New year interview: Geraldton MLA Lara Dalton on upcoming election, cost of living, hospital redevelopment

Geraldton MP Lara Dalton has kicked off the new year with a commitment to a healthier lifestyle, starting a detox this week. From the personal to the professional, Ms Dalton’s commitments to the community will continue to be in the public spotlight this year, in the lead-up to the State election. Ms Dalton is refreshed and ready to get on with the year ahead, as State Government commitments such as the Geraldton Health Campus redevelopment make progress. What happens with local projects and commitments in 2024 is likely to shape voters’ minds as they head to the ballot box in early 2025. The most make-or-break of those commitments is the hospital upgrade. A tender was awarded to Multiplex late last year, but people are questioning if there will be more delays, or when they can expect a specific time line for construction. Optimistic about the redevelopment, Ms Dalton said Labor was the only government that had invested in Geraldton’s hospital and she predicted works would “absolutely” be seen on the ground this year. She said she was confident there wouldn’t be any more long delays. “(We’re) very keen to get it built and know how important it is for the community, and it’s important to me as well . . . I understand that we will be expecting to see some action in the very near future,” she said. “Multiplex have indicated they will be starting their works — hoarding will be going up early in the new year. “You can imagine that redeveloping a hospital is not the same as adding a classroom to a school where you can maybe put some demountables out and still work concurrently. It has to be done very carefully and strategically. “However the project is rolled out, it has to make sure it has the least amount of impact on the hospital as possible, because the hospital has to continue running while you’re doing the redevelopment.” On the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, Ms Dalton pointed to existing measures from the State Government, including the WA rent relief program, rises in household fees kept below inflation, reduced Keystart interest rates, and paying out $1400 in electricity credit to households. “I think they’re the ways that governments can offer relief and it’s easy, it goes straight into people’s households,” she said. “This Government is focused a lot on cost-of-living pressures, we understand that most people are doing it tough . . . things are a lot harder than what they have been in the past. Those are things this Government have been focusing on.” Ms Dalton hopes to see the building and construction markets easing off next year, noting “things are moving again”, amid hopes that interest rates would stop climbing. “The cost of building just wasn’t attractive to the market. To build a house cost you more than you could pay for it,” she said. Ms Dalton said the Opposition’s criticism towards her that she was unable to deliver for Geraldton were “quite rich”, and wanted to know exactly what hasn’t been delivered. “In the short time that I’ve been in as the local member, we’ve had the hospital redevelopment start, we’ve got the basketball courts delivered, the toy library, the Chapman Road bike path, had investment into the port,” she said. “There’s whole wave of small commitments, big commitments, roads; there’s been a lot.” Ms Dalton said one of the projects she was most proud of was the Spalding revitalisation scheme, because it provided beautiful amenities and made residents feel good about where they lived. She said reducing people on the public housing wait list in Geraldton was a top priority. Other projects on her priority list this year include the West End redevelopment, progressing the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area through consultation with the working group and expanding the cycling network. “Many road projects are happening in and around the Geraldton electorate, changing the way we travel and playing a huge role in supporting local jobs and training for workers in regional WA,” she said. “Coastal erosion prevention projects will also be visible when works are completed at Sunset Beach . . . and as we see progress with the Drummond Cove coastal recreational facility planning and works.” Ms Dalton wouldn’t say whether she was confident about retaining the seat of Geraldton in 2025, but said she hoped to win another term and continue to deliver for her home town. “I’ve delivered on things that I said that I would and I’m working on those that I haven’t. There’s a couple of things that still have plenty of time, I’ve only been here a couple of years, I’ve still got a little bit of time to deliver those things that have had a few challenges,” she said. One of those projects yet to be delivered is the Geraldton Aboriginal Short Stay Accommodation, but Ms Dalton said she continued working to bring it home. Ms Dalton said she assumed local Liberal branch secretary Rob Dines and recently joined Nationals member Shane Van Styn will contest the seat, but wasn’t sure of anything. She admitted the former mayor would be competition if he did decide to run, but Mr Van Styn hasn’t confirmed if he will nominate for preselection. “Shane’s a very formidable opponent, I guess. He’s a very big personality. But we had a good working relationship when he was the mayor,” Ms Dalton said. Ms Dalton said although Roger Cook might not share the same popularity as former premier Mark McGowan, he was an integral part in keeping the State safe during the COVID pandemic. “Many of the wonderful decisions that were made were in conjunction with (the Premier) as health minister. So we’re in very good hands . . . He’s a very likeable guy, he’s very well known,” she said. Ms Dalton admitted looking ahead to the election, that some seats might be harder to win and Labor could see its big majority change, but it was too early to tell. “I know that I’m very focused on continuing delivering for Geraldton. You know, working really hard, ramping up doorknocking and mobile offices,” she said. “I’ll keep on doing that, making sure people know that I’m out and about available to them.” Recently, Ms Dalton and Agricultural Region MLC Sandra Carr met with the City of Greater Geraldton and mayor Jerry Clune, who presented a wish list of projects the council would like to see come to fruition. Ms Dalton said the State Government was working through them and most of the items were projects the State had been delivering on. “They’re already in training,” she said.