The starting gun is yet to be fired on the federal election campaign but already political parties are jostling for position in regional seats.
Retiring Member for Parkes Mark Coulton last week joined the Nationals candidate for this electorate and former Gunnedah mayor Jamie Chaffey, as well as Shadow Resources Minister, Senator Susan McDonald, for a visit to local businesses in the Gunnedah region.
The campaign tour included visits to the flour mill and a local mine site in lead up to this year’s federal election, which as of Wednesday, was still yet to be called.
Mr Chaffey’s return home followed six months on the campaign trail and two laps of the Parkes electorate which covers 51 per cent of the state.
After much time on the road, Mr Chaffey described Gunnedah as prosperous as ever, with “really strong growth here in last 10-12 years” and would forever be the place he called home.
“If I’m able to hold the seat of Parkes then Gunnedah is always my home,” he said.
Workforce pressures
The Labor government established a $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund in November 2023 and planned to build 1.2 million homes by the end of the decade.
One of the Coalition’s primary pitches for the looming election – which must be held before May 17 – is for a $5 billion commitment to target a crippling housing demand – of which 30 per cent would be invested in regional areas.
Although the funding may be available, workforce pressures continue to persist and rural areas like Gunnedah have been especially susceptible to the tight labour market.
“People are talking about it, particularly in the aged care, child care and health care,” Mr Chaffey said.
The candidate said the solution lies in retaining the existing skilled population while balancing a select migration policy.
“If we don’t have people in our communities, we can’t retain people, we can’t attract people into our communities, we can’t thrive and take those opportunities,” he said.
“It’s training local people who want to stay within our communities.
“Immigration is part of that, we need the right people in the right locations – it’s not about getting as many people as we can – they need the right skills.”
Mining sector
Shadow Resources Minister, Susan McDonald, described Gunnedah as a great example of balancing mining and agriculture within one community.
The Queensland senator said Australia “should be very proud” of its resource sector – particularly the coal industry.
“We export to many other countries, including metallurgical coal for steel making and thermal coal which ensures other countries keep their lights on,” she said.
“It is high quality which is reducing emissions for other countries to meet their own standards.
“The important industries like mining and agriculture pay the bills and keep Australia as the prosperous first-world nation that we enjoy.”
Parkes MP, Mark Coulton, also emphasised the importance of not only Australian mining but Gunnedah’s input to the world energy market.
“Forty three minutes of every day, all the electricity generated in Japan comes from Maules Creek Coal,” Mr Coulton said.
The outgoing MP said the resources industry is “intertwined in everything we do” from the clothes we wear, to the cars we drive.
“When people want to divorce themselves from the mining
industry in his country, they might want to think about its impact on their daily lives and the things they use,” he said.
Special rate variation
Gunnedah Shire Council recently revised its special rate variation proposal to include an 85.13 per cent increase for mining rate category.
The permanent rate rise, staged over two years, would be almost triple the proposed increase for all remaining rate categories – residential, business and farmland.
According the Gunnedah council figures, the average mining rate of $316,615 would increase would by $269,590 over two years.
Although generally supportive of the mining industry, none of the political representatives would be drawn on Gunnedah’s rate rise proposal – instead referring to the issue as a “matter for the council”.
Senator McDonald, however, highlighted that resource companies – like any other commodity – were subject to “huge variations” in demand and price.
“Coal has just gone through world peak prices, they have now fallen to some of the lowest prices we’ve seen in a long time,” she said.
“We are a resources country but in the long term, resources and agricultural commodities do more to support Australia in ways other than just taxes.”