WITH a new year brings goals and resolutions, with one Riverina man vowing to continue his push for the area to become its very own state.
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David Landini last year registered The Riverina State as a political party as he continues to build a case for electorates from the area to form their own state.
According to Mr Landini, the Riverina is generally the eight electorates west of the Great Dividing Range, including water management infrastructure such as Hume, Burrinjuck and Blowering Dams, and the Murray River.
Mr Landini ran for the seat of Murray as an independent at the last state election in 2019.
Since then, he believes his case for a Riverina State has only strengthened.
"It appears increasingly obvious that state and federal politicians intend to continue the reduction, if not complete closing, of the irrigation, timber and other natural resource based industries in NSW," Mr Landini said.
"This has a corresponding negative affect on the lives of the people in this area.
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"Regrettably, the domination of NSW by the large population centres of Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong, and their lack of interest in non-metropolitan industries, and the large Green oriented portion of this population, will most likely ensure that the reduction in irrigation etc continues."
Mr Landini said a Riverina State, separate from NSW, would have authority over all the water, timber and other natural resources within its area.
"Government by the people in the Riverina will ensure that use of these resources, and other governance, are most beneficial for the people in this state," he said.
"This will ensure the irrigation, timber and other natural resource based industries prosper, with corresponding prosperity for these people."
The Riverina State group intends to advocate for a new state via public promotion, and hopes to eventually hold a referendum of the people in the Riverina on whether to leave NSW.
"(We would then) use the expected successful result to compel the NSW Parliament to consent to this formation," Mr Landini said.
"The consent of the Parliament of NSW is the only requirement for the formation of this state."