Currently held by independent Troy Bell, three fresh candidates have thrown their hat in the ring to contest Mount Gambier at the state election.
Liberal candidate Ben Hood, Labor candidate Katherine Davies and Family First's Peter Heaven will battle for the seat.
Stock Journal asked candidates the following questions:
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing Mount Gambier?
BELL: The lack of affordable housing and the attraction of skilled workforce are both significant challenges that Mount Gambier is currently facing.
There has been a significant migration of people from the cities to the regional areas and it is putting pressure on the housing market.
Affordable housing for low income earners is becoming difficult to source and we are seeing increasing numbers of people either becoming homeless for the first time or needing assistance from welfare agencies.
We have houses under the care of SA Housing sitting idle waiting for repairs - these need to be fast tracked and made available urgently.
Mount Gambier has always struggled to attract and retain skilled workers in the health, education, trade and forestry sectors as well as government agencies.
There needs to be proactive strategies across all levels of government established to identify, train, recruit and retain skilled workers for our region.
HOOD: As a region with the second biggest city in South Australia, Mount Gambier is facing a number of challenges across housing, public transport and health.
And while these are vitally important, we also have huge opportunities in the region.
Across timber, beef, lamb, horticulture and our seafood industry, we punch well above our weight in production.
With so much potential to value add and create more jobs the challenge lies in ensuring this potential is recognised by our leaders in Adelaide.
We need a strong voice to make the case heard within government to drive investment and increase services to our region to ensure we can reach our potential.
DAVIES: Housing is the biggest issue in the electorate of Mount Gambier.
This includes affordable housing and general housing availability, with the lack of housing affecting the availability of workers for local industries.
A workforce for both seasonal work and longer term jobs is critical for our area to grow, and for industries to be sustainable and able to further develop.
What do you see as the major issue affecting SA agriculture? How would you rectify this?
BELL: Water security is the biggest issue facing agriculture in our region.
Robust independent science must guide what decisions are made around the long term sustainable management of our water resource.
The government needs to establish an independent body to continually monitor and publish results in a transparent manner to maximise opportunities but also protect the resource for future generations.
Serious investment is needed to maximise the water resource and look at ways to harness the water that drains out to sea.
The ongoing protection of our water aquifers is imperative for the longevity of our agricultural sector and this is why my legislated 10-year moratorium on fracking is so important.
Also, the establishment of a South Australian Cross Border Commissioner would streamline processes and create a close working relationship with already established Commissioners in Victoria and New South Wales.
Cutting red tape for our agriculture industry and creating market opportunities with the assistance of a Commissioner would benefit our regional areas.
HOOD: Much of the industry is concerned about rising prices of fuel and fertiliser together with global trade disruptions affecting our export markets.
Domestically, land prices are squeezing producers profit margins, driving up cost of production - with price of land increasing producers need to look at building higher value supply chains.
We can also use ag tech to drive efficiencies but to do this we need to improve telecommunications in regional areas.
We have some amazing success stories here in Mount Gambier of businesses being about to operate in global markets from their kitchen table.
We need to build on these success stories by ensuring that same level of telecommunications is accessible at the farm house and in the paddock.
DAVIES: Workforce shortages across many agricultural sectors is acute, and the increased costs of fertiliser and fuel is also adding significantly to business costs.
Mental health is also a huge issue for regional communities, and I would like to see more support for farmers in this regard.
Do you think enough funding is being directed to regional infrastructure, eg roads and health facilities?
BELL: More funding is always needed in regional areas - I have developed a Future Mount Gambier and Districts vision with 17 areas of need and I invite both Liberal and Labor to make commitments to the Mount Gambier region, based on this document.
We see a steady stream of people travelling to Adelaide or towns in Victoria seeking specialist medical treatment, the Mount Gambier Hospital needs to be established as a regional hub for treatment and for visiting specialists.
We have terrible potholes in our major roads which are a safety concern so re-establishing a local Roads Department in each regional area is important.
The lack of mobile coverage also needs to be addressed as a priority with a number of black spots currently existing in our regional areas.
HOOD: No, which is why we need a strong voice in government to advocate for increasing government investment in our region to drive growth and reach our potential.
DAVIES: High quality health services are essential for maintaining regional communities and attracting more people to the area.
The Labor government has made a commitment of $52.7 million for healthcare across the Limestone Coast.
Efficient road transport is essential for agricultural industries and I would like to see increased funding for roads in our area.
- Peter Heaven was invited to participate but did not respond before deadline.
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