WA Nationals select two farmers to represent the party in seats of Geraldton, Warren-Blackwood

Two farmers will represent the WA Nationals in the battle to win the seats of Geraldton and Warren-Blackwood, with Chapman Valley Shire President Kirrilee Warr and former Manjimup Chamber of Commerce president Bevan Eatts announced as candidates. At a conference on the weekend, the party’s State council selected Ms Warr out of the three candidates who put their hats in the ring for the preselection process. The votes saw former Geraldton mayor Shane Van Styn and Shire of Northampton vice president Rob Horstman unsuccessful in their attempted jump from local government to State politics. Mr Eatts, a third-generation farmer and current chair of the Southern Forests Food Council, was rubberstamped as the candidate for Warren-Blackwood, one of the seats the Nationals are most confident will return to the fold in 2025. It comes after he ran on the Nationals’ 2017 Legislative Council ticket in the South West electorate but was unsuccessful after holding an unwinnable third spot on the party’s ticket. Nationals State president Julie Freeman said Mr Eatts was a “local champion” who played a key role in standing up for businesses and families impacted by Labor’s decision to shut down the timber industry. “Bevan’s local knowledge and involvement in the business community, and the agricultural and horticultural sectors in Warren-Blackwood, has seen him emerge as a local leader in the region,” she said. Mr Eatts said it was “surreal but exciting” to be selected. “The first thing I’ve got to do is get out there and talk to the people in the community… and give them a strong voice so they can be heard… because everyone’s different, each town is different,” he told Countryman. “I want to see the health side of things and services improve. I don’t feel people should be penalised or treated like second-class citizens just for living in the regions.” Mr Eatts looks set to run against Labor incumbent Jane Kelsbie, who snatched the previously safe seat from four-term Nationals MLA Terry Redman at the 2021 election. Ms Kelsbie rode a wave of support for former Premier Mark McGowan during the COVID pandemic to match Mr Redman’s primary vote and secure a 14 per cent final swing to win the seat. Ms Warr will most likely be running against Labor incumbent Lara Dalton — who plans to run for a second term — for the Geraldton seat, with candidates yet to be confirmed for the Liberal Party’s preselection process. “Kirrilee has long been a passionate advocate for regional WA, through her involvement with local government, the Mid West Development Commission, and Regional Development Australia,” Ms Freeman said. “She has more than a decade of experience in local government.” Ms Warr will remain Chapman Valley Shire president for the immediate future, and said she would request a leave of absence leading into the election. “I’m excited for the future of the Geraldton electorate. I’d like to sincerely thank the party members for putting their faith in me,” she said. “From Chapman Valley to the heart of Geraldton, we’ve got a lot of opportunity ahead of us and I’m ready to get to work. I’m looking forward to getting out and about across the electorate.”