonga has been such a Coalition stronghold that the Nationals won 70 of the 71 polling places three years ago.

But 2022 is different and it’s not only the major population centre of Shepparton and other big towns along the river that are engaged in the riveting three-way battle between two Coalition contenders, Nationals’ Sam Birrell and Liberal Stephen Brooks, and independent Rob Priestly.

The Weekly Times visited Numurkah, Wunghnu and Tungamah to gauge voters’ mood in the final week of the campaign.

Many said they can’t remember a time when there has been a more genuine contest threatening the Coalition’s stranglehold on the seat.

Andrew Newham works at Numurkah’s Home Timber and Hardware and likens it to the years he lived at Mt Isa where colourful crossbencher Bob Katter is the MP.

“Bob is crazy, but he loves his local people and he fights tooth and nail for them,” Mr Newham said.

“It means they got a lot of stuff done.

“Because we’ve been so Liberal and Nationals orientated forever I think we get taken for granted and forgotten.

“But I do get concerned that independents don’t have a holistic view of the country and parties are the ones who get stuff done.”

Mr Newham remains undecided on how he will vote.

“Agribusiness is still the lifeblood of this part of the world, but we do need to develop other things,” he said.

Retired farmer Alan Rogers, who also lives in Numurkah, said the amount of advertising from Mr Priestly had shocked him when compared to past elections.

“The National Party has had this seat for years and years and people are a bit disgruntled with what has been happening,” he said.

He said water policy, which had led to higher prices and reduced allocations, meant the prosperity of areas such as the Goulburn Valley had suffered.

“It is affecting our smaller towns,” he said.

Mr Rogers also feared interest rates would surge under a Labor government and make owning a farm even harder.

“Years ago we used to have six farmers on a dairy farm block and now we’ve got maybe not even two farmers on 1200 acres (485ha),” he said.

“I’ve been through the years when interest rates were 18 and 22 per cent under (Labor’s Paul) Keating.

“The younger ones trying to get a start are the ones that I fear for the most.

“If there is a swing towards Labor, I would hate to see where interest rates end up.”

Wunghnu Tavern owner for the past 15 years, Trish Milne is not sitting on the fence and is convinced Mr Priestly will be the next Nicholls MP.

“I don’t feel as though the Liberals and Nationals have done anything around here,” she said.

“We are so safe it doesn’t matter.

“I’m hoping to see a shake-up because we definitely need it.

“Rob has been here and seen us. We haven’t seen anyone else.”

Pre-election sweeteners on telecommunications and other sorely needed infrastructure were only happening because of a genuine alternative in the race, she said.

Tungamah's Greg and Diane Ford don’t want to see a hung parliament. Picture: David Johnston

Greg and Dianne Ford are retired farmers who live at Tungamah, which was in neighbouring Indi until 2013 when Cathy McGowan rolled Liberal Sophie Mirabella.

Mr Ford said the election would be close, but feared a hung parliament.

“No one does any good out of a hung parliament,” he said.

“Everyone is at loggerheads and nothing gets achieved.”

Mr and Mrs Ford have voted early and voted for different candidates, but both agreed that the major parties were on the nose.

They hope Nicholls will be marginal for an extended period and action can take place to fix damaged roads, and doctor and housing shortages.

“If you ring to see a doctor in Yarrawonga it is nothing to have to wait two weeks,” Mrs Ford said. “That is a big issue around here.”