With young Australians set to play a key role in the upcoming NSW state election, there's one question that should be on every candidate's mind: what issues are on the minds of young people in regional areas?
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NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has weighed in on the challenges regional young people face, saying "jobs, universities and education" are the focus going forward.
"I don't want people leaving regional NSW," he said. "I want more people being born here, to stay here, be educated here [and] raise their families here.
"I want people in regional NSW to have the best access to education and the best access to health care."
His promise to young people comes after a newly released YouGov poll showed more young voters are deserting the coalition, with their two-party preferred vote collapsing to just 44 per cent compared to 56 per cent for Labor, led by Chris Minns.
The YouGov poll showed that the rising cost of living is a major concern for young people, many of whom can't afford to buy their own homes.
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Mr Perrottet addressed the concerns when he visited Port Macquarie, NSW, on January 25 as part of a series of community engagements; a sign the Liberal Party's state election campaign is ramping up.
Mr Perrottet said the government's First Home Buyers Choice scheme is one way of ensuring young people have the opportunity of owning a home in the near future.
The policy gives those purchasing a property for less than $1.5 million a choice between paying a one-off lump sum stamp duty payment, or an annual land tax.
"[It's about] making sure that young people get... the keys to their very first home faster, [and] providing an opportunity for young people in NSW, who are first home buyers, to reach the great Australian dream," he said.
"What we want to do is to continue to make those investments so that young people who were born here, stay here and raise their families here.
"That means more investments in the services that matter like health care and education... that's what we will continue to do."
