23 movers and shakers of 2023 part 2: The leaders and identities who made a big impact in the local community

In Part 2 of our 23 movers and shakers of 2023, we complete the list of leaders, business figures and community identities who made a big impact in Geraldton and the wider region in 2023. SHANE LOVE Will Shane Love still be Opposition Leader at the end of 2024? Perhaps or perhaps not, but the Moore MP is still guaranteed to be a key figure in the lead-up to the March 2025 State election. The start of 2023 saw Mr Love — whom many people outside his electorate had never heard of before — thrust into the role of Opposition Leader, after the shock resignation of Mia Davies. His vocal criticism of the State Government’s bungled Aboriginal cultural heritage laws, which were eventually overturned, was a high point, but Mr Love still faces regular calls to hand over the mantle to Liberal leader Libby Mettam. The end of the year was rocky for Mr Love and the Nats, losing one of their four Lower House MPs when North West Central MLA Merome Beard defected to the Libs. Mr Love is facing a make-or-break year, well aware he and his party are facing political oblivion under electoral reforms reducing regional representation, prompting the Nats to run candidates in metro seats. MEROME BEARD Carnarvon publican Merome Beard had quickly earnt a reputation as a vocal local MP in her first year in State politics, speaking about a range of issues affecting her community, from health care to crime rates. But she surprised everyone in late October, including her own colleagues, when she defected from the Nationals to the Liberals. It was a move to save her own political skin — if she had stayed with the Nats she would have been the likely loser in a pre-selection battle with leader Shane Love, given their two electorates were merging under redrawn boundaries. But she faced criticism for how she broke the news, via a Whats App group message just minutes before The West ran the exclusive, and repeatedly insisted she was “no rat” for jumping ship. Now Ms Beard and Mr Love will most likely be election rivals for the new seat of Mid West and expect that contest to be an especially spicy one. MELISSA FINLAY Melissa Finlay and her restaurant/brewery business Finlay’s Kalbarri enjoyed a memorable 2023. The owner-operator has run the business in the tourism town with her husband Warrick since 2018, making a knack of bouncing back from the significant challenges of COVID and cyclone Seroja. In 2023, Finlay’s Kalbarri was lauded in multiple industry awards and Ms Finlay was the face of the hospitality venture going from strength to strength. The business received close to 10 industry awards last year, including Business of the Year at the Mid West Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Excellence Awards, silver for restaurant and catering services at the WA Tourism Awards, and the community service gong at the Australian Hotels Association Hospitality Awards for Excellence, to name but a few. Finlay’s Kalbarri has been a big supporter of local events, including Shore Leave, and Ms Finlay is doing her bit to promote Kalbarri and the Mid West as a tourist destination, using social media and being an active participant on multiple boards. AARON HORSMAN Regardless of what you think of Aaron Horsman and his views, he has earnt a spot on this list as one of 2023’s movers and shakers. Previously known on the fringes for being a vocal anti-vaccine mandate campaigner and protester, when he threw his hat in the ring for the City of Greater Geraldton election not many people rated his chances. But in the end, Mr Horsman and fellow mayoral “underdog” Tammy Croasdale proved to be kingmakers. Their combined 2555 primary votes (1492 for Ms Croasdale and 1092 for Mr Horsman) was the difference in putting an end to Shane Van Styn’s tenure and getting deputy mayor Jerry Clune over the line after preferences were distributed. And the icing on the cake for Mr Horsman was that Mr Clune’s victory opened up a fifth spot on council, which he won by just nine votes. Now Cr Horsman is continuing the classic underdog narrative on council, and 2024 is set to be an interesting and colourful ride for the City while he has a seat for the table. But with power comes accountability and away from council, one of Cr Horsman’s immediate new year priorities will be dealing with a drink-driving charge laid against him in November. He’s set to front court on that charge this week, but has already told the Guardian he “deeply regrets” his actions. JENNA DENTON From the outset, Jenna Denton made it clear she did not want to be elected to council just because of her gender. As the only woman running for a council spot, she automatically stood out but she had an impressive resume to back her up. She is now the youngest council member and secured by far the most number of votes in October’s election. Earning her stripes working in State politics, Cr Denton is a passionate and community-oriented leader who plans to give a voice to minorities on council. Her ties to youth work, health care and advocacy are a welcome addition to