Regional NSW has been home to independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe for her whole life.
She grew up in Cootamundra, raised her three daughters with her husband in Albury, and has called Jindera home for the past decade.
Mrs Milthorpe said regional communities had become a part of her identity.
“Living and working in our regional communities has shaped who I am — a mum, a teacher, a small business owner, and someone who genuinely understands the challenges and strengths of life in the country,” she said.
“Since September, I’ve had the chance to travel right across the electorate, and what I’m hearing is clear: people in regional communities are being left behind.”
Greater access to affordable child care and cross-border issues with pay parity and licensing, and especially water buybacks, are the main concerns she has heard from communities.
Mrs Milthorpe said she was against the buybacks, as she has seen the impact they had had on communities.
As part of her water policy, she is pushing for practical alternatives, including investment in modern irrigation infrastructure, additional water storage solutions and better use and measurement of existing environmental water.
Regional access to health care, jobs and housing are also on her radar.
She will be advocating for investment in rural healthcare delivery, regional workforce strategies that work for local industries and communities, and housing policies that are realistic for regional towns.
Mrs Milthorpe will further push to increase the housing supply for key workers and vulnerable Australians, develop independent living facilities to keep communities together and provide incentives for private developers to invest in regional housing.
Addressing Murray River Council’s calls to restore Federal Assistance Grants, Mrs Milthorpe said she supported reinstating local councils to at least one per cent of federal tax revenue, without cutting other grant programs.
She will be advocating for an equitable funding model that considers an LGA’s capacity to raise revenue and will work with Farrer councils to explore options.
She believes regional communities need support from all levels of government, including investment in critical infrastructure to support sustainable growth.
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