Camilo Blanco, Liberal Candidate for the Pilbara was raised and attended primary and secondary school in South Hedland.
Throughout his childhood and in later life, he has travelled all over the Pilbara and Kimberley exploring, camping and fishing. After leaving school he did a mechanical apprenticeship with BP in South Hedland. He married Samsiah, at 19 and together they have raised two daughters and have spent 28 years together and counting. In 2001, he launched an automotive mechanical business in Wedgefield, Port Hedland in 2001 and has owned and operated it ever since.
He is deeply involved in the community, training as a teenager with the Pundulmurra Boxing Club and later receiving his Coaching accreditation from the WA Institute of Sport. He went on to coach kids boxing at Hedland’s PCYC for a number of years. He has also been the President of the Wedgefield Association and the Commodore of the Port Hedland Yacht Club.
As a former councillor and Mayor, Camilo (known locally as Milo) has a formidable list of achievements which have been widely reported in the media.
Over many decades the Pilbara has never had a home grown representative and that is what Milo is! His vision is to give every kid coming out of high school the opportunity to be employed in the town they grew up in, keeping our Pilbara families together. Milo has been a leader, whether it be to advocate successfully for more police in the region, the deployment of a drug and general duty canine unit, reducing operational costs of the Town by 25%, ensuring industry pays its fair share of rates, prioritising the capital works program or supporting community ventures to reduce truancy and domestic violence and other crimes. His efforts are summed up by a recent front page in the North West Telegraph headed, Go and Go with Milo!
Milo says, “There are many challenges ahead as improvements cannot be achieved without understanding the issues associated with living in the Pilbara. Whether it be the heat, the lack of services, constant economic roller coasters, the industry’s push towards automation, coupled with the workforce centralisation in the city and offshoring of jobs using technology. All these and more need to be considered when decisions are made for the region”. Milo has the commitment and experience and is the Real Deal for the Pilbara.
