Greater attention will be paid to the needs of the entire mid-west region under a restructuring of the office of the Minister for the Mid-West.
Deputy Premier and Mid-West Minister Ian Taylor said a new executive officer had been appointed to the Geraldton-based office.
Ross Graham - the former Shire Clerk of Sandstone - would take a particular interest in the needs of communities in the Meekatharra, Wiluna, Mount Magnet, Yalgoo, Cue, Sandstone and Payne's Find area.
"While the Geraldton Mid-West Development Authority will continue with its excellent work, Mr Graham will give added impetus to the needs of the more remote areas," Mr Taylor said.
"In addition, the Board of the Geraldton Mid-West Development Authority is due for re-election and I would urge people from these areas to nominate for a position.
"Part of Mr Graham's task is to examine all areas that are important to the maintenance and improvement of the social and economic fabric of those communities."
Among the priorities were examination of the prospects for an enterprise facilitator for the area.
"The Enterprise Centre scheme has been one of the great success stories in terms of job generation and setting up small businesses in many areas of Western Australia.
"Nearly one thousand jobs have been created in the past nine months with almost one third of the State's 138 local authorities now having a stake in running the centres.
"In many country towns, it is starting to have an impact in attracting business and widening local economies - we are also seeing evidence of farming families using the produce from their properties to increase their incomes by further downstream processing."
Mr Taylor said another issue which was of vital importance to the region was a regional road strategy and this would also be examined.
