Patricia Gill, Denmark Bulletin
The Warren Blackwood electorate has been returned to the WA Nationals with Bevan Eatts wrestling the Seat from Labor’s Jane Kelsbie.
Manjimup farmer and businessman Mr Eatts, recorded a 4 per cent swing to his party which had fallen at the last State Election to Labor’s Jane Kelsbie in a 2.2 per cent swing.
The 2021 election unseated the Nationals’ long-term MLA Terry Redman who first won the seat in the-then Stirling Electorate in 2005.
Mr Eatts campaigned on the platform of restoring Royalties for Regions a difficult task with the Liberals and Nationals holding 13 compared with Labor’s 46 seats.
His opponent Jane Kelsbie was a popular politician who like Mr Redman was Denmark based with an electoral office in the town.
She was philosophical about her defeat saying that when one door closed another opened. “I’m keen to stay involved in supporting and advocating for our communities,” she said.
A keen ocean swimmer, the former Denmark Surf Life Saving Club president looked forward to reacquainting herself with ‘all the corners of Greens Pool and hanging out with family and friends’.
Mr Eatts said he did not rate one part of the electorate more important than another and would do his best to ensure he spent time as equally as he could across the electorate.
The Department of Premier and Cabinet would determine the location of his electoral office.
“At this stage, my understanding is that DPC will request that I start in Denmark once the office is ready,” Mr Eatts said.
He was in the process of securing a staff to ensure he could deliver ‘some great outcomes for Warren Blackwood’.
As the new Nationals MLA, Mr Eatts promised strong regional representation and giving everyone in the electorate a voice on issues that affected their community.
In first preferences, Ms Kelsbie polled 7184, a five per cent swing against Labor while Mr Eatts lagged with 5757m, a 7.2 per cent swing against the party.
Only 36 votes behind was Liberal Wade De Campo with 5721, picking up an 8.9 per cent swing in his favour and Greens Party candidate Julie Marsh third with 4407 votes and a 1.9 per cent swing to the party.
After the distribution of preferences from all eight candidates, Ms Kelsbie fell back to 12,733 votes to Mr Eatts’ 13,683.
In the Upper House, Conservation Council of WA executive director Jess Beckerling has been elected for the Greens Party.
Ms Beckerling is a long-standing activist and until last year was WA Forest Alliance convenor since 2011. She and her family are based on the South Coast.
It was a short term for Independent Louise Kingston who was not re-elected after filling a casual vacancy following the disqualification of Nationals MLC James Hayward. Charges against Mr Hayward were dropped after he won an appeal against his conviction for indecently dealing with a young girl.
Ms Kingston became an Independent in June last year after a fracas with Nationals leader Shane Love. She accused him of relentless bullying and harassment.
Labor MLC Sally Talbot, who has represented the South West Region since 2005, did not contest for re-election. Throughout her time in the Upper House, Dr Talbot has lived in Denmark and in the Bunbury region.
This article appeared in Denmark Bulletin, 3 April 2025.