council. Cr Denton now works with the Mid West Development Commission as a development officer. We can’t wait to see what Cr Denton does next with her platforms. DAMIAN HARRIS Known by some as a farmer in Binnu, but by many Damian Harris is best known as president of the Northampton Rams Football Club. The town’s football factory is widely known for producing some of the best talent but had failed to win the GNFL premiership for 19 long years. However, that all changed last year and Harris was at the head of the club which turned around their poor fortunes into a winning season. Harris became president four years ago and has faced some massive challenges along the way. Two-and-a-half years ago, Northampton was left picking up the pieces when cyclone Seroja tore through the region. The Rams became a beacon of hope for many people, and in 2023 club was able to bring the cup to Northampton, during a season when many farmers are doing it tough. After the grand final, an ecstatic Harris — with his Rams-mad son Sam never far from his side at the club — praised the team effort. “I’m absolutely over the moon, 19 years a community has worked for this,” he said. CARRISSA BELLOTTIE In her second year as the Great Northern Football League’s top dog, Carrissa Bellottie has guided the league through thick and thin, with last year being one of the more memorable seasons in recent history. The year began with the completion of the WA Football Commission’s review of the GNFL, launched the year before when the season was marred by a brawl during a colts game and other off-field violence. It was a root-and-branch review assessing all major facets of the GNFL and Bellottie welcomed the findings, saying it proved to be an “eye-opener”. The league also had to grapple with umpire shortages and abuse during last season. On the upside, a new addition for the league was the pre-season GNFL all-star game, which was a huge success. Perhaps the biggest thing that came out of the season was the Great Northern league side returning to country week for the first time since 2019, with the side reaching the grand final. THE RIGTERS The Rigters family — spearheaded by John and Beryl Rigter — have been movers and shakers in the Geraldton community for decades. The quiet and unassuming couple built a family business started in 1969 in their new hometown into a supermarket and bottle shop empire, which has its local community at its core. What made 2023 different was Mr and Mrs Rigter finally started their well-earnt retirement after 54 years in the business, officially handing the reins of Rigters Supermarket Group to their son Kyme. The business also made national headlines last year when they made a bold move to ban unsupervised children under the age of 16 from entering their stores after 6pm in a bid to curb the growing rate of shoplifting. They have also been vocal and active in efforts to tackle the scourge with police and other retailers. MARERE POTAKA Losing a child is the unthinkable. But amid her intense grief over losing her teenage son Justyce in a car crash on Christmas Eve 2022, Marere Potaka has showed courage and resilience to speak out multiple times in a bid to help others and protect her son’s memory. She has been there for her other children and for Justyce’s friends, and when another tragedy claimed the life of another teenager in the middle of last year, Ms Potaka spoke out against the toxicity of social media, calling for people to stop spreading rumours and speculation online, standing up for a family she didn’t even know. She felt vindicated later in the year when she revealed the coroner had ruled a medical episode behind the wheel was Justyce’s likely cause of death, not suicide. Seeing no “end” to her grief, Ms Potaka has been comforted by the outpouring of tributes to her aspiring basketballer son and is proud of the legacy he left in such a short time. MICHAEL ROOTES A Melburnian at heart, Michael Rootes quickly became a treasured member of the Geraldton community who wanted to make a contribution. Mr Rootes’ leadership abilities have landed him in essential roles like spearheading the Geraldton For Yes campaign during the Voice to Parliament referendum last year. For months, he was holding community education meetings on the Voice, putting flyers in letterboxes and door-knocking on weekends. In the wake of a resounding defeat, Mr Rootes — who has a day job as an electorate officer — remained proud of the Yes team’s efforts and the cause they championed. NATALIE NELMES As director of Geraldton Universities Centre, Natalie Nelmes spent 2023 as one of the most active voices for education in the regions. Ms Nelmes helped assist a submission to the State Government’s university sector review. The report subsequently helped secure a $66.9 million investment from the Albanese Government to double the number of university study hubs in Australia. The move will help regional students access tertiary education in rural and remote areas. Ms Nelmes was also integral in establishing GUC UniReady, a program for Year 12 students to engage in units which will prepare them for university education.