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Liberal Melissa Price plans to stay the course in Durack, despite Kimberley and Pilbara slump

Melissa Price surveys incoming results at her function in Geraldton on Saturday night. (ABC Mid West and Wheatbelt: Cecile O'Connor)

The federal member for Durack says she does not intend to change her approach to her enormous electorate, despite the Labor vote surging across northern Western Australia.

With about 63 per cent of the vote counted, Liberal MP Melissa Price remains on track to retain her seat. 

It comprises Australia's largest electorate, which takes in the Kimberley, Pilbara, Gascoyne, Mid West and parts of the Wheatbelt.

But the now fourth-term MP and former defence, industry and environment minister suffered an 11-per-cent swing against her on first preference votes, which translated to a 10-per-cent swing to Labor across the electorate.

That was most evident across the electorate's northern reaches, where voters had complained of feeling taken for granted, with Labor winning 26 of 29 booths north of Carnarvon.

Labor enjoyed a 12-per-cent swing in Karratha and strong results across the Pilbara. (ABC Pilbara: Kate Ferguson. )

But Ms Price rejected suggestions she had not been active enough in the north of the electorate, pointing to new migration agreements for Port Hedland and the East Kimberley and funding for sealing the Tanami Road as evidence of her work for both regions.

"I think I've been a very good local member," she said.

"I'm not sure that I'm going to be doing anything different."

While WA was largely COVID-free for the majority of the previous term, Ms Price said the pandemic had hindered her ability to travel widely around the electorate.

"Now that we don't have COVID, there is a very good chance that I will be able to spend more time in the electorate," she said.

"COVID had an incredible impact on my ability, and the ability of all of my WA colleagues, to move around the electorate.

Labor sweeps Durack's north

Of 102 polling places across the enormous electorate, just five saw the two-party preferred vote swing the Liberals' way.

The 63 per cent two-party preferred margin Ms Price took into the election now sits around 53 per cent.

The Pilbara and Gascoyne shape as the most concerning territory for Ms Price, with Labor's Jeremiah Riley on track to sweep both regions.

After winning just one Pilbara booth in 2019, Labor saw swings of 17 per cent in Tom Price, 15 per cent in Paraburdoo and Meekatharra, 14 per cent in Port Hedland and 12 per cent in both Onslow and Karratha.

In the Kimberley, a four-decade stronghold for the ALP, Labor enjoyed a swing of 9 per cent swing in Broome, a swing of 12 per cent in Cable Beach and swings of five per cent and two per cent in Derby and Fitzroy Crossing.

Jeremiah Riley says he is happy with the result and wants to contest Durack again. (ABC Kimberley: Jessica Hayes)

In the East Kimberley, the Liberals won Kununurra (both pre-poll and on the day) and also secured Wyndham.

"I had a very large margin to start with, and I've worked very hard to build up that margin," Ms Price said.

"I can't be 100-per-cent certain as to why people have voted a certain way — there were many factors at play here."

Ms Price pointed to Mark McGowan's popularity and a general desire for change as two of those factors. 

Labor candidate keen to run again

Mr Riley says he is satisfied with the result after nearly six months on the campaign trail.

"We got a lot closer to the line than what we did previously," Mr Riley said.

"I'd like to have another crack at it in the future."

While based in Broome, the former native title lawyer and remote community chief executive also focused a lot of his attention in the south of the electorate, where the Liberal vote is strongest.

He said labour and housing shortages and cost of living pressures were raised across the electorate, while other issues were more localised.

"The results show the people of Durack do care, and they want to see these issues resolved," Mr Riley said.

"There was obviously a state swing that was going on, but I'm going to continue to get my name out there — let's see what people will do next time."

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