Nepean By-Election: Greens Candidate Dr Sianan Healy Urges Voters to Back Bolder Future

Nepean - Dr Sianan Healy, the Greens candidate for the Nepean by-election, issued a final appeal to voters on Friday, urging the Southern Peninsula community to utilise Saturday’s poll to demand a "bolder, fairer future."

As the campaign entered its final hours, Dr Healy positioned the by-election, being held today, May 2, as a critical juncture for a region she claims has been relegated to an afterthought by major political parties.

Her platform centers on the intersecting crises of housing insecurity, rising living costs and the preservation of the local environment against what she describes as unchecked development.

"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 stated during a final campaign swing through local markets and foreshore areas.

The candidate, an academic and community advocate, argued that the current political system prioritises developers and party donors over the immediate needs of residents.

She cited the demolition of public housing and the approval of projects that infringe upon bushland as evidence of a systemic failure in regional planning.

"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," said Dr Healy.

The Greens’ strategy for the Southern Peninsula focuses on leveraging a stronger parliamentary presence to extract concessions on public services and climate policy.

Dr Healy emphasised that her election would provide a mandate to challenge the sale of public assets and ensure that investment in clean energy and public transport reaches the Peninsula.

"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 remarked.

Dr Healy also highlighted the cultural and ecological significance of the region, specifically referencing the need to protect Bunurong and Boon Wurrung Country from the dual threats of climate change and overdevelopment.

She called on residents to make a plan to vote and to consider the long-term trajectory of the Peninsula over the next two decades.

"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," Healy concluded.

Polling stations across the electorate opened at 8 a.m., Saturday, with the outcome expected to serve as a litmus test for minor party influence in regional Victoria.