Making regional Western Australia a better place to live, work and invest is the driving philosophy behind the Hon Brendon Grylls, Minister for Regional Development; Lands.

In November 2001, Mr Grylls was elected to State Parliament when he won a by-election for the seat of Merredin. In 2005 the young man from Corrigin was elected leader of the Nationals WA and in three short years led the party to a power broking deal with the Liberals following the 2008 election.

Born on the 5 June 1973, Brendon was educated first at Corrigin Primary School and then to boarding school at Wesley College. After completing a year of law at the University of Western Australia, Brendon moved back to the farm in Corrigin to work in the family business. At aged 20 he started his own business using wheat from the family farm to establish Windmill Flour. The business went on to receive an Innovation in Agriculture Award for Excellence and was selected to showcase its products at various expos in Sydney, Melbourne and London.

Brendon met his wife Susan at university. They married in 2000 and have a young son, Thomas.

In 2001 Brendon entered the world of politics at the age of 28 and the rest as they say is history.

Leading up to the September 2008 election, Brendon and The Nationals WA rolled out the Royalties for Regions plan which captured the imagination of regional WA and now underpins the Nationals-Liberal Party alliance in Government.

Through this historic agreement, the equivalent of 25 per cent of the State's mining and petroleum royalty revenue (up to a maximum of $1billion) will be reinvested in regional Western Australia's infrastructure, services and community projects.

The Royalties for Regions initiative has already delivered more than $300 million back to regional Western Australia and Brendon's goal now is to ensure that the program is enshrined in legislation to strengthen its application and ensure it remains a fundamental objective of both the current and future governments.