The Shire of Merredin is a local government area with a population of approximately 3,300 people, located 260km from Perth on Great Eastern Highway, with daily train services from Perth. Merredin acts as a major commercial and retail centre for the Central Eastern Wheatbelt, serving the industrial and retail needs of more than 10,000 people located in surrounding local governments. The Shire also acts as a base for a range of government agencies and services, and is positioning itself to live up to the tagline ‘Innovating the Wheatbelt’.