Published on Thursday, 1 October 2026 at 5:17:42 PM
The Shire of Merredin Council has appointed local farmer and business owner Brad Atkinson to fill the vacant councillor position, following a report to the Ordinary Council Meeting held on Tuesday 22 September 2026.
The position became vacant following the resignation of Renee Manning in February 2026. After two unsuccessful extraordinary elections, the Shire sought nominations through an expression of interest process, receiving eight (8) applications over a two-week period.
Councillor-elect Atkinson will be officially sworn in at the briefing session on Tuesday 13 October 2026. His term will conclude in October 2027.
Statement from Shire President, Donna Crook
“On behalf of Council, I would like to thank all the applicants who expressed an interest in filling the vacant councillor position. The calibre of candidates was high which made Council decision a very difficult one. We greatly appreciate the willingness of all applicants to contribute to the future of our community through local government. Though only one appointment could be made on this occasion, we encourage all applicants to consider nominating in the 2027 Local Government Elections and to continue their involvement in supporting and strengthening our community.”
Statement from Deputy President, Phil Van Der Merwe
“We had a good number of members of the public put their name forward to become a councillor this time, which was good to see. I’d like to congratulate Brad, and looking forward to working with him on Council.”
ENDS
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Media contact:
Media and Communications Officer – Shire of Merredin
E: media@merredin.wa.gov.au
P: (08) 9041 1611
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