Regions of Western Australia

The ''Regional Development Commissions Act'' regions {{anchor |regional}}

The Western Australian system of regional regions defined by the Government of Western Australia for purposes of economic development administration, which excludes the Perth metropolitan region, is a series of nine regional regions.

These nine regions were established by the Regional Development Commissions Act 1993, which defined their extents and established Regional Development Commissions to promote their economic development. In defining the regions, an attempt was made to capture distinct socio-economic communities. For example, the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia has an economy based heavily on mining, whereas the Wheatbelt region is economically dependent on agriculture.

Inter-regional travel restrictions during COVID-19 pandemic

During the Western Australian government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel between regionsother than between Perth and Peelwas restricted, with police checkpoints set up at the borders. Only essential travel was allowed. At some checkpoints, police were assisted by army and State Emergency Service personnel; the army did not have any authority to prosecute or arrest. Remote communities and some "biosecurity areas" had further travel restrictions due to the lack of medical facilities and number of high risk community members. Some inter-regional restrictions were lifted on 18 May,

On 31 January 2021, after a quarantine hotel security guard in Perth tested positive, a five-day lockdown, from 6pm on 31January until 6pm on 5February was declared. Schools scheduled to resume on 1 February were to remain closed for another week. The areas affected were: "the whole Perth metropolitan area, the Peel region and the South West region [...]."

Bureau of Meteorology regions

The same region names as those used by the Regional Development Commissions Act (RDCA) are incorporated into the system used by Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), which uses 14 regions, so the boundaries of the two systems do not coincide. In some of the regions, the BOM designates the forecast area regions with a finer level of detail using points of the compass. Regions numbered 8 to 14 are usually known as forecast areas in the South West Land Division; coastal zones for sea forecasts are dealt with in the coastal regions of Western Australia.

South West Western Australia Fire Weather Forecast Areas

The South West Land Division has 23 fire districts.

Political regions

Under Australia's three-tiered system of government, Western Australia has four political regional schemes:

State government departmental regions

Many government departments maintain systems of regional and district breakdowns of the state for their own internal purposes.

Department of Education

The Department of Education defines the following:

• Goldfields
• Kimberley
• Midwest
• North Metro
• Pilbara
• South Metro
• Southwest
• Wheatbelt

Department of Agriculture and Food

The Department of Agriculture and Food defines the following:

• Northern Agricultural Region
• Rangelands Region
• Southern Agricultural Region
• Central Agricultural Region
• South West Agricultural

Main Roads Western Australia

Main Roads Western Australia defines the following:

• Kimberley
• Pilbara
• Mid West–Gascoyne
• Goldfields–Esperance
• Wheatbelt
• Metropolitan
• Great Southern
• South West

Department of Water

The Department of Water defines the following:

• North West
• Mid West Gascoyne
• Swan Avon
• Kwinana Peel
• South West
• South Coast

Department of Fisheries

The Department of Fisheries tends to separate the state into four main regions for the purpose of regulating recreational fishing:

• North Coast – Pilbara–Kimberley
• Gascoyne Coast
• West Coast
• South Coast.

Department of Mines and Petroleum

The Department of Mines and Petroleum produces statistical data based on the Regional Development Commissions Act regionalisation schema.

Since the creation of the Department of Industry and Resources some rationalisation of mines administration has occurred, however the mineral fields and boundaries remain the same as when established.

Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage

For the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage / Western Australian Planning Commission there are three regions with regional planning schemes, covering only a small part of the state:

• Metropolitan Region Scheme (Perth)
• Peel Region Scheme
• Greater Bunbury Region Scheme

Department of Fire and Emergency Services

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services defines the following:

• Kimberley
• Pilbara
• Mid West–Gascoyne
• Goldfields
• Great Southern
• Kwinana–Peel
• South West
• Lower South West
• Metropolitan

Department of Health

The Department of Health defines the following:

• Kimberley
• Pilbara
• Midwest
• Goldfields
• Wheatbelt
• South West
• Great Southern
• North Metropolitan
• South Metropolitan
• East Metropolitan

Natural and land management

See also :Category:Biogeography of Western Australia

There are a number of regionalisations that attempt to provide a regionalisation based on natural features. The best known of these are the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) regions, and the World Wildlife Fund's Ecoregions in Australia, and the "natural regions" of John Stanley Beard, all of which are based on biogeography. Other natural regionalisations included the drainage basins and catchments of river systems, and highly specialised regionalisations dealing with such matters as geology and soil systems.

Administrative regionalisations include Landcare Districts and the Department of Agriculture's "Land-use Zones". However the Department of Agriculture publications – Technical Bulletins – usually titled An inventory and condition report/survey... of a particular region are very specifically focused upon land systems that are based on natural features.

Land tenure

Western Australia is divided into approximately 90 land districts for cadastral purposes. There are five land divisions in Western Australia, as specified in Schedule 1 of the Land Administration Act 1997.

• Eastern Land Division
• Eucla Land Division
• Kimberley Land Division
• North-West Land Division
• South-West Land Division

Wine regions

Main article: West Australian wine

Western Australia covers the western third of the continent, although the winemaking regions are almost entirely situated in the south-western tip of the state. It has nine regions, and five nominated subregions for wine under the geographical indications legislation as determined by the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation. Wine regions include:

• Greater Perth
  • Perth Hills
  • Peel
  • Swan District
• South Western Australia
  • Blackwood Valley
  • Geographe
  • Great Southern
    • Albany
    • Denmark
    • Frankland River
    • Mount Barker
    • Porongurup
  • Manjimup
  • Margaret River
  • Pemberton

Coastal regions

Main article: Coastal regions of Western Australia

Western Australia has the longest coastline of any state in Australia, at 10,194 km. The regions can be determined by the underlying geology, and in the case of the Bureau of Meteorology – features such as points and capes are useful indicators of coastal water forecasts.

