What Pilbara candidates are focusing on for the upcoming State election

With the WA State election being held this Saturday, the Pilbara News has compiled a summary of the major focuses of each party vying for the Pilbara seat. Kevin Michel, Labor Party The Labor Party won the Pilbara seat from the Nationals at the last State election in 2017. Labor’s 2021 Plan for the Pilbara focuses on creating jobs and training opportunities with investment in tourism, schools, TAFE, roads, hospitals and community facilities. This includes $10 million for improved visitor facilities at Karijini National Park, close to $15m to upgrade Pilbara schools, $310m for the final stages of Manuwarra Red Dog Highway and $121.5m for the Port Hedland Spoilbank Marina. The Labor Party has also promised a string of health investments including $14.7m for the South Hedland step-up, step-down facility, a $10m boost to health initiatives at the Karratha Health Campus, $6m for an MRI Unit at South Hedland Hospital, increases to the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme, and $2.7m for the replacement of the accommodation for Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service Staff in Jigalong. Pilbara MLA Kevin Michel said Premier Mark McGowan’s leadership steered WA through COVID-19, keeping the economy strong and community safe. “The Plan for Pilbara will provide our region with the roadmap we need to make sure we bounce back stronger than ever,” he said. “The Pilbara’s economy has been the engine room of the nation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the Plan for Pilbara will ensure we continue to recover strongly in coming years.” Camilo Blanco, Liberal Party It has been 38 years since the Liberal Party held the Pilbara seat, and coming into the 2021 State election it has a focus on “diversifying” the local economy. The Liberal Party has pledged to produce green steel out of Port Hedland as part of the New Energy Jobs Plan to diversify the economy and make the mining industry more sustainable, which it said was expected to create up to 10,000 jobs. Liberal candidate and former Town of Port Hedland mayor Camilo Blanco has made growing the region’s population a priority. His focuses are on housing, education, health, police, jobs, and ensuring a positive future for the next generation. Mr Blanco said affordable housing and education would be his top priority to retain project workers and their families in a town with agonising childcare wait lists. “It’s absolutely critical that towns like Port Hedland, Karratha and Newman have a housing plan ... (to) support the people that are working in child care in the hospitals (and) at the police station,” he said. Liberal leader Zak Kirkup said he was “genuinely surprised and shocked about the lack of investment” under Labor. “I suspect that is because Labor has continued to ignore the regions, they continue to ignore the bush more broadly and that’s been really problematic,” he said. “We want to make sure we diversify our economy right across the State but particularly in the Pilbara. “We are missing out on the opportunities of the future if we don’t seize on our natural advantage here.” Scott Bourne, Nationals WA The WA Nationals lost the Pilbara seat to Labor in 2017. The party has committed to installing an MRI in Karratha, boosting women’s health services in South Hedland, and reinstating the Dampier water police should they win this weekend’s State election. In addition, $60m has been pledged to rebuild Hedland Senior High School, following a community petition by candidate Scott Bourne to increase facilities for the school which has been described by former principal Bill Man as being “in a state of disrepair”. “If your school doesn’t offer a safe and positive learning environment that has impacts on our kids educational outcomes, which then flow on to the whole community,” Mr Bourne said. “Pilbara families, students and teachers deserve better. Only the Nationals WA will rebuild Hedland Senior High School.” It has promised funding initiatives across regional WA including boosting the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme, $140m to help meet the 2025 targets within the mental health plan, $100m into delivering sustainable and affordable housing options, and upskilling childcare workers. “COVID-19 has put the pressure on mental health, we're understanding how vulnerable our people are without adequate services,” Mr Bourne said.