Nuclear reactors and fun runs: the regional electorate on a knife's edge

Athletes and officials are darting about the field setting up tables, shepherding onlookers and mixing powdered drinks in preparation for a day of races.

Some of the officials handing out bibs are wearing bright pink T-shirts with "Vote Kate Hook" emblazoned on the front.

Campaigning for clean energy, cost-of-living help and affordable housing, the independent candidate for Calare at the May 3 poll is telling people not to think of it as politics but as "rejuvenating the community".

"I actually have been talking probably much more this time about cost of living, and things like housing and education and access to medical services, particularly GPs," she said.

"People already get it, with climate. What they're now looking for is someone who can represent them on the issues that really matter, but also who can have a big picture view of it and not try to deal with things in silos."

By early April, she'd received $20,000 from the Regional Voices Fund and almost $200,000 from Climate 200, which has backed 35 "teal" independents across Australia, for her second tilt at the seat.

But the question everyone's asking is, will it be enough?

The federal seat of Calare stretches from Lithgow at the feet of the Blue Mountains to Mudgee in the north and the outskirts of Dubbo in the west.

It's a traditional Nationals region dominated by farming and mining, and has seen massive demographic changes in the past decade.

Orange's main street is home to several high-end restaurants and funky wine bars that would look more at home in Melbourne.

Mudgee's vineyards have become a go-to holiday destination and the countryside in between is studded with luxurious Airbnbs, estates and holiday homes for those with cash to spare.

It's set to be one of the most hotly contested seats of the election.

Candidates include a small farmer campaigning for climate change, an incumbent who left the Nationals over the Voice referendum, and a former state politician fighting to bring the Nationals back into power.

Home prices in Orange, Lithgow and Bathurst have increased by up to 116 per cent in the past decade, almost double the growth of Sydney's prices, according to CoreLogic.

It was a sharp increase that stretched affordability for local buyers, and the region is now experiencing a shortage of housing.

Passenger numbers through Orange airport have almost doubled from about 49,200 in the 2015-16 financial year to 91,552 in 2022-23 as citysiders flocked to the region and remote work became commonplace.

Single mum Emma Whitton said the increased cost of living in the electorate had made life unaffordable.

"Rent is crazy; the cost of fuel is crazy," she said.

"If they could somehow cut that down that would be good."

Ms Whitton said sending her two boys to childcare three days a week was a hit to her budget, even with subsidies.

On the streets of Orange, voters were divided over the prospect of an independent member.

Resident Anita Banham said it was good to see independents still in the Calare area, but she wanted to see politicians, in general, meet their promises.

"It does give us more options because you're not just looking at a particular party, you're looking at them independently, what they offer, what they can do for the area and, hopefully, they can make some changes," she said.

"It's a bit hard with an independent though I think without a party backing."

Another local, Kerry Ryan, said she wasn't happy with either major party.

"The major parties haven't got any idea what it's like to live on struggle street," she said.

"The independent will give them a run for their money."

Kay Martin said she wanted to see candidates make some firm policies and deliver on them.

"There's more options or different options [this election], but it could create ... not enough numbers in the parliament because they've got too many independents," she said.

"They've got their place and I think they're great, but I'm not quite sure if they've got the power to deliver."

Pensioner Jan Zyla said while he owned his home, many others were not as fortunate.

He believed politicians weren't held to the same standards as other Australians.

"I'm all right, but other people sleeping like that [on the street], they're not very good," he said.

Calare has been around for as long as federation and has mostly been a conservative country seat, though it has been held by Labor off and on.

And independents aren't new to the electorate, either: former TV and radio journalist Peter Andren was the MP from 1996 to 2007.

But most locals ACM, the publisher of this masthead, spoke to weren't interested in the election or the candidates.

"We're screwed no matter who you vote for," one woman said.

"I don't care what they do; can't be worse than these other mob that are in there," another woman said.

The Voice to Parliament is one issue where the divide between Calare's new and established residents is clear.

Voters in the well-heeled parts of town largely praised Andrew Gee's decision to quit the Nationals over the referendum, but the electorate overwhelmingly voted no, at 71.2 per cent.

But Nationals candidate Sam Farraway said many were still angry Mr Gee chose to leave his party thinking Calare would vote yes, when local voters did not.

Energy is another rising challenge.

The paddocks around Blayney, a town in the electorate's south, are studded with wind turbines, while in Lithgow residents are weighing up the Coalition's proposal for a nuclear power plant to replace the town's declining coal industry.

Ms Hook and Mr Farraway agree Calare is looking for a clear path into the next decade of energy, but hold drastically different views on what the solution should be.

"The next frontier is definitely nuclear that can bring real, good-paying jobs, prosperity, fill the shops, fill the CBD, create momentum," Sam Farraway says.

"The feedback I'm getting is that locals are prepared to look at it, they want a plan and vision for the future, and they don't want wind turbines."

Mr Farraway said of the candidates only he, with the backing of the Coalition, can get into the treasurer's office in Canberra.

"It's something the other candidates simply cannot commit to, and it's something that they're just not talking about either," he said.

"We will do everything we can to win this seat back."

And the policies of the incumbent member, Andrew Gee?

Unknown.

Mr Gee was contacted in multiple ways for comment.

A member of his staff requested written questions but, as this was not offered to other Calare candidates, ACM declined the request.

Mr Gee has said he isn't against nuclear power, but hasn't come out publicly in support of a reactor in Lithgow.

On the campaign trail, Kate Hook is encouraging voters to take the time to look at candidates' policies.

"People need to really think of this as one of the most important elections, certainly for our region," she said.