The Minister for Regional Development, the Hon Stephen Dawson MLA also visited Esperance in January, where he met with the Shire of Esperance Councillors and Executive, and toured several key sites in town.
Minister Dawson was accompanied by the GEDC as he visited Round 7 REDs Grant recipient, Drake Brockman Building and Construction, which received $250,000 for a new cabinetry and wall framing workshop. The visit provided an opportunity for the Minister to meet the team and see first-hand progress on the new workshop.
The Minister also toured the planned upgrades to Lucky Bay Brewing facilities, where he was treated to a performance by the South Sea Shantymen. The group recently received an equipment upgrade thanks to a State Government 2025 Small Grant.
As the Minister for Ports, Minister Dawson had a keen interest in meeting with Esperance Port and enjoyed touring their operations which was in full swing following a bumper grain harvest season and a new Iron Ore customer, Yilgarn Iron Investments, announced by the Minister in December 2025.