New Nationals Leader Targets Housing, Hospital and River Dredging as Local Challenges

Gurmesh Singh has had bigger weeks than most, but even he admits this one has been “a bit of a blur.” 

When Ballina News Daily caught him late on Friday afternoon, he was still sitting in Parliament, hungry, tired and halfway through a protein shake after missing the cafeteria before it closed.

It has been that kind of week in Macquarie Street. New Nationals Leader. New Liberal Leader, and a reshuffled Opposition. Long, unpredictable sitting days. And a rare sense of movement after a long political lull.

“Certainly there’s a mood of optimism now in the Opposition,” Singh said. “People realise they’re going to have to work a lot harder.”

And for Ballina, where locals have felt important issues have been overlooked for some time, Singh’s comments suggest the Nationals intend to try and make up some lost ground.

A North Coast local in the top job

Much has been made this week of Gurmesh Singh’s family story and the significance of his election — the first person of non-European heritage to lead the Nationals, or any major party in the country’s oldest parliament. 

He also becomes, technically, the first Nationals Leader to hail from the North Coast, despite the region’s deep historical ties to the old Country Party and its long run of local leaders in Canberra.

For Singh, that connection isn’t symbolic. His roots here run back four generations. His great-grandfather Pritam Singh worked on banana farms around Mullumbimby and Harwood Island in the 1940s before moving further south, and Singh says his own family’s macadamia links bring him regularly through the Ballina area  — enough he says to make it feel like “almost like a second home.”

Keeping Ballina firmly in view

Asked whether the party still believes it can reclaim Ballina from the Greens after three terms, Singh didn’t hesitate.

“We absolutely believe we have a strong chance,” he said. “People still resonate with the fact the Nationals represent the regions.”

That message comes at a time when Ballina’s biggest issues are stacking up: housing pressures, a troubled hospital, an economy shaped by an ailing river, and a series of long-promised projects that have never quite found momentum.

One of those is the long-discussed West Ballina Boatharbour plan, which the Mayor again raised with Singh this week.

The proposal would transform an underused Transport for NSW works depot into a mix of new homes, including low-cost options, alongside a working waterfront precinct locals describe as Ballina’s own version of a fishermen’s wharf.

Those who understand the project have long been puzzled as to why neither the current nor previous State Government moved forward to free up the valuable central site.

“That’s something the government could resolve at the stroke of a pen,” Singh said.

“We’d hope they come to the table and work with locals on something that makes sense for everyone.”

He also emphasised the state of the hospital, saying he had raised Ballina District Hospital with the Mayor again on Friday and intends to visit “within the next couple of weeks, hopefully before Christmas.”

Dredging remains another unresolved issue.  Singh said river systems up and down the coast have suffered since the floods and urged the Minns Government to move faster on clearing bar and channel areas, warning delays are costing regional economies.

Backing from Locals 

Kevin Hogan has come to know Gurmesh Singh very well as their respective seats of Page and Coffs Harbour overlap.   

They cross paths regularly on the job as they get around to events and other civic functions (Main image above).

The Federal Nationals Deputy Leader reckons Singh has the political smarts and charm to help the state party rebuild. 

“Gurmesh is both a friend and a colleague, and I welcome his elevation to the top job,” Hogan said.

 “Since his election in 2019 we’ve worked closely together to stand up for the North Coast. 

“His election as leader is well-deserved recognition of his hard work and commitment.”

Fresh out of her meeting with the new state leader, Ballina Shire Mayor Sharon Cadwallader was also upbeat on his prospects and ability to get movement on local issues of concern.

“He’s earned the job on merit, experience and commitment to serving the community,” Cadwallader said.

“Those who know him value his work, integrity and the fresh perspective he brings to the job.”

A long and challenging road ahead

Before signing off, Singh said told us he was simply looking forward to getting home to his two teenage sons after a week of late nights, long debates and those skipped meals.  That small slice of downtime will be treasured, he admits, because there won’t be much of it in the months ahead.

With the next state election now little more than a year away in March 2027, Singh knows he’ll soon be spending longer days and nights criss-crossing New South Wales, making his case in communities from the border to the coast as well as engaging in debate on the floor of “the bear pit” —as the NSW Legislative Assembly is known.

And with new leaders in both Opposition parties and a renewed focus on regional issues — it feels as though NSW politics is about to warm up and stay warm over the next two summers ahead.