Candidate focused on cost of living issues

A FOCUS on cheaper fuel, cost of living and the future of small business in the region is driving Nationals candidate for Richmond Kimberly Hone towards the election.

Ms Hone said they were three of the main issues people in the region have been speaking to her about in the lead-up to the Federal election next month.

The Coalition plans to provide an immediate 25 per cent cut to the fuel excise for 12 months if elected.

Ms Hone also said addressing immigration at a local level will play a key role for small businesses in the region.

“Tackling immigration is a very important issue, we’re suffering more than the cities with the lack of housing development,” she said.

“That’s because the cost to build homes in the regions is a lot higher.”

“It’s important we have a balance, yes, we need people to come in and help small business, but the reality is they’re not going to stick around if they have nowhere to live.

“We have a lack of land space, expensive labor costs and other hurdles to overcome.”

Ms Hone has been an advocate for the reopening of the Mount Warning summit track in Wollumbin National Park. It attracted an estimated 127,000 visitors a year before the it was shut during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some traditional owners want the site to remain closed.

“I have worked closely with people from the Ngarakwal clan who have spoken to me about their exclusion from the consultative process of closing the mountain,” Ms Hone said.

“They’re ancestors are buried on the mountain. It means a lot to them.

“We’ve got local businesses who have shut down in droves because of the closure of the mountain.

“We’re missing out on about $12 million of revenue every year from its closure when our region lives on tourism.

“We need to be realistic about that. My proposal is to charge a small fee to hikers which would enable us to hire two indigenous rangers that can maintain and educate people about the track.”

Ms Hone is also campaigning for better healthcare services at Pottsville where there is a GP shortage.

It has an area classification which makes it harder to attract GP’s through incentives compared to nearby Ocean Shores and Murwillumbah.