WELL-known Scone local and Upper Hunter Shire councillor Sue Abbott has been named as the NSW Greens candidate for the Upper Hunter by-election on May 22.
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Ms Abbott, a Scone local since 1983, has served as a councillor since 2016, and has been a strong voice advocating for fairness, protecting the local environment and retaining local services.
Her husband is Richard Abbott, a local doctor at Scone Medical Practice, and together they have four children.
A passionate community campaigner, Ms Abbott said she will fight to bring back a fully functioning TAFE in Scone.
In the past, she played a key role in the community campaign to save Scott Memorial Hospital from the state government attempts to downgrade local care.
Ms Abbott said the Upper Hunter has been "grossly let down by the major parties" and this by-election is a "great chance for locals to vote for change".
"I am committed to protecting the Upper Hunter's air quality, farmland and water resources from the further expansion of the coal industry," she said.
"Politicians need to be honest about the future of fossil fuels, the key driver of climate change and extreme weather events.
"This is an industry without a long-term future and we need policies to help map out a prosperous and healthy post coal future for the Upper Hunter.
"Any expansion of coal, gas or gas pipelines in the Upper Hunter electorate will hamper the diversification of the economy and lock the Hunter into a dead-end future."
Greens MP David Shoebridge said the Greens are 100 per cent in support of rebuilding a fully functioning TAFE.
"Further education and quality training opportunities are critical requirements for workers to access the new economy.
"We see this as just the first step in building a prosperous post coal future for the region."
Upper Hunter voters will head to the polls on May 22, after the resignation of Nationals MP Michael Johnsen threw the electorate into a shock by-election.
Mr Johnsen resigned from parliament on March 31, following allegations he raped a sex worker and exchanged lewd messages and explicit videos with the alleged victim during question time.
Mr Johnsen denies the rape allegation, which is under NSW Police investigation.