WOOLSTHORPE farmer Roma Britnell has won Liberal Party pre-selection for South West Coast.
More than 250 Liberal Party members congregated at Warrnambool’s Brauer College to select the electorate’s new candidate following the retirement of Denis Napthine.
A run-off ballot was held between Mrs Britnell and Donna Petrovich for the coveted position at 1.30pm. Warrnambool’s Jacinta Anderson, Portland’s Deborah Keillar, Port Fairy’s Tom Napthine and Portland’s Anita Rank knocked out in earlier counting.
The United Dairyfarmers of Victoria (UDV) vice-president hosted former prime minister Tony Abbott and Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce at her Woolsthorpe farm in July to launch the federal government’s Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper.
Mrs Britnell was Victoria’s Rural Woman of the Year in 2009 and has also won a Nuffield Scholarship.
