Liberal incumbent Nick McBride will contest the South East-based seat of MacKillop for a second term at the state election, facing off against the Nationals' Jonathan Pietzsch, Labor's Mark Braes, Family First's Dayle Baker and One Nation's Pam Giehr.
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing MacKillop?
MCBRIDE: I believe one of the biggest challenges facing my electorate is upgrades to infrastructure.
We need to spend on roads, mobile phone communications, health and education.
PIETZSCH: Electorate wide housing is the biggest challenge facing MacKillop.
Our communities are growing and this is placing increasing pressure on housing prices and supply, it wasn't that long ago that it was very affordable to buy a house in MacKillop whether starting a family or in your first job.
We have the opportunity to open up more housing, to grow our towns and then, with that greater growth, to keep our services local.
BRAES: Providing sustained recovery from the COVID 19 pandemic is the critical challenge facing the communities of the MacKillop electorate.
Business, particularly small and family businesses have done it tough during the pandemic.
BAKER: I believe the greatest challenge is drug abuse, mental health, suicide and family breakdown.
There are enough jobs and income around for people, but so many people are hurting.
GIEHR: MacKillop and the South East have long struggled for infrastructure that keeps pace with the region's economic development.
It's not just roads - it's health, housing, education, emergency services, telecommunications, tourism and other infrastructure. It all needs to keep up if the region is going to realise its incredible potential.
What do you see as the major issue affecting SA agriculture? How would you rectify this?
MCBRIDE: The major issue affecting SA agriculture is to remain competitive on the world market.
We need to try and keep our costs down, while at the same time recognising we need state of the art infrastructure to maintain our competitiveness on the national and international market.
We need good roads, good communications and our abattoirs to have the world best technologies and efficiencies.
This is made more difficult by the high cost of doing business.
Farmers are finding it difficult to get staff and they have to pay high wages to attract and keep them.
Farming infrastructure, fertilisers, chemicals are also costing more.
We need to be able to grow the best beef, sheep or crops to command the highest prices, but the costs involved to do that are becoming prohibitive.
The labour shortage, not just in farming but across all industries, is putting pressures on our ability to effectively - and efficiently - do business.
We need a thriving forestry and timber processing sector to address short and long-term demand for timber products.
We need to rebuild our international transport systems such as air freight and shipping.
PIETZSCH: The biggest issue affecting SA agriculture is the supply of skilled labour.
It was not that long ago young people were discouraged from careers in ag - I certainly experienced it when I started my career.
Now that is coming back to bite us, whether it be in skilled permanent positions or in temporary ones it is challenging to find the right people for the role.
Modern ag has an amazing story to tell, it truly is a growth industry and we need to work hard to present it as a viable option as a career to those looking at which pathway to take today.
BRAES: The single biggest issue across agricultural sectors in regional South Australia is workforce, from availability of fruit pickers, shearers and farm hands through to attracting people to long-term careers.
Other pressing issues include sustainable agriculture, market access and security, well-being of farmers and farming communities, rising cost of inputs, roads, telecommunications, housing and climate volatility.
BAKER: Accommodation for workers, and more farm workers' visas are critical to keep our farms and local businesses operating.
I would get the state government to be more proactive, with the federal government, in arranging this.
GIEHR: I'm keen to focus on trade market access, research and water security for farmers in the South East.
We need consider measures that diversify trade to assist farmers become more resilient to trade shocks such as the one inflicted by China on key South Australian exports like seafood, barley and wine.
I'd like to see more innovation in the agricultural research effort rather than business as usual.
RELATED:
Do you think enough funding is being directed to regional infrastructure, e.g roads and health facilities?
MCBRIDE: We know the Marshall Liberal government has recognised the lack of spending in the region.
Our roads are 17 years past their use by date in the Limestone Coast.
A safe and efficient transport system is vital for our ability to do business.
PIETZSCH: There certainly isn't enough funding being spent on regional infrastructure, it is a common refrain while out canvassing that we need improved health services, better roads and better equipped emergency services.
The SA Nationals believe we need to have a structural change to the way funding is allocated to the bush and that the processes of delivery need to be regionalised.
BRAES: There is a clear and obvious deficit in health and road infrastructure across the communities of the MacKillop electorate.
A good health system is essential to sustaining economic development and the liveability of our communities.
The maintained standards of the state roads in our communities are poor.
BAKER: Family First has called for the Dukes Highway to be dual carriageway to the Victorian border - we all know people affected by accidents on this road.
GIEHR: Our existing regional road network is generally in poor repair and in urgent need of a targeted maintenance program.
Country health facilities and services have diminished and this needs to be reversed, especially in MacKillop.
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