Manjimup Chamber of Commerce president Bevan Eatts has been chosen as the WA Nationals’ man to win back a prized country seat in the state’s south.
Manjimup Chamber of Commerce president Bevan Eatts has been chosen as the WA Nationals’ man to win back a prized country seat in the state’s south.
Mr Eatts, a third-generation livestock and vegetable farmer who has advocated for regenerative agriculture, will contest the South West seat of Warren-Blackwood at the 2025 state election.
Currently held by Labor MP Jane Kelsbie, Warren-Blackwood is considered the most likely seat in the state to be claimed by the Nationals next year.
The seat which spans from Mount Barker to Margaret River was previously held by former WA Nationals leader Terry Redman and was lost by a slim margin in the 2021 state election.
The state government’s native logging ban, water policy, and housing are among key issues in the seat.
“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,” WA Nationals state president Julie Freeman said.
“Bevan has also played a key role in helping to stand up for businesses and families who were let down by the Labor Government’s snap decision to shut the timber industry.”
In Geraldton Shire of Chapman Valley president and farmer Kirrilee Warr was chosen to represent the expanded electorate of Geraldton, which now encompassed Northampton and Chapman valley.
Ms Warr won preselection ahead of high-profile former Geraldton mayor Shane Van Styn and Northampton vice president Rob Horstman.
“(Ms Warr) 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.
“Kirrilee has more than a decade of experience in local government and has helped to empower and create opportunities for regional women through her involvement with the Rural, Remote and Regional Women’s Network.”
The seat’s voter base is centered in Geraldton where crime, aquaculture policy, and healthcare are core concerns.
Labor’s Lara Dalton holds Geraldton by 11.7 per cent.
Geraldton is usually a toss-up between the Labor and Liberal parties.
The Nationals briefly held it prior to 2021 when former MP Ian Blayney defected from the Liberal Party.
Preselection for the Nationals’ first round of metropolitan candidates for the seats of Bateman, Darling Range, Kalamunda, and South Perth will close this weekend.
Preselection for the Pilbara seat, won from former Nationals leader Brendon Grylls by Labor MP Kevin Michel in 2017, will also close on Saturday.
