Health and ageing among top priorities in Finniss

BASHAM: Finniss is a diverse electorate with unique challenges arising from servicing a densely populated city community of Victor Harbor, ageing population, growth in young families to the area and sparsely populated regional areas of the Fleurieu Peninsula. My focus is continuing to provide our community with the best possible chance of success through lower costs, better services closer to home and more job opportunities through a strong economy.

BOURNE: The health of the River Murray is a major challenge for Finniss, indeed for the whole country - the Murray-Darling system provides 40 per cent of Australian food and is a significant contributor to our global export of food. The river is vitally important to local agricultural and tourism industries, and to the Coorong, which is a wetland of national and international importance.

NICHOLSON: Our health services need more resources to keep up with demand and we need new services available on the coast. As a regional community with a significantly older population we need a strong voice advocating for these needs.

QUAREMBA: Local schools need help in terms of upgraded facilities and meeting parents' expectations with respect to child safety and bullying. This is a fast-growing community, which needs and deserves more local health services - including upgrades to the local hospital.

IENCO: Future growth is a challenge, with an increasing number of people looking to retire in our region. This is placing increased demand on infrastructure, particularly health services and greater demand and pressure on housing affordability.

What do you see as the major issue affecting SA agriculture? How would you rectify this?

BASHAM: It's important we provide SA's primary producers with the best access to market as possible and give farmers the freedom to make decisions they feel will grow their business. Our government is doing this by improving supply chains, opening more international trade offices, working with industry to deliver sector-specific blueprints for growth and removing unnecessary red tape and restrictions.

BOURNE: Farmers are on the front lines of climate change and the increasing number of extreme weather events take a heavy toll, with the loss of crops and livestock and serious consequences for the mental health of farmers. We need to explore new opportunities to offset these risks, through schemes such as carbon sequestration and emission reduction funding.

NICHOLSON: While SA is experiencing record crops, finding skilled workers in the right regions at the right times remains difficult. Investing in attractive regional centres with affordable housing and services such as health will support the migration of workers to the jobs.

QUAREMBA: Governments have no place telling SA farmers how to do what they already do better than most farmers around the world and should strive for policy settings which reduce farming costs and promote local value-adding. Where governments can really make a positive difference is in trade: we need fairer trade agreements which can't be weaponised against us. I'm also a strong supporter of taxpayer-supported agricultural research and development - we must innovate to remain competitive.

IENCO: One of the major issues affecting SA agriculture is the current crop of farmers walking off the land - we are losing a generation of farmers without strategic succession planning. Another issue is the shortage and cost of labour. I believe that we must encourage local young people to stay in the regions and take on their family farms or other appropriate work, by supplying adequate education and training options locally.

Do you think enough funding is being directed to regional infrastructure, eg roads and health facilities?

BASHAM: Our government is investing record amounts in regional SA across health, education, infrastructure, roads and job-creating projects. Locally we have seen expanded services across the Southern Fleurieu Health Service, new and upgraded schools in Goolwa, Victor Harbor and Mount Compass and we are delivering key infrastructure and road projects.

BOURNE: Regional populations have experienced significant growth in response to the pandemic and this must be taken into account in planning and funding for future infrastructure projects in health, education, passenger and freight rail transport and potential new employment opportunities in renewable energy industries. Fuel costs are becoming increasingly prohibitive - we need research and action to develop new technologies and practices that will improve farm energy efficiency and energy security.

NICHOLSON: In Finniss we are seeing significantly greater investment in metropolitan infrastructure than in our regional electorate.

The regions are growing and there are opportunities for increased economic benefits from tourism, agriculture and small to medium-sized business as people leave the city behind for a regional lifestyle. I will advocate for a fair share of funding for our infrastructure to ensure the regions continue to thrive.

QUAREMBA: A lot of money has been spent on regional infrastructure but not all of it very wisely - the cost of the new Granite Island causeway blew out to $43 million but it hasn't improved the emergency department at the South Coast District Hospital or led to more available or affordable housing in the community. We need to be smarter with regional development so that it addresses community needs as much as it improves productivity and service provision.

IENCO: No, there is certainly not enough funding being spent on regional infrastructure. Everyone in the bush is familiar with roads that need maintenance.

VICTOR Harbor builder Carlos Quaremba has improving health services and housing affordability as two of his campaign platforms.

He says Finniss has never had "truly independent representation" and problems, such as homelessness, poor health services, drugs and traffic congestion, have never been adequately addressed.

He is a believer in the principles of freedom of speech, individual autonomy and the right to choose.

Joe Ienco is a Mount Compass winegrower and spirit maker who says he is standing for the SA Nationals as they "stand up for farming families and regional people" and "take action on the issues that matter to the people of Finniss and the Fleurieu Peninsula".

Mr Ienco is married to Zorica and has two adult children. He has owned and operated farming properties for more than 30 years, while also working in the city and running a small business.

Labor candidate Amy Hueppauff is a fourth-generation local of the Fleurieu Peninsula, with her great grandparents buying a dairy farm at Tooperang in 1936. Ms Hueppauff was her family's third generation to attend the Mount Compass Area School, followed by Goolwa Primary School and Victor Harbor High School.

She has been a member of the Currency Creek CFS Brigade and believes every South Australian deserves the chance to pursue their dreams and create a better future for themselves, their families, and their whole community.

Family First's Dominic Carli previously ran for the seat of Finniss in 2006 and will again contest in 2022.