Richard Hendries says he will push for a living wage in FarrerGreens candidate Richard Hendrie responded to our calls for details of Farrer electorate issues.“The Farrer electorate is vast, diverse, and deeply resilient—but our communities face urgent challenges that demand immediate, sustained action,” Mr Hendrie said. “Access to timely, equitable healthcare—especially mental health and primary care—is increasingly out of reach. The NDIS remains inconsistent and unfair. “Climate change continues to impact farming, water security, and biodiversity. And the rising cost of living is placing unbearable pressure on families, pensioners, small businesses, and young people trying to get ahead.“These issues are interconnected. Without a coordinated, human-centred response that invests in people and communities, too many in our region will continue to fall through the cracks.As a state award-winning mental health and disability advocate and 2025 Albury Citizen of the Year, I bring lived experience and professional expertise. Mr Hendrie recently attended the Better Border Health candidate forum in Albury“I’ve developed free, inclusive mental health forums and served on state and national boards, advocating for systems that are trauma-informed, rights-based, and fit for purpose. “I speak not only as a professional but as someone with lived experience of mental ill health and as a carer for elderly parents living with Parkinson’s, dementia, multiple sclerosis, and an autoimmune condition. “I understand the stress of navigating complex systems in under-resourced areas—and I’ve spent my life working to make them fairer and more accessible.“One initiative I’m particularly proud of is Talk on Tap, a grassroots program I founded that brings clinicians and people with lived experience together in a safe, honest forum. “These events tackle difficult conversations—suicide, grief, recovery, mental health—with humanity, openness, and care. They’re free, accessible, and built on the principle that no one should have to struggle alone.“If elected, my first priority will be tackling the cost-of-living crisis. This cuts across every aspect of life—from skyrocketing rents and mortgage stress to unaffordable groceries, fuel, and healthcare. Every policy should be tested against this question: does it ease the burden on everyday people?”Mr Hendrie said he will push for:Stronger price regulation on banks, energy companies, and major supermarkets;A Living Wage and expanded income supports;Public investment in regional housing and transport; andUniversal access to bulk-billed GPs, primary care clinics, and integrated mental health care.“I will fight for long-term investment in preventive, community-based health care—because reactive, crisis-driven systems cost more and helpless. “The Greens are the only party calling for full dental and mental health care under Medicare, and I will be a fierce advocate for that vision. “I will also demand that the NDIS be fully funded, transparent, and genuinely co-designed with people with disability—not dictated by bureaucrats or outsourced to profit-driven providers.“I’m not in this for photo ops or headlines. I’m here for real, structural change. I’m collaborative, compassionate, strategic, and driven by positive outcomes. “I’ve worked across political lines, government departments, and community sectors—always keeping people at the centre of the process.”
