North West Central by-election: Liberal candidate Will Baston focused on road safety amid other top priorities

After a shocking road fatality in the electorate last month, North West Central’s Liberal candidate Will Baston is advocating for safer rural roads so employers and travellers can return home to their families. Mr Baston was expecting driller David Breese to arrive on his Jimba Jimba station before he died in a road accident last month. The driller was travelling along the rural Carnarvon-Mullewa Road in the Murchison and heading towards Gascoyne Junction when he lost control of his vehicle and died at the scene. Mr Baston met Mr Breese at the Gascoyne Dash and forged a friendship. Mr Baston said when Mr Breese did not arrive to the station he discovered he had been in a fatal accident. “He was travelling from the Murchison to the Gascoyne Junction in order to undertake water drilling for ourselves and other stations,” he said. Mr Baston said during his campaigning, he’d noticed the various road conditions throughout the electorate and that road safety was a concern for those living in North West Central. “We have to travel far distances to see our loved ones and conduct our work. I will continue to fight for the improvement of roads to reduce the situations like David Breese’s passing,” he said. “Long-distance driving is just part of life for people in the bush and regional people are resilient, but they want their loved ones to come home alive.” Last year, 67 people were killed or seriously injured on roads in the Mid West and Gascoyne region according to government statistics. “These people are precious to their families and communities, making road safety an important issue,” Mr Baston said. Despite speed and fatigue playing a role in road accidents, Mr Baston said infrastructure was a contributing factor. “Having grown up on a pastoral station, I understand the impact the condition of the road network has on both productivity and access,” he said. “Corrugation and flooding are key issues which can only be resolved through investment to improve resilience in the road network.” Mr Baston said flood-prone roads needed to be addressed to avoid isolation and reduce the risk to road users, as well as recognising the east-west movement of traffic and improve those access routes. Other issues Mr Baston said he would address if elected to Parliament were cost-of-living, crime, housing and health services around the region. “I feel for the people impacted by crime and we must be stronger in our voice to the State Government to get action as the current situation is completely unacceptable,” he said. “The experience of campaigning is very different from just visiting a town. You must reach out, you have to listen and you need to be strong and resilient — the very traits you need to be an effective member of Parliament. “People are tired of waiting for things to happen, they want to see our priorities back on the agenda and are desperate for strong representation to make that happen.”