Julia Ham is standing for the Liberal Party and has the number two spot on the ballot paper.

Tell me about Julia Ham?

I lived in Kooringal until I was nine, then we moved out to Brucedale and I grew up there.

I went away to Sydney and became a preschool teacher. My first posting was Urana.

Then I taught oversees for a little bit, then I came back and worked with Kurrajong Early Intervention.

I got married, had three children and continued to work.

About 10 years ago, I became a consultant, working with quite large businesses on early childhood services.

I am also part of a merino sheep farming business.

And you’re on Snowy Valleys Council?

I had been very interested in the Tumbarumba Shire in children’s services and I always said if they were merged, I would stand for council because I didn’t want the children’s services to be sold off.

So that is what happened. I stood for council. The services have remained with council and have actually continued to thrive, and I got interested in politics.

I realised that I come home from council and I’m happy. It’s something I’m really interested in: finding out more about my community and what’s going on in the community and that I could actually influence it for the better.

If you’re elected, will you stay on the council?

I’ve not made a decision. If I was elected, then I’d have to make sure I was re-elected in six months time, so I’m a bit cautious about that at this stage.

We know why the byelection has been called. What’s the feedback you’re getting from voters on that?

The feedback’s gone from – like us all – we’re all disappointed and shocked. Now the feedback is just sad because the state member and the Liberal Party have done so much for so many people and what we’re hearing more and more is people going ‘but Daryl did this’ and ‘Daryl did that’ and it’s been nice because he did a lot of really good things.

So not much of a backlash?

No, not at all really. 

How are people feeling about The Nationals not running a candidate? Is that something you’re hearing about from people?

Not really, no because it made sense. We are a Coalition government.

What are your priorities if you are elected?

Health is very important. Stage one and stage two of the hospital have been done.

With stage three, they’ve knocked it down and there’s dirt there now, and that is all wonderful, but what I really want for that hospital is a car park, and I’ve had an assurance we will get a $30 million multi-level car park.

And that is literally because I have listened to people: People getting fined. People are putting their mother in and then saying ‘wait there, while I go down and move my car’.

It’s great that we’re rebuilding Tumut Hospital. That was well and truly overdue.

Tumut High School needs a lot of work. The gamechanger up there –  if I could get $90 million out of the treasurer – is that I would push very hard for sealing the Brindabella Road. I believe that would open up Canberra to Tumut and then Canberra to Wagga.

Yesterday with the RFL and the Raiders coming over, you just think ‘that would be so fantastic if you could just cut off that hour and go that way’. It’s beautiful, scenic.

It could be a game changer for Tumut, but also for Wagga because Canberra people would come over here a lot quicker and easier.

So it’s a big dream, I know, but it could work.

We also have Snowy 2.0?

That is going to be a big difference to the whole community, but it is something we are going to have to really fight for.

The environmental impact statement has come out, and at this stage they are saying 150 fly-in, fly-out workers once, maybe twice a week, and at the moment they are flying into Cooma, so then they get driven over the snow line to Lobs Hole. Lobs Hole is in this Wagga electorate. Or they get landed in Canberra. Nothing, nothing about Wagga.

Can you imagine the business that would come in with buses and planes and trains if we could get the fly-in, fly-out? So it is something if I get in – even if I don’t get in – we have to fight for this. This has to happen for our community.

There has been some criticism of you for not living in Wagga.

I’m an hour-and-half from Talbingo and an hour-and-a-half from Lockhart, so I’m bang in the middle. Wagga: I just jump in the car and I’m here. It’s not a big issue.

What are you hearing about costs of living?

I have found doorknocking is just so informative. I’ve had young mothers and pensioners in tears, talking about the cost of living and how hard it is.

I spoke to a pensioner yesterday in South City and you could just tell she was so upset that she had so little money. The state government’s Services NSW is great because you can go along and get your rebates, but not a lot of people know about it.

The cost of living is so high, and we have to keep an eye on what we are asking people to put in.

I am also living on a farm and we are in drought. We have been hand-feeding since November. To feed in July is extraordinary. To feed in August is horrendous.

Anything else you would like to add?

I just know what I’m good at is being a voice for people  – like parents who are losing their children to ice and not getting any support.

Not that I can wave a magic wand, but we need to help these people.