I’m Sam Ryot, a lifelong Riverina resident, community volunteer and your Greens candidate for Wagga Wagga at the 2027 NSW election.
My background is in information technology and surveying. As convenor of the Riverina Greens and a volunteer with Sundays for Peace and Rocky Hill Regeneration Project in Wagga, I believe in getting involved, standing up for others and working together to make change.
I live in Wagga with my wife, Tara, our geriatric cat, Miss Miff Rabbit, and our elderly dog, Lady Daisy. We have nearly finished electrifying our home and have filled our garden with native plants, providing a refuge for local wildlife.
I’m standing because everyone deserves a secure home, affordable essentials and good public services, wherever they live.
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Tara and I were fortunate to buy our home around a decade ago, with help from family. That opportunity is becoming increasingly out of reach for others. A secure home should not depend on whether your parents can help pay for it.
I want more public and social housing, stronger protections for renters and action to bring housing costs down. Helping households electrify their homes, expanding publicly owned renewable energy and investing in community batteries can also help reduce bills.
Our recent return to being a one-car household has reinforced how much Wagga needs better public transport. Regional communities deserve affordable, accessible and reliable services that connect people with work, education, healthcare and each other.
Public education matters deeply to my family. My parents, my wife and both my brothers are, or have been, public school educators. I support fully funded public schools and TAFE, alongside better pay and conditions for teachers, nurses, firefighters and other essential workers.
My sister has a disability, uses a wheelchair and has high support needs. Disability inclusion is personal to me. I want accessible transport, housing and public spaces, and services that respect people’s choices and support them to participate fully in community life.
I also support women’s reproductive rights, including access to abortion care close to home, even though the subject remains taboo. I’d hazard a guess that every Wagga local knows someone who has had to travel hours for a termination. Your postcode should not determine whether you can access timely, affordable healthcare.
Protecting nature starts here in our electorate: preserving mature trees, restoring native habitat and making our neighbourhoods greener and cooler. To that end, I volunteer with Rocky Hill Regeneration Project to amend their website and map the plants that have been planted. We need thoughtful planning that delivers the homes people need while protecting the environment we all depend on.
Through Sundays for Peace, I stand alongside others calling for peace and human rights. That commitment to fairness also guides what I want for our local communities: dignity, inclusion and a voice in the decisions that affect us.
From Talbingo and Tumut in the east, to Galore and Lockhart in the west, I want to listen to your concerns and work with you on practical solutions.
Together, we can build a fairer, greener and more inclusive future for our region.
