Published on Friday, 28 October 2022 at 8:46:02 PM

7 August 2024 - Apex Park | Danjoo Waabininy Boodja Officially Open

In a testament to community spirit, the official opening of the new park took place on Wednesday, 7 August 2024, despite heavy rain, drawing a large crowd of enthusiastic residents.

The event began with a Welcome to Country performed by Mick Hayden, accompanied by the resonant sounds of the didgeridoo.  Following the Welcome to Country, Shire President Mark McKenzie and Hon. Darren West MLC delivered speeches, highlighting the significance of the new park for the community. The formal ceremony concluded with the official ribbon-cutting, marking the park’s inauguration.

30 May 2024 - Intersection Works to Commence 8 June

Intersection works for the Merredin Town Centre are set to begin on Saturday, 8 June 2024. These works will include the realignment, raising, and narrowing of the road, and the replacement of four lighting poles which will be completed by Western Power.

The closure will take place in two stages. Stage one will be in place for up to four days, and will affect the area outlined below for vehicles - pedestrians will still be able to access shops/businesses from the Barrack Street Car Park:

Stage two will be in place for approximately 8 weeks and will affect the area outlined below:

These works will result in an improved intersection that:

• Act as a traffic calming measure to significantly slow traffic;
• Improve pedestrian safety;
• Create space for various events such as markets; and
• Allow for easy closure and enable cars to turn around.

By delaying the start of these works, we have successfully reduced the estimated closure period from 12 weeks to 8 weeks. However, we understand the inconvenience this may still cause and ask for your patience and understanding during this time.

17 April 2024 - Project Update

Town Centre: In the Town Centre, earthworks are currently in progress, focusing primarily on the removal of fill (dirt) to facilitate necessary construction works. Once this phase is completed, the finalisation of electrical and irrigation pre-lays will follow. Simultaneously, excavation for new drainage systems will be completed alongside the fill removal efforts. This work will mitigate flooding issues that have previously occurred in the carparking area alongside the Town Centre. To better address the community's needs, a temporary toilet block has been installed adjacent to the Merredin Train Station, replacing the previous port-a-loos. This new toilet block aims to provide more accessible facilities during the CBD Redevelopment Project. Additionally, intersection works have been rescheduled to commence towards the end of the overall project timeline in order to optimise project delivery. This adjustment is anticipated to reduce the duration of the intersection closure. Dates for the closure will be confirmed and communicated to the community in due course.

Apex Park: Significant progress has been made following the completion of demolition works. This milestone has paved the way for the finalisation of electrical and irrigation pre-lays, marking the commencement of fine leveling and site set-out activities. The design for the 9m high slide tower has now been finalised, which means the structure will now undergo manufacturing. In addition to this, construction of the raised earth mound for the slide tower and flying fox is well underway, with rock work due to be completed in the coming weeks. Earthworks for the skate park have also been completed, with retaining walls for both the skate park and garden beds nearing finalisation. Concrete pouring for the skate park, as well as other park features, is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks. 

10 April 2024 - Water Tower Conservation

The Shire is excited to announce the commencement of restoration works on the Merredin Water Tower, with the installation of scaffolding to start next Monday, 15 April 2024.

These works will include improving the structural integrity of both the wooden tower and its metal tank, while ensuring minimal impact to, and preservation of, the aesthetic of the tower in order to maintain historical accuracy.

The restoration works will take approximately 3-4 months to complete.

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15 December 2023 - Shire of Merredin Unveils Next Phase of CBD Redevelopment: Apex Park and Town Centre

The Shire of Merredin is excited to announce the commencement of the next phase of its highly anticipated CBD redevelopment. Thanks to the final pieces of funding secured from Lotterywest, State, and Federal Government, the Shire is set to transform Apex Park and the Town Centre as its next projects, with construction scheduled to begin early in 2024.

