By BRAD PERRY

THE familiar faces of Chaffey’s local election candidates have begun to overlook the streets of the region, signalling the start of what is to become a heated political campaign for the seat of Chaffey.

The writs have been issued and in exclusive interviews with the Riverland Weekly, the current member for Chaffey and four other candidates outlined the issues they believe affect the region and the policies that will win your vote.

Water

SITTING member Karlene Maywald has a strong stance on water as River Murray Minister and while outlining water as the lifeline of the region, she expressed it is not the only

issue.

“I’m now the most experienced water minister in the nation, by a long shot and I have been around that table fighting the fight of our life to get a better deal for South Australia,” she said.

“All the other candidates are irrigators and they are all running on the basis of water and my view is that is the critically important issue and that is the issue I put my political future on the line with.

“I’ve been prepared to do the hard yards, cop the criticism and do the best I can on that major issue.

“The point I am making is being the Member for Chaffey is much more than just one issue and there is a whole community.”

Liberal candidate Tim Whetstone said his desire for equity on water in the Riverland and better commodity prices are the main reasons he decided to run for the

seat.

“Water security for the irrigation sector and the sustainability of the river is the number one issue,” he said.

“Initially, something that has stuck in my gut for a number of years now is when I went down and met with the Premier down at North Terrace.

“I went down looking for a support package for not only irrigators but for the community at large going through these tough times.

“He (Mike Rann) said ‘nah, nah, nah, why would I support you up there, why would I support that region, when I am never going to win that seat’?”

“It’s really all about the negotiation skills of the current government have let irrigators and especially the environment down.”

High security water for irrigators on the River Murray is an issue Family First candidate Jack Papageorgiou is fighting for.

“For too long water has been taken for granted...it has never been on the radar,” he said.

“I think it’s disgusting the way both political parties have treated the Murray Darling Basin.

“I don’t enjoy it when politicians tell me to pray for rain.”

Labor candidate Roly Telfer said he believes the State Government is doing all it can to support irrigators but if elected, has policies to help small block irrigators.

“Of all the water available to irrigators, they have been getting their share of it,” he said.

“There are a small group of who I would call selfish, greedy, irrigators, who believe they should be entitled to 100 per cent of their allocation.”

Water and the lack of it in the surrounding communities was something that prompted independent candidate David Peake to run.

“The big thing I’ve been working on is unity for the whole river system as one,” he said.

“Once we have a healthy river system, I’ll show you thousands of happy irrigators.”

Health

WITH a recent media report stating the Riverland has1396 people to every one general practitioner, there is no doubt that health is looming as a huge issue in the coming election.

A cut in local services has prompted Mr Whetstone to question the current government’s stance on health in the region.

“At the moment we are seeing emergency services closing, shortages of doctors, we’re seeing shortages of nurses, a lack of interest for speciality doctors to come up to this region,” he said.

“They are probably the key issues.”

“I had a lady yesterday, she made a booking to see a doctor but unable to do that, the quickest way for her to see a doctor was to drive to Adelaide.

“The Liberal Government will reinstate community boards back in hospitals and take away the HACS.

“I think that is vitally important to give grassroots feedback to what the communities are needing.”

While Mr Whetstone noted that the drought’s social burden is causing mental health problems for local people, this is also an issue high on the agenda of Mr Peake.

“People with depression don’t seek help, they hide in the corner...they need to be sought out to be given help,” he said.

“Once again (mental health) scouts are in the major towns in the Riverland and not down here (below Lock One).”

Accused of running for the seat of Chaffey on the basis of water issues, Mr Papageorgiou believes that problems with the local health service are just as big a factor, having been on the local hospital board for over 10 years.

“We need a regional hospital and actually deliver service,” he said.

“We need to retain other hospitals to maintain that service to the community.”

Mrs Maywald said she is campaigning for more funding for the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme.

“(This) has fallen short with what the costs associated with travel to and from health services has been,” she said.

“We have the commitment to the general hospital, a $41 million investment to the region to improve our health facilities and help recruit and retain our medical workforce, which is critical.”

Mr Roly Telfer said he supports the State Government’s plan to build a regional hospital at Berri to help attract specialist doctors.

Other issues

WHILE health and water are the two big issues on the Chaffey political radar, the candidates have also focused on many other issues for the Riverland.

Mrs Maywald said a key to her campaign will be the much criticised Riverland Futures Taskforce, which will be helping to attract new industries to the region, investing in tourism and focusing on education opportunities.

An issue she will also address is regional transport.

“We think all kids, regardless of where they live, should have access to a subsidised transport system to school,” she said.

“We have got yellow buses sitting everywhere around the region that only work 195 days a year.

“We could make much better use of that infrastructure potentially for other public service opportunities in the region.”

Nearly nine months of door knocking and over 3000 fliers later, Mr Whetstone said he understands the issues of the Chaffey electorate.

“It is not just water that the region is dealing with, it is commodity prices, it is health issues, the inequity for school leavers looking to further their education and also, just as important, the Rural Infrastructure Support Scheme that (Liberal leader) Isobel (Redmond) has announced,” he said.

Stating that horticulture and attracting diverse industries to the region are vitally important, Family First’s Mr Papageorgiou wants support to keep youth in the Riverland.

“We have got to upskill young people so we retain our structure here,” he said.

Mr Papageorgiou would also like the Riverland put back on the national scene, as he remembers big events such as the England and West Indies cricket teams playing in the region in the 1970s.

Supporting the State Government on a number of local issues, Labor’s Roly Telfer believes the Trades for the Future vocational education and training scheme will encourage students to take up trades during school and keep them in the region.

“It gives them the opportunity for businesses to improve and thrive and young people to get jobs after they leave school,” he said.

Independent David Peake is also hoping to retain the region’s youth, while supporting small business and primarily focusing on helping irrigators through the drought.

“The Exceptional Circumstances Grant is too rigid in its policy and it doesn’t take into account the exceptional circumstances people find themselves in,” he said.

“We have got people who don’t qualify and can’t get the most important thing to keep things alive, water itself.”

NOTE: These interviews were conducted prior to Australian Greens Jim Jordan announcing his

candidacy.

Mr Jordan was unavailable for comment following his candidacy announcement.