The race for the NSW seat of Murray is about to heat up, with a local One Nation candidate tipped to officially enter the election within days.
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The Pastoral Times believes leaders of the party will be in Deniliquin later this week to officially announce Murray River Councillor Tom Weyrich as the party’s candidate.
One Nation refused to confirm this yesterday, but we believe a launch function will be held on Thursday night.
Party founder Pauline Hanson will not be here this week, but is expected in Deniliquin at some point in the election campaign.
Cr Weyrich declined to speak with the Pastoral Times yesterday when asked about speculation he would be announced as the One Nation candidate.
The anticipated campaign launch will make it a three way race for Murray, with the only other confirmed candidates so far being the Nationals’ incumbent Austin Evans and Shooters, Fishers and Farmers candidate Helen Dalton.
Other candidates, including independents, are also expected to enter the race.
At the 2017 by-election — which saw Mr Evans elected to replace fellow Nationals member Adrian Piccoli — Mrs Dalton went within three per cent of taking the seat away from the National Party for the first time in 33 years.
Cr Weyrich is well known as an outspoken and passionate advocate for Mathoura and the wider local area through his role in local government.
He polled more than 25 per cent of first preference votes when he was elected to Murray River Council in 2017.
He was a councillor and mayor of the former Murray Shire Council before it merged with Wakool Shire to form the new council in 2016.
An issue Cr Weyrich has been vocal on over several years is the need for effective control of kangaroo numbers in the local area.
They are in plague proportions on the stretch of highway between Deniliquin and Moama, and Cr Weyrich has been victim to what he called a dangerous population explosion which he fears will cost someone their life.
Despite his calls for a ‘roo cull, the NSW Government has refused to progress his motion for an official survey of numbers with a view to a cull, which was passed at a NSW Local Government Association conference.
When announcing to the Pastoral Times in June last year that he had applied to One Nation to be considered its Murray candidate, Cr Weyrich said it was just one example of local concerns and knowledge being ignored by a government that relies too heavily on its ‘safe seat’ status.
‘‘People are disappointed in the major political parties and I’m all about giving people another choice,’’ Cr Weyrich said at the time.
‘‘In my lifetime I have always voted to the right, but we are not getting results.
‘‘The catalyst for me was the conversion of state forests to the Murray Valley National Park (in 2010) which was based on political reasons and not good governing.
‘‘The latest is the container refund scheme which is a disaster for border areas.
‘‘The council amalgamations is something I still feel is a disaster for everyone living in this region — I acknowledge it, but I don’t accept it.
‘‘People keep telling me I should move on, but I find it insulting that Murray Shire was not deemed ‘fit for the future’ when it had ample money in the bank.
‘‘The icing on the cake is the kangaroos; this is a major issue and the lack of concern or even acknowledgement from the NSW Government is not good enough.’’
Cr Weyrich also acknowledged angst over water management policies, which he referred to as the ‘‘headliner’’ of issues, but admitted he would have to take advice from those more knowledgeable on the subject if his One Nation application was to progress further.
Last month, Cr Weyrich said he would also push a Deniliquin to Echuca passenger rail service if he was pre-selected for One Nation, and hopefully elected to represent Murray.
It was prompted by the Victorian Government’s $2 million further investment to increase the speed capability of the Echuca to Bendigo line from 80km/h to 140km/h.
‘‘The New South Wales Government is cashed up, particularly after selling the poles and wires, and is busy spending our money all over the place. I can’t see why it would be such a big deal to invest in a passenger service between Echuca and Deniliquin,’’ he said.
‘‘Mathoura has suffered enormously with the forests being closed down (and converted to a National Park) and as a result of council amalgamations, and this could be one way of getting something back.
‘‘If this line can be reinstated, it could open up the opportunity for someone to start small tours of the National Park and surrounds at Mathoura.’’
This is not the first time Cr Weyrich has announced his intention for a tilt at state politics.
He showed interest in running against Mr Piccoli in the 2015 election as an independent but withdrew before nominations were finalised.
Senior journalist