At last count 21 government and opposition cabinet members have been sighted in the ‘Food Basket’.

The reason for this westward convoy of the state’s politically prominent isn’t their appetites, it’s the approaching Orange byelection.

In the wake of the controversial decisions on council mergers and the greyhound racing ban, the result of the November 12 poll is being seen as a bellwether on Mike Baird’s government.

As such, the Premier and his deputy Troy Grant have been sending their big guns our way.

For an electorate used to being ignored there’s something semi-flattering about this sudden flood of interest.

But it should also be lucrative.

By the time the general election rolls around in 2019 there’s every chance Orange will once again be forgotten, so now is the time for Orange City Council and other community stakeholders to make their requirements known to a government desperate to curry electoral favour for Coalition candidate Scott Barrett.

The question is … what do we want?

Parking at the hospital has been an issue for as long as the facility has been open. Let’s get it built.

The Southern Feeder Road remains partially completed. We could fuel up the graders to complete the second and third sections.

Both the Rural Fire Service and TAFE have been scouting locations for regional headquarters and their hundreds-strong staff would be lucky to call Orange home. Just give the order.

Since 1947 the seat of Orange has been a Country Party-Nationals stronghold, almost always returned at the polls by double-digit margins.

As such, its constituents have missed out on the pork-barrel promises party leaders doll out to the marginal seats which most Governments require to secure power.

This byelection won’t decide the next government. It’s important for different reasons.

The pollies may not have come for our food, but it would be great if they could put some pork on our forks while they’re here.

All we have to do is ask.