Meet the 2023 state election candidates: Who's running in Dubbo?

Incumbent member for Dubbo Dugald Saunders - who has represented the electorate since 2019 - is hoping to regain his seat as a member of the Nationals against challengers from Labor, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, the Greens, the Legalise Marijuana Party and the Sustainable Australia Party.

Sitting Nationals MP Dugald Saunders is confident he has done enough over his first term in parliament to win reelection."I think I've done a good job in the past four years and I want to get everything we deserve in this region," he said.

Mr Saunders - who succeeded former Nationals leader Troy Grant - was elected to represent Dubbo in a tight race in 2019 against independent Mathew Dickerson. He won the election by an estimated 1,550 votes.

He currently sits on the government frontbench serving as Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Western NSW.

"When you're part of the Coalition government, you are able to achieve what would be very difficult otherwise. The Nationals is about regional NSW and representing our region in the best possible way," Mr Saunders said.

"That's an important role for me and having an influence as the minister for agriculture and minister for western NSW which means I am at the table as decisions are being made."

Before entering politics, Mr Saunders worked in the media for 27 years, spending the last decade before his election win as the morning radio announcer on ABC local radio in Dubbo.

Throughout his career, he has worked around the country and as a presenter, reporter or commentator at many big events including the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Should he be re-elected, Mr Saunders said he will continue to work with the government to deliver funding and outcomes to the area including in infrastructure, business and education.

"To me, this election is not just a campaign, I'll keep doing what I do, and what I do is listen to people, to try and make a difference every single day in somebody's life," he said.

"That's what I am here to do, keep talking to people about what they expect for the future and we'll deliver that as a government."

Challenging Dugald Saunders for the seat is outspoken local councillor and high school teacher Josh Black, who is running for the Labor party.

Being a teacher, one of Mr Black's priorities for Dubbo should he be elected is improving education outcomes for local students. He has slammed the government's handling of the ongoing teacher shortage and would like to see more done to recruit and retain teachers.

Other priorities for Mr Black include roads, health and cost of living.

"Our roads are an absolute embarrassment, and that's one of the issues, but then I look at health and we know all the problems in hospitals and health services throughout the western region," he said.

"Personally I've seen neglect and crisis everywhere throughout the local area. I really feel like the local member has dropped the ball on our seat and has put his ministerial and leadership ambitions before delivering for Dubbo.'

Mr Black - who also runs a farm and is a former abattoir worker - has been a Dubbo local for nearly 40 years and was elected to be a councillor on the Dubbo Regional Council in December 2021. This is the first time he has run for parliament.

In 2019, Labor's candidate for Dubbo Stephen Lawrence - who is running for the Upper House this year - only attracted 14.76 of the primary vote, or 31.84 on a two party preferred basis.

"I don't want to take anything for granted, there's obviously a huge hill to climb," he said.

"I'm really prepared to be a strong voice for the local area and I think this is something we have been lacking in the last four years. I really want to see change."

Hoping to win the seat for the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party is Kate Richardson, a staff member at a local radiology clinic who is running for public office for the first time.

Despite campaigning in a Nationals stronghold, Ms Richardson said she thinks voters in the area are open to change.

"People here seem to be quite savvy and vote on what the candidate is actually offering, they don't just sort of walk in and vote for who they've always voted for," she said.

"I think they're quite open to change and if you approach them the right way and talk to them and listen then they will vote with their head."

The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party put up a candidate in the Dubbo electorate for the first time in 2019 and managed to pick up 13.7 percent of the primary vote. Ms Richardson is hoping to maintain that momentum this time around.

"It's amazing. I think [we] did so well in the last election. I mean, that was the first time [we] ran and [we] got 14 percent of the vote, which is great," Ms Richardson said.

Key concerns for Ms Richardson are hospital staffing levels, youth crime and the proposed location for the Dubbo rehab centre which she says is "inappropriate". Also on her radar are issues faced by rural women including domestic violence.

Retired school teacher Robyn Thomas has been selected as the Greens candidate for Dubbo.

"As a mother, grandmother and educator I feel we need to rethink how we tackle the very serious issues facing us," she said.

"The problems we face locally, nationally and globally will be most effectively addressed when politicians and governments and oppositions are more closely attuned to the interconnectedness of things."

Ms Thomas said some of key concerns for the electorate of Dubbo she would address if she were elected include underfunding of the region's public education, the state of public hospitals and environmental issues like land clearing and logging of native forests.

"I would push the next state government to properly fund public schools with an emphasis on quality teaching and learning experiences for children outside our major cities. Everyone has a right to a quality education," she said.

'In line with this, the state of public hospitals is jeopardising the lives of many in the regions. Incentivising GPs, specialists and nurses to move out of cities should be a high priority. Being able to access specialist services is a human right."

In the 2019 state election, Greens candidate Rod Pryor earned 3.65 percent of the primary vote.

Also in the running for the electorate this year is Mark Littlejohn for Legalise Cannabis NSW. This is the first time a candidate for the party will be running in Dubbo.

Also taking a shot at Dubbo for the first time is the Sustainable Australia Party. Their candidate, David Nugent, has a background in small business, manufacturing and farming.

Mr Nugent - who has a Bachelor of Science and is also a volunteer for the Rural Fire Service - said he is running for Sustainable Australia Party because of its "science and evidence-based approach to policy'.

In particular, he believes that continued growth in resource consumption and population is unsustainable.

Mr Nugent's name appears on the ballot paper as Anthony Nugent.

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