Leaders from across the Eastern Wheatbelt gathered in Perth this week for the Made in the Eastern Wheatbelt: Shaping the Future Together Forum, bringing together 19 Shire Presidents, Councillors and CEOs from the three Regional Organisation of Councils (NEWROC, RoeROC and WEROC), along with Members of Parliament, State Government representatives and regional partners.
The forum focused on the long-term future of the Eastern Wheatbelt and what is needed to support population growth, strengthen essential services and unlock investment across the region. Key priorities discussed included housing supply, workforce attraction and retention, power reliability, and safe and efficient freight connections.
A strong message from the forum was that the Eastern Wheatbelt plays a critical role in Western Australia’s economy, but faces a unique combination of structural challenges that require targeted, cross-government solutions.
“Decisions about our future must involve the people who live and work in our communities. The Eastern Wheatbelt is one of Western Australia’s economic powerhouses, and with the right support we can continue to grow and thrive,” forum host Lachlan Hunter MLA said.
Housing and workforce pressures limiting growth
A central theme of the discussion was the link between workforce shortages and the lack of affordable housing across the region. Councils highlighted that demand for workforce housing is currently running at several times the rate of new builds, limiting the ability of businesses, health services and schools to attract staff.
Research presented by the three ROCs shows significant shortfalls in available housing, with many residential lots unable to be developed due to servicing costs, tenure constraints, environmental approvals and infrastructure limitations.
Forum participants agreed that coordinated action is needed to accelerate land assembly, enable headworks funding and support practical partnerships to deliver housing projects in regional towns.
Reliable power, freight and essential services critical to the region
Discussions also highlighted the importance of reliable infrastructure to support regional communities and industry.
Analysis presented at the forum showed that even short power outages can have major economic impacts on Eastern Wheatbelt towns, with modelling indicating that a six-day outage could cost more than $11 million in lost economic output in the NEWROC region alone.
Transport was another key focus, with strong support for continued investment in the Wheatbelt Secondary Freight Network, a 4,400-kilometre network of local government roads that connects grain, mining and tourism routes to state and national highways.
Local governments also raised concerns about the growing cost of delivering services that are not traditionally part of their role, including medical centres and childcare, with some councils contributing a significant portion of their rate income to keep essential services operating.
Working together for the future of the Eastern Wheatbelt
A consistent outcome from the forum was that the region’s challenges are interconnected and require coordinated solutions across multiple government portfolios.
The three Regional Organisations of Councils will continue working together with the State Government and regional partners to progress affordable housing projects, advocate for freight and infrastructure investment, and explore new approaches to power reliability and service delivery.
By speaking with one voice, the Eastern Wheatbelt aims to ensure the region remains a strong contributor to Western Australia’s economy while building vibrant, sustainable communities for the future.
Forum documents
For more detail on the outcomes of the forum, view the documents below: