Greens candidate Dr Sianan Healy has used the final day before the Nepean by-election to urge Southern Peninsula voters to back what she described as a “bolder, fairer future” for the electorate.
The by-election will be held on Saturday 2 May, with voting centres open from 8am to 6pm. The Victorian Electoral Commission says the vote was triggered by the resignation of former Liberal MP Sam Groth on 13 February.
Dr Healy, who is listed third on the ballot paper as the Greens candidate, said her campaign had heard from residents concerned about housing insecurity, rising bills, healthcare access and the protection of local coastal and bushland areas.
“People here love this place, the bay, the bush, the towns, but they’re also telling me they are exhausted by insecure housing, rising bills and poor access to affordable healthcare,” Dr Healy said.
The Greens candidate said the by-election was an opportunity for voters to send a message that local needs and environmental protection should be placed ahead of major party interests, developers and political donors.
“This by-election is a rare chance for Nepean to change the story and choose a representative who will put the needs of local people and the health of our environment ahead of party donors and developers.”
Housing And Environment At Centre Of Greens Pitch
Dr Healy said decisions affecting Nepean were too often made away from the Peninsula, arguing that residents were not being properly heard on planning, public land and environmental issues.
“When planning rules are written for developers, when public housing is demolished while people sleep rough on the foreshore, and when projects that carve into precious bushland are waved through against clear community opposition, it’s obvious the system is not working,” she said.
She said a stronger Greens presence in Parliament would increase pressure on the next government to act on housing, cost-of-living pressures, climate and public services.
“With more Greens in Parliament, we can push for fair rules that keep a roof over people’s heads, stop public assets and public land being sold off, and make sure investment in services, clean energy and public transport actually reaches communities like ours,” Dr Healy said.
The Greens have presented Dr Healy as a non-profit leader in women’s health and equitable healthcare, with her candidate profile listing climate and social justice as central campaign themes.
Broad Pitch Leaves Some Detail Unclear
While Dr Healy’s message is likely to appeal to voters concerned about housing, climate and overdevelopment, the media release does not set out detailed Nepean-specific funding commitments or identify which local projects the Greens would prioritise first if elected.
It also does not spell out how the Greens would deliver those outcomes from the crossbench in a seat where Labor is not running and the contest has been framed largely around the Liberal Party, One Nation and independent challengers. The ABC lists Nepean as a traditionally Liberal seat, vacant since Mr Groth’s resignation, with eight candidates nominated for the by-election.
That leaves voters to weigh the Greens’ broader policy direction against more specific local promises from other candidates, particularly on issues such as Rosebud Hospital, roads, housing and public transport.
Dr Healy encouraged eligible residents to make a plan to vote, check polling information, speak with family and neighbours about the by-election, and number every box on the ballot paper.
“Democracy works best when people show up not just to reject what isn’t working, but to back the future they want,” she said.
“If you want Nepean to be a place where people can afford to live, where we look after each other, and where Bunurong, Boon Wurrung Country is protected from climate damage and overdevelopment, this Saturday is the moment to say so and vote 1 Greens.”
The VEC says voting is compulsory for enrolled voters in the Nepean District, with election day voting open on Saturday 2 May from 8am to 6pm.
