Fiona Phillips is Labor's new member for the NSW seat of Gilmore on the state's south coast.

"Accidents happen, natural disasters happen, the risk it poses to human health are profound, let alone the risks to the reputations of our primary producers, hospitality and tourism industries that thrive on our environment," she told the lower house in her first speech.

"We will fight this everyday ... I will never accept a nuclear power plant being built in our community."

A handful of Nationals MPs have been vocal on the idea of nuclear energy, pushing for a feasibility study.

Ms Phillips nabbed the NSW seat from the Liberals at the election, after former member Ann Sudmalis decided not to recontest the role due to bullying in the local division.

The seat then gained national attention during the election campaign, after Prime Minister Scott Morrison intervened to replace locally-chosen Liberal candidate Grant Schultz in favour of his own pick, Warren Mundine.

Ms Phillips also used her first speech to call for a rise in Newstart, saying that parts of her electorate had a workforce participation rate of about 47 per cent, 20 per cent below the national level.

"So many people have given up looking for work," she said on Tuesday.

"Newstart doesn't cover the cost of living, let alone the cost of looking for work. Sometimes the cost of getting to a job interview is more than the daily rate of Newstart."

The unemployment benefit is $282 per week for a single person without children, amounting to about $40 per day.

The former TAFE teacher also hopes the government does more to help older Australians access healthcare.

"A pensioner waiting two years for a double knee replacement in their local public hospital is not good enough," she said.

"A pensioner waiting years to access support to stay in their home is simply not good enough."

Ms Phillips welcomed the government's commitment to bring a Headspace facility to a town in her electorate, pushing for better mental health hospital facilities on the NSW south coast.

"Where are our priorities if we don't look after our elderly and disadvantaged?"

Australian Associated Press