One Nation, Greens far apart on Basin policy as Farrer voters weigh wider regional pressures
Water buybacks are shaping the Farrer by-election, but by publication time only one candidate had answered NewsBlaze Australia’s questions directly. Greens candidate Richard Hendrie backed targeted Murray-Darling Basin buybacks. One Nation candidate David Farley, in campaign material sent to NewsBlaze Australia, vowed to restore the cap on buybacks and bring back a socio-economic test. NewsBlaze Australia sent the questions about 64 hours before deadline. By publication time, only Hendrie had responded directly.
Farrer votes on May 9 after Sussan Ley resigned the seat she had held since 2001. The Australian Electoral Commission says 12 candidates are on the ballot. ABC’s election guide still rates Farrer as a safe Liberal seat on a 6.2 percent margin. (Australian Electoral Commission)
The latest full federal result showed the ground shifting, even though the Liberals kept the seat. In 2025, Ley took 43.41 percent of first preferences, down from 52.26 percent in 2022. Independent Michelle Milthorpe polled 19.96 percent, One Nation 6.60 percent and the Greens 4.93 percent. (Tally Room Archive) In the past month, a One Nation surge in South Australia shone a strong light on the failures of the Liberal and Labor parties.
Water Buybacks Damage The Community
Farley’s message to irrigators is blunt. He says Farrer gave up enough water already. He says One Nation would restore the buyback cap, restore the socio-economic test for the extra 450 GL, and treat water as a strategic national resource rather than only an environmental-flow issue.
Hendrie drew the clearest contrast. He told NewsBlaze Australia that Farrer’s top issues are health care, housing affordability and climate change. He said the Greens support targeted water buybacks as part of restoring the river system. He also said governments should examine the broader Basin settings that pushed water toward high-value crops and large accumulations.
Murray Darling basin area, BOM image
Restoring Our Rivers Act Affects Irrigators
The water fight sits on a real policy change. The Restoring Our Rivers Act, which commenced in December 2023, repealed the statutory 1,500 GL cap on Commonwealth water purchases and expanded the options to recover more environmental water. The federal government says the reforms were designed to deliver the remaining Basin water recovery targets in full. (DCCEEW)
That is why the issue still cuts so hard across irrigation communities in southern and western New South Wales. Farrer stretches across a vast regional area that includes Albury, Griffith, Leeton, Narrandera, Hay and Wentworth. In those communities, water policy does not stay in Canberra. It affects farm output, processing, freight, jobs and the survival of local towns. (ABC News)
Milthorpe did not answer NewsBlaze Australia’s questions before deadline, but her public position is also clear. Her campaign says she will fight for regional services including health, mental health, aged care and housing. In a recent candidate profile, she said water was the electorate’s biggest issue and called for a federal royal commission into water, a ban on foreign ownership of water and an end to water buybacks. (Michelle Milthorpe)
Water Not The Only Crisis in Farrer
Water may dominate the by-election, but it is not the only strain on the electorate. Griffith City Council’s housing strategy warns that the city will remain in a housing crisis unless supply, affordability and accessibility improve. Albury’s housing strategy also points to the need for more affordable and diverse housing, while AlburyCity says local ratepayers are carrying infrastructure costs for a broader regional population and is seeking more outside government investment. (Griffith City Council)
Those pressures land in a seat where many residents must drive long distances for work, shopping, sport and medical care. That keeps fuel, roads and access to services in the weekly budget fight, even when the campaign headlines stay fixed on water.
Political Test
Farrer water buybacks now define a bigger political test. After a quarter-century of Liberal representation, voters are still weighing water security, housing pressure, health access and the cost of living across one of New South Wales’ biggest electorates. So far, only the Greens have answered NewsBlaze Australia’s questions directly, while One Nation made water its central pitch and other key contenders stayed silent before deadline.
