The former artist, telephone operator, union official and academic threw his hat in the ring outside incumbent Michael McCormack’s Wagga Wagga electorate office, which he hoped to refurbish on July 3.

Mr Poynter firmly focused on the failings of the incumbent Riverina MP, accusing him of typically “keeping a low profile” in the lead up to the election.

Mr Poynter hitched his campaign to the environment and education, backing Gonski school funding and increased environmental water flows as part of a strengthened Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

“I want to seriously deal with water management, not hide from the issue like the National Party,” he said.

“Science tells us we need to put more water into the river system, not decrease environmental flows, which is what the government is presiding over now.

“We need to tip in serious amounts of money to both food production and maintaining the health of the river, not just tell farmers it’s all over.

“I am in favour of water buybacks, but not forced buybacks – farmers have not been resourced well enough to make a transition.”

Mr Poynter threw down the gauntlet to Mr McCormack, challenging him to a debate on “serious issues facing the future of the Riverina”, but predicted he would prefer to “drip-feed funding promises” than grapple with the region’s future.

In a rare concession, Mr Poynter praised the government’s commitment to inland rail, but said $594 million for planning the project and acquiring land did not go far enough.

“We need to commit once and for all to inland rail and that’s something we’ve really been pushing,” he said.

Last federal election Greens candidate Ros Prangnell earned a paltry 3.6 per cent of the vote in Riverina, slipping nearly 1 per cent, but Mr Poynter boldly claimed he would be “happy with 51 per cent”.

A councillor since 2012, Mr Poynter moved to Wagga in 1987 to take up the position of resident stage manager for Riverina Theatre Company.

At the local government level, he boasted of a strong record establishing a “liveable built environment that respects nature and provides business, cultural, sporting and recreational activities”.