Planes, trains, automobiles … and nuclear subs: the local issues at play in the federal election

We asked Guardian Australia readers about the local issues that matter most to them in the lead-up to the election. In this edition, we put some of these questions to candidates from Canberra, western Sydney and the Illawarra region.

Max, 26, works for a non-profit and lives in the electorate of Cunningham, held by retiring Labor MP Sharon Bird. He is worried about the prospect of a base being built in Port Kembla to house the future nuclear-powered submarines to be built under the Aukus agreement.

"This announcement was made with no consultation with the community, no proposal for consultation moving forward and a potential for my home to have a giant target on its back," he said.

The Wollongong suburb, 100km south of Sydney, was flagged by the Coalition as the potential home of its new nuclear-powered submarine base. However, experts have raised concerns that the base could endanger the community by making it a military target, and some in the community are wary over the safety of the submarines' nuclear reactors.

Alison Byrnes, the Labor candidate for Cunningham, said that if elected she would ensure that the community was consulted on the decision.

"I will make it a priority to seek a detailed briefing from the minister for defence on this plan, as well as Defence's proposed assessment process," she said.

The Liberal party emphasised the economic benefits of the project, but did not address the community concerns.

Marcus Uren, the Liberal party candidate, said: "A new state-of-the-art submarine base on Australia's east coast will serve as a strategic deep-water port and offer plenty of advantages for our defence, as well as create significant opportunities for local industry and businesses."

Greens candidate Dylan Green said he did not want to see his community "getting caught up in a nuclear arms race".

"Our government should be strengthening diplomatic ties with neighbouring states, not inviting conflict by investing in warships with primarily offensive capabilities," he said.

Alexis Garnaut-Miller, from the Australian Citizens party, was "absolutely and resolutely opposed to this nonsensical proposal of building nuclear submarines or any development of nuclear submarine presence in Port Kembla".

Liberal Democrats candidate Michael Glover, said he "would not actively campaign against a nuclear submarine base. These are nuclear powered submarines, not submarines with nuclear weapons".

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Multiple readers raised the issue of the need for a bypass to be built in the greater western Sydney suburb of Wollondilly. During the black summer bushfires, residents were trapped in hours of traffic while attempting to flee the area.

"A bypass would mean that next time we would not have to rely on luck alone to survive," said one resident.

The federal government announced $95.6m towards the bypass in last month's budget. The candidates for Hume unanimously supported construction of the Picton bypass.

The Labor party candidate, Greg Baines, said Labor had pledged funds for a study.

"Labor, this election, are committed to a $96m scoping study of the bypass with a view to getting it started as soon as possible. If I was elected I would bring community groups and stakeholders together to develop a plan to ease congestion in the area," he said.

The Liberal MP for Hume, Angus Taylor, said: "I recognise how important it is to invest in the road network here and I want to keep that momentum going."

Independent Penny Ackery said that she would "fast-track the funds for the Picton bypass as a condition of forming government" if elected.Joaquim De Lima from the Liberal Democrats, Garry Dollin from the United Australia Party and Rebecca Thompson from One Nation all expressed support for the construction of the bypass.

Zoe, a technology consultant from Canberra, is worried about the Google-backed delivery drones by Wing that are being trialled in her electorate. She said that while drone technology has great potential to be used for good, the current delivery drones have not had the proper environmental impact studies done.

"The drones are super noisy, they have become a nuisance to locals and have been observed to scare away all the local birds, with some territorial birds seen attacking the drones."

Tim Hollo, Greens candidate for Canberra, said that while drones were amazing pieces of technology "delivery of takeaway food across suburbs, annoying large numbers of residents with their noise, and invading the space of native birds, is not necessarily their best use".

"Simply rolling out food delivery drones without any decent democratic process to work out whether residents are in support of it is problematic."

Hollo said a full independent study was needed.

"Currently, delivery drones are flying in a regulatory grey area, with the ACT and commonwealth governments pushing responsibility on to each other."

Phillip Laird, a semi-retired academic from Keiraville, says the train services coming into Sydney from the south coast are too slow and infrequent. He says this issue has been exacerbated by the recent wet conditions.

"On weekdays, between peak hours, Wollongong and Kiama (from Sydney) only get one train an hour while Newcastle gets two. In Nowra people only get one train every two hours."

Laird said the trains were slow, and mentioned that the National Faster Rail Agency had said the average speed was just 55km/h.

Jamie Dixon, Greens candidate for Whitlam, said the party was "committed to providing additional peak services and express services" to help alleviate some of the delays.

Dixon said the Greens would also advocate for an electrified dual line to Bomaderry, and a south-coast rail extension as part of any Nowra bypass.

"I see the completion of the Maldon-Dombarton rail link to be level with the Hume Highway in terms of significant economic infrastructure. As such, this would elevate it to a federal responsibility. Creating a link between the manufacturing and warehousing capacity of western Sydney, the proposed renewable energy hub in Port Kembla, and the export infrastructure of Port Kembla and the upcoming Badgerys Creek airport is of national economic significance.

"The Greens see this as essential for transitioning our economy to sustainable manufacturing, and will use our balance of power in the next government to deliver it. In addition, the Maldon-Dombarton rail line would not have the topographic issues of the current south coast rail line, where journey times are unchanged since the 1800s."

Michael Glover, the Liberal Democrats candidate for Cunningham, said a fast train linking Sydney with Wollongong, along with increased commuter car parking, was absolutely needed in the Illawarra.

"The winding journey up the escarpment while incredibly beautiful, is far too slow."

Benjamin Britton, the UAP candidate, said: "All infrastructure and services in the Illawarra are decades behind the other cities in the country."

Britton said Labor and the Liberals were both to blame for the "neglect" and said that the UAP "has a policy to bring in fast trains nationwide to connect our rural areas to the big cities".

Residents of the Blue Mountains expressed concerns about the flight paths of Western Sydney airport. Residents have been promised access to the scheduled flight paths since 2018. However, they will not become publicly available until mid-2023, leaving residents with concerns about the impact of flights on the surrounding environment.

Susan Templeman, the Labor MP for Macquarie, said that she shared the "concerns that many people in my electorate have about the government's failure to release flight paths".

"I have been calling for comprehensive and genuine community consultation over Western Sydney airport's flight paths for six years," she said.

If elected, the Greens' Tom Hickey would "demand complete transparency over all plans for the airport, including flight paths, predicted noise levels and noise sharing information".

Liberal Democrats candidate James Jackson said that "transparent, accountable and responsible government is central to all Liberal Democratic party policy - especially on the big ticket items, like Badgerys Creek".

All candidates in each electorate were contacted for comment. Some did not respond. Not all responses have been included for brevity and to avoid repetition.