Landgate publishes touring maps that include coastal zones including:

• Batavia Coast (incorporating the area of Dongara, Geraldton, and Kalbarri)
• Coral Coast (at the northern end of the Gascoyne Coast)
• Gascoyne Coast (Carnarvon, Coral Bay, Denham, Exmouth and the Coral Coast)
• Turquoise Coast north of sunset Coast and south of Batavia coast
• Sunset Coast (Perth Metropolitan beachside suburbs from Cottesloe to Yanchep)

Census and Australian Bureau of Statistics

For the purposes of statistical geography, the Australian Bureau of Statistics uses the Australian Standard Geographical Classification, a hierarchical regionalisation that divides Western Australia into statistical divisions, then statistical subdivisions, statistical local areas, and finally, census collection districts.

Statistical divisions include:

• SD 505 – Perth
• SD 510 – South West
• SD 515 – Lower Great Southern
• SD 520 – Upper Great Southern
• SD 525 – Midlands
• SD 530 – South Eastern
• SD 535 – Central
• SD 540 – Pilbara
• SD 545 – Kimberley

The ABS produces regional profiles for the nine ABS statistical divisions, and the ten Development Commission regions.

Cross-regional terminology

In some cases, regions have been grouped into larger areas, to describe a larger area in a single term:

• Arid Western Australia tends to be synonymous with the Eremaean province biological region relating to plants and dry conditions
• Remote Western Australiaalso synonymous with Outback Western Australiais determined by the distance and separation from the more heavily populated south west region surrounding Perth and its adjacent hinterland, and the subsequent scattered and low density populated areas towards the central east of Western Australia.
• North West Australia similarly crosses the usual regional definitions to designate an area.
• Southwest Australia may also ignore usual regional definitions.
• Nullarbora term with multiple meanings covers between south east Western Australia, and far west South Australia.

References

Maps

• Streetsmart Travellers Atlas of Western Australia (2006) Department of Land Information and West Australian Newspapers,9th ed.
• Quality Publishing Australia.(2007) Roads & tracks Western Australia: campsites directory, roads and tracks, all in one Jolimont, W.A., Quality Publishing Australia, 5th ed
• UBD Western Australia country road atlas (2005) Macquarie Park, N.S.W.UBD, a division of Universal Publishers, 11th ed

References

1. "Regional Development Commissions Act 1993". State Law Publisher, Government of Western Australia.
2. "Gascoyne". Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
3. "Our Region". Goldfields–Esperance Development Commission.
4. "Great Southern". Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
5. "Kimberley". Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
6. "Mid West Region. Economy, Jobs and Business Insights". REMPLAN.
7. "Peel". Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
8. "Pilbara". Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
9. "South West". Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
10. "Wheatbelt". Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
11. (24 March 2020). "New COVID-19 restrictions on travel within WA as big queues form on WA/SA border ahead of closure – ABC News". ABC News.
12. (1 April 2020). "WA drivers confronted by army checkpoints". 7News.
13. (28 March 2020). "Coronavirus in Australia: Army called in to help enforce strict new quarantine rules". 7News.
14. "Remote Aboriginal Communities (COVID-19)". Department of Communities.
15. (15 May 2020). "COVID-19 coronavirus: Regional travel restrictions". Government of Western Australia.
16. (14 May 2020). "COVID-19 coronavirus: WA Roadmap". Government of Western Australia.
17. (5 June 2020). "COVID-19 coronavirus: Regional travel restrictions". Government of Western Australia.
18. (31 January 2021). "COVID lockdown announced for Perth and South West after quarantine hotel worker tests positive". ABC News.
19. "Western Australian Forecast Areas Map".
20. http://www.bom.gov.au/wa/forecasts/sw-wa-fire-forecasts.shtml South West Western Australia Fire Weather Forecast Areas
21. "Education Department of Western Australia – Schools Online".
22. (February 2022)
23. "Our Role in the Regions – Main Roads Western Australia".
24. "Department of Water :: Water regions".
25. (22 March 2024). "Recreational fishing rules".
26. (1981) ''Map of Western Australia showing Administrative Divisions and Principal mines and operators''
27. Department of Planning. (22 January 2013). "Region and local planning schemes". Government of Western Australia.
28. "Archived copy".
29. "WA Country Health Service – Overview".
30. "About us".
31. (February 2022)
32. T. Stevenson ''"The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia"'' pg 589 Dorling Kindersley 2005 {{ISBN. 0-7566-1324-8
33. link. (22 July 2008)
34. link. (26 March 2015)
35. "Western Australia's Wine Regions". Western Australia.
36. Short, Andrew D (2005)''Beaches of the Western Australian Coast: Eucla to Roeback Bay'' {{ISBN. 0-9586504-3-8. page 1
37. [http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/wa/wa-forecast-map.shtml Western Australian Forecast Areas Map] {{webarchive. link. (2 March 2008)
38. "'StreetSmart Touring Map – Batavia Coast Western Australia {{ISBN. 0-7309-2935-3
39. (28 September 2001). "1216.0 – Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC), 2001". Australian Bureasu of Statistics.