The Carnarvon Branch of The Nationals WA has moved a motion at the Party’s recent State Conference and Convention in Mandurah, calling for the Gascoyne to be recognised and preserved as a distinct region in its own right.
Leader of The Nationals WA and Member for Mid-West Shane Love MLA, seconded the motion saying the Cook Labor Government had repeatedly failed the Gascoyne, eroding its identity and stripping away vital services.
“For eight long years, Labor has treated the Gascoyne as little more than an afterthought – folding it into the Mid-West, overlooking it in planning documents, and failing to properly promote it as a tourism destination,” Mr Love said.
“In that time, we’ve seen maternity services disappear entirely, other government services delivered remotely, and communities forced to rely on drive-in, drive-out staff from Geraldton, nearly 500 kilometres away.
“Labor’s disregard was plain to see during the last State Election, when its 24-page Mid-West policy platform mentioned the Gascoyne just once.”
Mr Love said the motion, now Party policy, makes clear that The Nationals WA will fight to preserve the Gascoyne’s distinct identity.
“The Gascoyne is not the Mid-West. It has its own proud history, its own industries, and its own unique communities,” he said.
“Lumping the two regions together under a single banner dilutes the Gascoyne’s voice and risks its priorities being ignored in government planning and investment.
“The Nationals WA Convention passed this motion with overwhelming support.
“We have sent a clear message that we stand with the people of the Gascoyne, and we will continue to fight for the services, recognition, and respect this region deserves.”
Mr Love said the decision reinforces The Nationals WA’s proud tradition of standing up for regional communities against one-size-fits-all policies made in Perth.