With the Federal election looming on Saturday, May 3, the Jindabyne Chamber of Commerce organised a distinguished Meet the Candidates event on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at Horizons Lake Jindabyne. This vital assembly provided an opportunity for constituents of Eden Monaro to engage directly with prospective candidates, each of whom articulated distinct positions on critical issues, some of which included nuclear energy, Snowy Hydro 2.0, insurance, tourism, and aged care.
PHOTO: Rapid fire questions yielded two unanimous results on the support of tax code reform, and cash staying in the economy.
Kerrie Harris, a primary school teacher from Cooma’s St Patrick’s Parish School, was invited along as an independent figure campaigning for the Federal Senate, and she joined the other house of representatives candidates for the evening. Ms Harris aims to give an independent voice to regional issues if elected by applying a local lens to bills that come through the Senate. To vote for Ms Harris you must number candidates 1-12 below the line on your ballot paper.
Emma Goward from the Greens was notable absence, represented instead by her proxy, John Castellari, due to family health issues.
PHOTO: John Castellari, Greens proxy on behalf of Emma Goward.
Nuclear Power:
The topic of nuclear energy elicited varied responses. Expressing scepticism about nuclear reactors, independent candidate Andrew Thaler quipped, “We’ve already got a nuclear power plant, it’s the big yellow thing up above.” While Thaler, not against nuclear technology acknowledged the inefficacy of current economic models supporting nuclear fission, Greens representative Castellari concurred, citing the sun as a free fusion reaction offering abundant energy.
From the Heart Party, Fraser Buchanan wouldn’t rule in or out in any technology, asserting, “We’re looking for the most efficient energy sources.” Contrastingly, Wade Cox of the Trumpet of Patriots dismissed the notion of coal causing global warming, implicating it as a deceitful conspiracy, professing, “It’s a scam. You’ve been had.”
PHOTO: Labor remain opposed to nuclear power, condemning the idea of a reactor in the Snowy Mountains.
Kristy McBain, the current Member for Eden Monaro, supported retaining focus on sustainable landscapes, condemning nuclear plant propositions with a pragmatic, “There is nowhere in the world where a small modular reactor is working.”
Liberal candidate Jo van der Plaat endorsed a balanced energy mix, but offered to fight ardently for or against nuclear developments in the Snowy Mountains depending on public sentiment.
The Snowy Hydro 2.0 Project:
Snowy Hydro 2.0’s implications drew criticism regarding its financial and environmental burden. Both Thaler and Buchanan detailed concerns about its cost overruns and community impact, with Buchanan forewarning it could potentially blow out to $30 billion.
Mr Cox said, “We need to get coal fired power stations back in operation, and stop the con.”
Ms McBain recognised its negative town impacts but advocated completing the initiative: “Now that it’s started, it needs to be finished.”
Mr Castellari said, “I don’t think we should go any further than Snowy Hydro 2.0, I think it is largely an energy white elephant. It is not anywhere near the efficiency of a battery, and battery technology.”
PHOTO: Liberal candidate Ms van der Plaat highlighted the negative impacts of the Snowy Hydro 2.0 project on housing market affordability.
Ms van der Plaat also touched on the community impact saying, “I wouldn’t support anything beyond Snowy Hydro 2.0, rentals have skyrocketed to the point where we’ve had people leave the town because they can’t afford to live here and that not that’s not something that I want to see continue.”
Insurance Challenges:
Candidates voiced opinions on insurance-related challenges amidst escalating natural disasters and cost. Mr Buchanan suggested insurance firms exploit climate narratives for profit; “I think the insurance companies are using this climate narrative, this climate emergency hysteria, to take advantage of us.”
Whereas Kristy McBain noted existing government reinsurance models in cyclone-prone regions could be expanded. “The government already has re-insurance for strata towers in North Queensland, because all of those strata towers can no longer get insurance because of cyclone risk, it’s something I think will have to be looked at, down the line, maybe expanding it to other areas.” Contrastingly, Ms van der Plaat suggested,
“The best way to try to tackle insurance costs is to get inflation down.”
PHOTO: Mr Thaler shared the law of nature, suggesting if you have been flooded, then you shouldn’t re-build there.
Castellari promoted government-backed insurance solutions due to exorbitant disaster-related costs, while Mr Thaler said, “You’ve got to make better choices about where you live, and I understand that people are pressured into what they can afford, but this comes back to our local government who are in charge of a lot of the maps. We need better conversations with our communities about where you can and can’t live.”
Local Tourism:
Tourism’s role, especially within the Eden Monaro electorate, stimulated lively debate. Andrew Thaler proposed lowering park entry fees to enhance the tourist experience, while Ms van der Plaat advocated for the continued focus on being a year round destination.
“If I’m elected, obviously, I live in this place. I want to see it thrive. I want to make sure that I’m going to be able to be able to deal with all levels of government, to make sure that we continue to grow into an all year round tourism destination,” Ms van der Plaat said.
Mr Buchanan supported a targeted levy on ski field users to relieve local ratepayers, saying, “I’m in support of some sort of a levy on the park fees coming in from the people who take advantage of the ski fields. To continue to impose the cost of tourism upon the ratepayers, is just over the top. The rates are obviously extremely high, and the bang for the buck is very low.”
PHOTO: Mr Buchanan advocated strongly for a levy on ski field users.
Ms McBain highlighted federal investments in caravan park upgrades and the importance of marketing, noting the local council retreat from tourism promotion.
“We’ve increased a whole range of council funds, but at the end of the day, I’d say it’s up to council as to what it funds, and to explain why they’ve moved out of tourism marketing,” Ms McBain said.
Addressing Aged Care Complexities:
Addressing community aging concerns, nearly all candidates acknowledged aged care strategies need refinement.
Ms McBain shared, “What we are hearing more and more from the communities is they want to stay at home for as long as possible, which is why we’ve delivered extra Home Care Packages right around the country. We also contributed a million dollars to the local council so that they could work with Respect Aged Care to ensure we didn’t lose more beds in Cooma.”
Mr Castellari favoured government-managed models to ensure quality, resonating with public sentiment towards in-home longevity.
PHOTO: Ms Harris advised having a local representative in the Federal Senate would mean she can advocate on local issues.
Ms Harris advocated easing regulations hindering green flats as a remedy to housing and aged care woes sharing, “I think that granny flats are a great solution to this problem. It’s really hard to put a granny flat in your backyard. There’s a there’s a lot of red tape around it. It would also help with our housing supply issue, because it would help us free up some housing if we moved our elderly parents into our granny flats.”
Ms van der Plaat outlined a mixed model, promising choices and support for community elder care needs. She shared her disappointment in the lack of services in Jindabyne, “When I leave Cooma, and I drive to Jindabyne. There’s nothing, no aged care. It’s a disgrace. I don’t want to see people leaving town. If you were born here and you grew up here, you had a business and raised a family, you deserve to stay here.”
The one thing each candidate would do if elected:
The candidates’ pledges articulated diverse visions. Mr Thaler vowed to “fight for the truth,” Mr Buchanan aimed to counteract globalist influences for national sovereignty, and Mr Cox prioritised national defence reorganisation. Ms McBain identified healthcare resourcing, especially hospital funding, as her principal focus. Ms Van der Plaat advocated rural healthcare enhancements, particularly doctor recruitment, underscoring her commitment to local well-being.
As the voter decision-making timeline narrows, dialogues such as these offer an opportunity to illuminate complex policy intersections and candidate ideologies.