RED Grants Inject $766k Into Wheatbelt Tourism Push

Western Australia’s Wheatbelt is set for a tourism and small-business lift, with nine local projects sharing $766,000 in Regional Economic Development Grants to expand eco-accommodation, hospitality ventures and Aboriginal enterprises across the region.

Targeted Funding Across Nine Wheatbelt Projects

The latest round of Regional Economic Development Grants will see nine Wheatbelt initiatives share a total of $766,000, according to publicly available information from the Western Australian Government and regional development agencies. The funding is part of an 11-year, multi-million-dollar program designed to stimulate economic activity outside Perth by backing locally driven projects.

Reports indicate that the grants in this Wheatbelt round span agribusiness, tourism, advanced manufacturing and Aboriginal enterprise. The combined investment is expected to support business expansion, encourage private capital, and create new employment opportunities in communities scattered across the region’s vast grain-growing heartland.

The Regional Economic Development scheme has become a central tool for diversification in regional Western Australia, and the Wheatbelt allocation follows similar funding rounds in other regions such as the Kimberley and Pilbara. Public information shows that, across multiple rounds, RED Grants have leveraged additional private and community investment while prioritising projects with clear plans for long-term jobs and local supply chains.

For the Wheatbelt, the latest announcements continue a pattern identified in earlier grant rounds, where tourism and value-adding in agriculture are increasingly viewed as complementary pillars to traditional broadacre farming.

Eco-Accommodation in Mukinbudin to Anchor Nature-Based Tourism

One of the headline projects in the Wheatbelt package is the development of new eco-accommodation on a working farm near Mukinbudin in the eastern Wheatbelt. Publicly available summaries of the grant round show that farm-based eco-lodging has secured a $100,000 grant to build visitor facilities that highlight local landscapes and rural life.

The project is designed to tap into growing demand for low-impact, nature-focused stays that allow guests to experience the open skies, granite outcrops and wildflower country for which the broader Wheatbelt is known. Reports indicate that visitors will be able to stay close to day-to-day farm operations, with the eco-accommodation concept framed around environmental sensitivity and immersion in the natural setting.

Regional tourism analysts note that smaller inland towns such as Mukinbudin are looking to eco-accommodation as a way to lengthen visitor stays and disperse tourism spending beyond coastal hotspots. By offering distinctive experiences that combine agriculture, conservation and stargazing, the Mukinbudin project is expected to help position the eastern Wheatbelt as a gateway to more remote outback travel.

The eco-accommodation investment also complements broader state and national trends in sustainable tourism, where funding programs increasingly prioritise projects that limit environmental footprints while generating local jobs and supporting land stewardship.

Hospitality and Manufacturing Projects Broaden Visitor Appeal

Alongside the Mukinbudin eco-accommodation, the Brookton Distillery and Café proposal is another key tourism-related recipient in the Wheatbelt. Public grant information shows that the Brookton project has been awarded $65,000 to establish a boutique distillery and café that will showcase locally sourced ingredients and the town’s agricultural heritage.

The distillery and café are expected to provide a new stop for visitors travelling through the Wheatbelt, adding to the region’s emerging network of cellar doors, farm gates and small-scale food producers. Reports indicate that the business aims to create local jobs, extend trading hours in the town centre and encourage passing motorists to spend more time in Brookton rather than simply refuelling and moving on.

Several other funded projects, while not purely tourism ventures, are likely to influence the visitor economy indirectly. A new mechanical workshop in Wongan Hills, backed by a $115,000 grant, will expand local vehicle servicing and introduce additional mechanical capability. This is expected to support both residents and travellers, improving reliability for visitors touring the Wheatbelt by car or caravan.

Additional grants in this round focus on value-adding and manufacturing, including expanded timber processing, fruit processing facilities and increased honey production. Although these projects primarily target supply chains and export markets, regional development materials highlight that they also enrich the story local operators can share with tourists seeking authentic, locally made products.

Backing Aboriginal Enterprise and Cultural Participation

Aboriginal businesses are a clear focus of the most recent Wheatbelt allocations, reflecting a broader state policy emphasis on Indigenous economic participation. Publicly available details show that Yued Aboriginal Corporation has secured a $98,000 RED Grant to establish an Aboriginal-owned maintenance business providing services across the region.

While the maintenance enterprise is framed as a commercial service provider, regional development documentation notes that such businesses often create pathways for local employment and skills development in Aboriginal communities. By building capacity in trades and contracting, these enterprises can also underpin future involvement in tourism-related infrastructure and cultural facilities.

The latest Wheatbelt funding builds on earlier RED Grant support for Aboriginal business development programs delivered through organisations such as the Noongar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Previous rounds have backed training and capacity-building initiatives aimed at helping Aboriginal-owned businesses compete for government and private sector contracts, including in tourism, construction and land management.

In parallel, separate grant schemes at state and federal level have targeted Aboriginal tourism more directly, supporting the creation of cultural tours, art experiences and on-country visitor activities. Observers note that the Wheatbelt’s mix of RED-backed Aboriginal enterprise and other cultural programs elsewhere in Western Australia may together help build a pipeline of Indigenous operators ready to engage with the growing market for culturally led tourism.

Economic Diversification and Long-Term Regional Impact

Regional development agencies describe the latest Wheatbelt grants as part of a long-term shift toward a more diverse and resilient regional economy. Agriculture remains the backbone of the Wheatbelt, but investment data across multiple RED rounds show a clear trend toward projects that combine traditional industries with tourism, value-adding and services.

Eco-accommodation in Mukinbudin, the Brookton distillery and café, and the Yued Aboriginal Corporation maintenance enterprise collectively signal an approach that blends visitor experiences with everyday economic activity. Rather than treating tourism as a standalone sector, the funding mix positions it alongside farming, manufacturing and Indigenous enterprise as interconnected parts of the regional story.

Public reporting on previous RED Grant rounds indicates that similar strategies in other Western Australian regions have supported hundreds of regional jobs and leveraged significant private investment. If the Wheatbelt projects follow that pattern, the latest $766,000 allocation could act as a catalyst for further expansion, particularly as completed projects demonstrate demand for new tourism experiences and local services.

For now, the Wheatbelt grants underline how a relatively modest pool of public funding can be targeted toward eco-accommodation, hospitality and Aboriginal-led business initiatives that contribute to both immediate construction work and longer-term visitor growth. As projects break ground and open to the public, regional observers will be watching to see how this mix of tourism, sustainability and Indigenous participation shapes the next phase of the Wheatbelt’s development.