Published on Friday, 7 August 2026 at 3:59:02 PM
The Shire of Boyup Brook holds regular 'Our Community Matters' sessions, providing an informal opportunity for community members to connect with Councillors and the CEO, ask questions and discuss matters that are important to them.
At the 'Our Community Matters' session held on 5 August 2026, a number of questions were raised about Rylington Park and its future management.
The Shire is committed to ensuring the community has access to clear and accurate information.
As committed at the session, the questions raised and responses provided have been published below so they are available to the wider community.
Who is currently managing Rylington Park?
The Shire is currently managing Rylington Park, with one part-time Shire employee and one casual farm coordinator supporting operations.
Is the information reported in the Manjimup Bridgetown Times correct, including reports about spending on the house and declining sheep numbers?
The Shire is reviewing the information relating to sheep numbers and has arranged for the auditors to undertake a head count. Based on the information currently available, it may be a clerical issue, however the Shire is working to verify the figures.
Would it be useful for the Shire or Rylington Park Committee to publish information clarifying what is correct?
The Shire has been publishing information about Rylington Park and will continue to make factual information available to the community.
There has previously been speculation that approximately $800,000 from Rylington Park had been spent by the Shire. This is incorrect. The relevant funds remain in Council reserves.
Is the financial information about Rylington Park publicly available?
Yes. Relevant information is available through Council minutes and agendas.
When the Shire assumed management of Rylington Park, $662,211.26 was held across the relevant reserves. This included $250,000 in the Working Capital Reserve and $412,211.26 in the Rylington Park Community Projects Reserve.
The Rylington Park Community Projects Reserve has continued to accrue interest and had a balance of $489,890.04 as at 31 July 2026.
Is accommodation part of the CEO’s employment arrangements, and why did the CEO relocate to Rylington Park?
Accommodation forms part of the CEO’s approved employment arrangements.
The CEO’s relocation to the Rylington Park homestead has enabled the Shire-owned residence in town to be made available for an essential health worker. The Shire is working with the Government Regional Officer Housing Program (GROH) and WA Country Health Service (WACHS) regarding a lease for the property.
The Rylington Park homestead remains a Shire-owned asset.
Is documentation available about how Rylington Park was gifted to the Shire and its history?
Yes. Information about Rylington Park, including relevant historical documentation, is available on the Shire’s website.
The meeting also discussed the Rylington Park Charter and the Memorandum of Understanding with Edith Cowan University considered at the Ordinary Council Meeting on 30 July 2026.
Eric Farleigh’s Will states:
“WITHOUT creating any specific trust it is my wish that my farming property be retained by the Shire of Boyup Brook for the benefit of persons within the Shire and for research purposes and that my farming records and other records are kept with my farming property.”
Council continues to consider the Charter when making decisions about Rylington Park, including during the Management Model Facilitation workshops.
It was also confirmed that 50 hectares is proposed to remain available for community cropping under the new model.
Who is responsible for maintaining relationships with organisations such as ECU, UWA and AWI?
The CEO is the primary Shire contact for these organisations.
The Shire recognises the importance of maintaining and developing these relationships to support ongoing education, research and training opportunities and to ensure outcomes from activities such as research trials are shared with the community.
What is happening with Rylington Park’s educational activities, including the shearing school?
The meeting discussed the importance of Rylington Park’s educational role, including its history of providing shearing schools and programs for school students.
The Shire advised that it was not responsible for discontinuing the shearing school. Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) made the decision to withdraw from delivering the program.
The Shire is also working with the local school to explore opportunities to strengthen educational activities at Rylington Park.
Is the Shire speaking with the appropriate people at AWI about the shearing school?
Yes. The Shire has been engaging with AWI at a regional level regarding the program.
Has a partial lease been considered that would allow part of the property, machinery or livestock to be retained?
The meeting discussed whether retaining part of the property and some livestock could support activities such as shearing training.
The details of any lease arrangement would need to be determined through the formal process and agreement between the relevant parties, including considerations such as biosecurity and use of the shearing shed.
Are there other organisations that could deliver shearing schools if AWI is no longer involved?
Community members discussed the history of shearing training, including programs previously delivered through the Department of Agriculture.
At this stage, no alternative provider has been identified.
Did AWI withdraw because of the availability of the shearing shed?
The Shire advised that AWI made the decision to withdraw from delivering the shearing school.
What was the catalyst for changing Rylington Park’s operating model?
The financial performance of the farm, together with changes to activities such as the AWI shearing school, prompted Council to review the operating model.
The Rylington Park Committee undertook workshops and considered potential management models before making a recommendation to Council.
The Shire also wanted to engage with the Farleigh family about the proposed direction before progressing broader public communication.
Will there still be training at Rylington Park under the proposed model?
The intention is for Rylington Park to continue supporting education, training and research.
The meeting also discussed the proposed sale of livestock. If livestock is sold, the proceeds will be placed into reserve. This preserves those funds for future decisions relating to Rylington Park.
Could those reserve funds support a different operating model in the future?
Yes. The proposed lease has been drafted as a three-year term with an option to renew for a further three years.
Funds held in reserve could therefore be available for future Council decisions regarding Rylington Park and its operating model.
How much money has Rylington Park been losing?
Rylington Park recorded the following operating losses before depreciation and any loss on Fair Value Adjustments:
2022–23: $45,379
2023–24: $149,247
2024–25: $79,900
These financial results were among the factors considered by Council when reviewing the future operating model.
How do Rylington Park’s operating costs compare with a privately operated farm?
The meeting discussed that operating Rylington Park through a local government is different from operating a private farming enterprise.
The Shire incurs employment, governance, compliance and audit requirements associated with operating the farm under the Local Government Act 1995.
For example, some operational decisions that a private farmer could make immediately may require a Council resolution. This can present practical challenges in an agricultural environment where market conditions and livestock prices can change quickly.
Why wasn’t Rylington Park left under community management?
The transfer to direct Shire management occurred under the previous Council administration in 2020.
The current review is focused on identifying a sustainable operating model for Rylington Park into the future.
If local government compliance requirements are unlikely to reduce, what is the alternative?
The proposed model is Council’s response to these challenges.
The Rylington Park Committee considered the available options through a workshop process and made a recommendation to Council, which subsequently made the decision to progress the proposed model.
Could Rylington Park return to a community management model in the future?
The meeting discussed what a future community management model could look like, including the importance of succession planning and attracting younger community members to participate.
Any future proposal would need to demonstrate that it could provide appropriate governance, operational capability and long-term sustainability.
Is the proposed lease limited to sheep and cropping, or could the property be used for cattle?
Rylington Park is currently set up primarily for sheep, so a cattle operation would require different infrastructure and arrangements.
However, potential proposals will be considered through the formal process and the future agricultural use is not necessarily limited to sheep and cropping.
How could a future community management committee be sustained?
Community members discussed the importance of ongoing community participation and succession planning, particularly encouraging people in their 20s, 30s and 40s to become involved.
The meeting also acknowledged that farming practices have changed significantly over recent decades and that any future model needs to respond to contemporary agricultural practices while remaining financially sustainable.
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