Voters list priorities in tightly contested WA seat of Warren-Blackwood
One of Bevan Eatts's posters was defaced with black ink. (Supplied: Wade de Campo)
In short:
Stretching along WA's southern coast, Warren-Blackwood is the state's most marginal regional seat.
Labor's Jane Kelsbie is widely expected to lose the seat, but the fight between her, the Nationals' Bevan Eatts and Liberal Wade de Campo has been a heated one.
What's next?
The battle for the Warren-Blackwood seat will be settled at the state election on Saturday.
Countless missing, defaced or destroyed corflutes are a telling sign of a fever-pitch political battle for WA's most marginal regional seat.
Stretching along the state's southern coast between Margaret River and Denmark, Warren-Blackwood was one of Labor's most surprising victories in the 2021 landslide, with Labor's Jane Kelsbie unseating long-term MP and Nationals stalwart, Terry Redman.
But holding the seat by a wafer-thin margin, Ms Kelsbie faces a strong contest from Liberal Wade de Campo and the Nationals' Bevan Eatts.
As candidates draw battle lines on key issues, campaign placards throughout the region have copped the brunt of voter discontent.
Vandalism 'worst ever seen'
On a country road corner, someone has used a permanent marker to add sunglasses and a cartoonish picture of "cheese" on the end of Nationals candidate Bevan Eatts' sign.
Mr Eatts put the graffiti down to drunken opportunists who thought it might "be a bit funny".
"I think it's part and parcel of the job, and with a surname like Eatts, it lets people get fairly creative," he said.
"It's really, really tough to get people's votes … and we're getting drowned out by various other things, including a federal campaign."
It was one of numerous incidents of political placards being stolen or vandalised in the electorate.
Labor incumbent Jane Kelsbie and Liberals challenger Wade De Campo agreed the rates of vandalism surrounding the election were the worst they had seen.
Wade de Campo says he has never seen so many candidates' signs being vandalised. (Supplied: Wade de Campo)
"Some of [Bevan Eatts' signs] have been defaced, I think he's got googly eyes on some of them, some have been run over, and I believe [Liberals candidate] Wade De Campo, some of his have also been taken down," Ms Kelsbie said.
"It's probably the worst it's ever been … they're coming down as fast as they go up."
Battleground issues
Key election issues in Warren-Blackwood mostly mirror the rest of the state — housing availability and regional healthcare.
Manjimup resident Frank Slee said there had been a steep rise in rough sleepers.
He said he wanted the major political parties to address the issue.
"Having more housing coming in, especially emergency housing, so people can transition into work and hopefully get more permanent housing, [is important]," Mr Slee said.
Margaret River residents say the needs of the town's growing population must be be addressed. (ABC South West: Andrew Williams)
Margaret River resident Werner Verwuster moved to the regional town a year ago to be closer to his family.
He said he regularly had to drive to Perth for specialist treatment, a round trip of about 540 kilometres.
"I have health problems, and my son has had a kidney transplant, so I need to drive all the way there and back again quite often," he said.
Jo Darvall, an artist based in the nearby town of Prevelly, said protecting the environment was a key issue.
Ms Darvall says more needs to be done to look after people who are vulnerable. (ABC South West: Andrew Williams)
"I don't want to see any cutting down of the native forests," she said.
"Why do people come to Margaret River? It's because of the environment."
The state's native logging ban, which started last year, and the federal Labor government's decision to ban the live sheep trade have weighed heavy on voters' minds around Manjimup and Pemberton.
Incumbent 'underdog'
Keenly aware of her own electorate's shifting loyalties, Ms Kelsbie said she felt like the "underdog".
The incumbent member emerged triumphant at the 2021 election, dethroning the longstanding member and former WA Nationals leader, Terry Redman.
Mr Redman had held the seat for through several boundary changes for 16 years.
Ms Kelsbie says she wants the Warren-Blackwood seat to continue to progress. (ABC South West: Andrew Williams)
'I'm definitely the underdog I would say' Ms Kelsbie said.
Her biggest rivals are first-time candidate for the Nationals, Mr Eatts, and the Liberal's Wade De Campo, a political veteran in the region, former shire president and current councillor the Shire of Manjimup.
Each party has made a raft of key election promises in the past couple of months.
Labor has promised an increase to stamp duty thresholds, and $145 million toward boosting housing supply for essential workers.
Liberals have focused on healthcare with a commitment of $400 million to health funding in regional WA, including $60 million for the Margaret River Hospital.
The Nationals have promised $1 billion towards Government Regional Officer Housing and social housing, and another $1 billion to connect land to essential utilities, as well as $45 million for the Margaret River High School.
Jane Kelsbie, Bevan Eatts and Wade De Campo speak to Stan Shaw in Margaret River. (ABC South West: Andrew Williams)
Speaking to ABC Radio South West last month, senior political lecturer Martin Drum he expected the seat to return to the Nationals or the Liberals.
"But you know, the local member that's been elected has been campaigning hard," he said.
"The seat's also changed a little bit. It's got a bit away from the agricultural area and into Margaret River a bit more."