Michelle Milthorpe spoke with local solicitor Olivia Harris while in Griffith. Photos: Oliver Jacques.
Independent candidate for Farrer Michelle Milthorpe said Griffith residents told her they wanted access to basic hospital and essential services without having to travel long distances, during her visit to the town on Thursday (4 March).
Her comments came as the Speaker of the House of Representatives Milton Dick set the by-election date for Saturday 9 May.
“A lot of people have come up to me to express concerns about Griffith hospital, particularly about the lack of a rehabilitation ward,” Ms Milthorpe said.
“That’s how we get people home, so they should not have to travel to get rehabilitated. My father-in-law is in Cootamundra, but had to do rehab in Wagga and Young; it makes it so hard.
“You’ve got this beautiful new hospital here in Griffith; people should be able to use every bit of it.”
The hospital’s long-promised rehabilitation ward is also yet to open, despite assurances from NSW Health Minister Ryan Park that it would be operating in 2025 as part of the new hospital redevelopment.
The Murrumbidgee Local Health District says that planning is now underway for the commissioning of the new rehabilitation ward.
Ms Milthorpe, a 46-year-old Jindera teacher who unsuccessfully ran for the seat covering Griffith and Albury in 2022, set up a pop-up stall on Kooyoo Street, where residents could come to ask her questions.
She was visited by local solicitor Olivia Harris.
“I just think we need a member that will try and attain services for us,” Ms Harris said.
“It’s been such a safe seat for a long while that we are completely overlooked and ignored and I don’t feel like we have had a federal member that actually fights for anything in this place.”
Former Griffith High principal Will Mead also checked in for a chat.
“I think there needs to be a serious look at the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and at migration and the way the issue is being used to fuel race hatred,” Ms Mead said.
Will Mead with Michelle Milthorpe.
Ms Milthorpe said the basin plan and housing were the other big issues that kept coming up.
“We know that if you can’t get housing, you can’t attract medical staff as there’s nowhere to live. That’s a big problem here in Griffith,” she said.
The independent candidate also pledged to fight against buybacks of irrigation water, which she said was creating ghost towns along the Murray River.
Ms Milthorpe is engaged in a four-way battle to win the seat against One Nation, the Liberals and Nationals, which are each vying for the seat but have not yet chosen candidates.
NSW state MP Helen Dalton also said she might run for the seat but had not yet made a final decision.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has confirmed Narrandera businessman David Farley, Albury small business owner Leigh Wolki and Boeill Creek-based farmer Guy Cooper will contest the Farrer preselection for her party on Sunday (7 March).
Ms Milthorpe will be back in Griffith for another pop-up session at Kooyoo Plaza from 8:30 to 10:30 am on Saturday (7 March).
The by-election was caused by the resignation of Sussan Ley MP, who had held the seat for the Liberal Party since 2001.