At the December Council meeting, tenders were awarded for both Apex Park and the Town Centre, pending final approvals and agreements from funding partners. This has since been confirmed for Apex Park, and as such, construction is scheduled to begin in January, while the Town Centre's start date is subject to final confirmations from the Commonwealth, expected to be received in early January for a February or March commencement.

Read the Media Release

7 December 2023 - Funding Announcement

28 October 2022 - Pioneer Park Opening

Merredin’s Pioneer Park was officially re-opened today, following a staged $1.8 million redevelopment which has been taking place since May 2022.

The opening was marked with an on-site ceremony held by the Shire of Merredin, with Shire President Mark McKenzie cutting the ribbon and welcoming community members back to the park which will act as the new gateway to Merredin’s CBD.

Shire President Mark McKenzie said he was thrilled to re-open the park, knowing what it means for the Merredin community.

“Pioneer Park is such an iconic part of Merredin, and I am pleased to be able to welcome the community back to the space, so they can see what we have delivered as the first part of our CBD Redevelopment,” he said.

“We are looking forward to the improved park providing a vital boost for tourism to the area and in turn stimulating the local economy.”

The redevelopment works at Pioneer Park were designed to highlight views of Merredin’s pioneer history, including the heritage listed Merredin Water Tank and Merredin Railway and Military Museums, and draw tourists from Great Eastern Highway with new car parking, recreational spaces, and improved landscaping and drainage.

Read the Media Release

10 October 2022 - Pioneer Park Construction Update

The last month has seen a number of major milestones being completed at Pioneer Park, which has included the laying of turf, installation of all plantings and mulch as well as the completion of all compacted gravel surfaces, concrete, asphalt and kerbing. The new lighting has now been tested and commissioned, with light poles being positioned throughout the park, ensuring safety and security at night, and allowing for feature lighting to highlight the water tower and bronze statues.

One of the local touches to be included in the park is the pathways that feature leaf imprints from local Salmon Gum and Coolibah trees. This element was completed with the assistance of the local Wild Flower Society who both selected the appropriate prints and a their collection. Local Wildflower Society member Roy Butler said the innovative feature was a team effort, “The Society enlisted the help of the local Men’s Shed who came to the rescue with a large salmon gum, located beside the sed, which had enough leaves for the project sprouting from a low hanging limb.”

1 July 2022 - Pioneer Park Construction Update

Construction of Stage 1 of the CBD Project Pioneer Park kicked off in May 2022, with the creation of a new carpark. With the kerbing already in place, asphalting this month will see completion of the car park swinging off Great Eastern Highway between the Military and Railway museums.

This aspect of the project is expected to be a great opportunity to show off our outstanding local Railway and Military museums with better and safer access. Rob Endersbee, the enthusiastic owner and curator of the Military Museum, says he is pleased to see the progress on the carpark and upgrade of Pioneer Park. With over 200 visitors a month, the new carpark will make it much safer for visitors to visit the museum and not have to reverse out on to a busy highway.

The Railway Museum also tells an important story of local history and buildings. Its Chairperson Jane Patroni says it’s exciting to see the development moving ahead and that they are awaiting the completion of Pioneer park with interest. Other aspects of Pioneer Park that will be upgraded include new lighting, recreation spaces and landscaping. The current drainage will also be upgraded to a ‘living stream’ allowing gravel and mulch to be installed over the top.

The bronze ‘Horse at Work’ sculpture will also be returned to the park in a new position once construction is completed, which is projected to be October 2022.

The detailed designs for both the Town Square and Apex Park are now in progress after a Tender was awarded in April. These designs will incorporate feedback from the community, and will also include a number of exciting upgrades! 

The construction tenders are expected to be advertised in November 2022 and awarded in January 2023. This will allow for construction of both Apex Park and Town Square to commence in February 2023. 

Shire of Merredin Media contact:
Kohdee Swinwood
Media and Communications Officer
media@merredin.wa.gov.au
(08) 9041 1611

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