The political dust is far from settled around parched northern developments
State cabinet ministers will be armed with sunscreen and broad-brimmed hats when they head to the parched mid-north later this week in their crisply ironed chinos.
The entire team descends on Mallala and Two Wells on Thursday, where potentially angry political dust is far from settling.
There could also be an impromptu political anointment by the Premier, which may take many by surprise. Keep reading for that exclusive revelation.
Fresh from the momentous and eager crowd greeting during his Whyalla steelworks intervention, a darker mood is likely to greet Peter Malinauskas in the state seat of Frome.
This region is a focal point in helping solve the state’s housing crisis but is also in the grip of record bone-dry conditions and a thirsty lack of water infrastructure.
Some of these small communities now must truck water in to supplement their critically low tank storages.
So, will they be eyeing off some of the financial relief already enjoyed by other worthy recipients in the Upper Spencer Gulf?
Frome, soon to be renamed Ngadjuri, could become an unfamiliar battleground in March next year.
It’s safely held by Liberal MP Penny Pratt, who’s in her first term.
She also holds multi-shadow cabinet portfolios of Tourism, Regional Health, Ageing, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.
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Without putting too fine a point on it, each of these areas is of growing concern to her.
The vast region’s rich mixed farming history has suffered one of its worst years on record with grain growers praying for rains to ease their financial pain, in the short term at least.
Pratt and Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven have both told me of the growing economic hardships, mental health, depression and domestic violence problems gripping these regions.
Add the influx of new housing estates with insufficient water and sewage necessities and temperatures are rising even further.
“We are pitchfork angry with the Labor government, so they need to come with answers for the big challenges we continue to face alone,” Pratt said.
Only Mother Nature and healthy local and export markets can repair primary industry shortfalls.
But the water infrastructure issue has now boiled over into another stressful timebomb.
Community Facebook posts indicate little more than a dribble is coming from household taps, not even enough to activate pop-up sprinklers.
“Our hot water constantly struggles to keep up especially when showering and goes hot and cold all the time due to a poor flow rate,” one Freeling FB poster stated.
“We can’t run the dishwasher and washing machine at the same time as they both go into fault mode due to poor pressure,” another exclaimed.
In Two Wells, an angry post stated the water pressure was good until more houses were built and now the family is lucky to run two taps at once.
Expansion at Freeling’s Wheatfields Residential Aged Care facility is locked in a brawl over water connection engineering issues.
That dispute means SA Water refuses to connect fire sprinklers to the 32-bed extension. The CFS, therefore, refuses to sign off on the safety code, so the facility remains in technical breach.
Some vulnerable residents may be forced to find alternative accommodation, which barely exists.
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Frome’s battleground status has changed since the 2022 state election.
Pratt cruised to victory after former Independent MP Geoff Brock successfully transitioned north to Stuart.
A new boundary change again alters the demographic landscape for Pratt, whose margin has dropped from a very healthy 8.2 per cent to a much riskier 3.3 per cent.
Speaking of high risk, her Labor opponent may be a major part of Mali’s charm offensive visit to this wary and struggling region.
Tony Piccolo is rumoured to be announced as Labor’s new Frome candidate on Thursday.
Yes, that name sounds familiar because he’s been a true believer and comfortable Labor stalwart in neighbouring Light since 2006.
He knows the electoral ropes, having nominated for Schubert last time round and then changing his mind.
In a badly kept secret, Piccolo’s now bombarding Frome residents with letterbox drops and personal visits to community events.
But why would he swap horses halfway down the straight in the “SA Decides 2026 Stakes”? There seem only two possibilities.
The 65-year-old either wants a new challenge, which seems unlikely after almost a record-breaking 20 years in Light, or he’s been tapped on the shoulder to make way for someone younger.
Tony Piccolo confirmed today that he has nominated for Frome preselection and is now awaiting the Labor Party’s decision.
“Every MP has to review what is best for their community,” he said.
“Since I was first elected the boundaries have changed significantly, so many of my voters are now in Frome.”
Piccolo maintains it’s his decision alone and, if preselected, it won’t be an easy task to defeat Pratt.
He says his nomination has been favourably received but doubted, if successful, it will be announced on Thursday.
Pratt was less favourable.
“He’s just seen as a bit of a joke really,” she said.
“People are either bemused or offended at his secret mission to invite himself to small volunteer community meetings or establish his highly political stalls at country markets.
“It just doesn’t fit with how we live.”
Interesting times on a number of fronts.
