- Three Commissioners have been appointed to the Town of Port Hedland
- Appointment follows the recent resignation of the Mayor, with the remaining council positions declared to be vacant
- Commissioners to serve until a new council is elected in March 2026 and has held its first meeting
The Town of Port Hedland will be led by three highly experienced Commissioners, after Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley announced their appointment today.
Under theLocal Government Act 1995,Commissioners can be appointed to fulfil the role of the council and exercise its powers if more than half of the council becomes vacant.
Following the resignation of the Mayor on 25 August 2025 and the previous resignations of four councillors since October 2024, more than half of the offices of members of the council are vacant.
The remaining four offices of members of the council have been declared vacant by the Governor with effect from 3 September 2025.
The three Commissioners will replace the council of the Town of Port Hedland until an election is held on 28 March 2026 and the new council has held its first meeting.
The three Commissioners appointed are:
- Jessica Shaw (Chair) who is a former Member of Parliament (2017-2025) for Swan Hills, having served as Parliamentary Secretary and Chair of the Economics and Industry Standing Committee. She has worked across mining, energy, industrial and infrastructure sectors, including senior roles in the Pilbara, and has more than 20 years' experience working in the government and private sectors;
- Martin Aldridge (Deputy Chair) who is a former Member of the Legislative Council (2013-2025) who served as the Shadow Local Government Minister and was a member of the Select Committee into Local Government. He has more than 20 years' experience in leadership roles in both the government and private sectors; and
- Ron Yuryevich AM who served on the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder council (1988-2015) and was Mayor for more than 19 years during that time. He served on numerous regional committees and had leadership roles in several local government and community associations over many years.
The priority for the Commissioners will be to adopt the council's budget for the 2025-26 financial year and provide good governance for the benefit of the local community.
As stated by Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley:
"The three Commissioners appointed will be able to provide good governance and effective decision-making until a new council can be elected for the Town of Port Hedland in March next year.
"Individually and collectively, the Commissioners have extensive experience in local and State Government as well as the private sector, so are well-equipped to take on the decision-making functions of the council. to serve the Port Hedland community.
"The long-term aim is to have a well-functioning, stable and efficient local council to serve the interests of the local community.
"Crucial to that aim is to have high-quality candidates nominate for council when the time comes, and for people to turn out to vote so they have a say on who will represent them and their interests."
