Ms. Sarah Richards, community advocate, lawyer and RFS volunteer from North Richmond has been selected as the Liberal Party’s federal candidate for the seat of Macquarie.
Richards says she was inspired to run for the seat a second time, following her experience with the Black Summer Bushfires that tore through the Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains.
“Watching members of our local community turn up day after day during the Gosper’s Mountain Bushfire made me so proud to be a part of this amazing area,” said Ms. Richards. “It really would be an honour for me to be elected to represent these incredible people.”
In the wake of the bushfires, Richards, 39, set up the #BackToBilpin and Meet Me @ The Blue Mountains tourism campaigns to support local businesses. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she started #ShopSmall, a free online site, now boasts over 15,000 members with local stores benefiting from free social media exposure, advice and support.
Richards also joined the Hawkesbury Rural Fire Service as a communication officer.
“I grew up in a military family on the RAAF base at Richmond and my father served in several overseas conflicts, so I developed a strong sense of community service from a very young age,” said Ms. Richards. “My mother is also a teacher. I learned that you don’t walk away from people in need.”
Richards launched the Mattress for a Mate program, joining forces with bedding giant A.H. Beard, to help to deliver 750 mattresses to people who lost homes during floods and bushfires across NSW.
In 2021, she sourced emergency accommodation for scores of people cut off from their homes by floodwaters and helped to engage private helicopters to fly food and other supplies to people trapped by floodwaters.
As a local councillor, Ms. Richards has advocated for greater flood mitigation for the entire Hawkesbury Flood Plain. She successfully fought to secure funding for the ‘Hawkesbury River Third Crossing.’
“If elected I want to keep fighting to protect this pristine environment and the history and heritage that exists within the Hawkesbury and the Blue Mountains areas,” Richards said.
Richards also firmly believes that she is the “right person” to champion tougher social media laws to protect children from online bullying.
