The Wheatbelt Region
If you are looking for broad open landscapes with areas of natural beauty, then the Wheatbelt of Western Australia might be your cup of tea. Spanning 154 862 km2, and split into five sub-regions of Avon, Central Coast, Central East, Central Midlands and Wheatbelt South, you can experience a wide variety of landscapes from each of these.
From the coast at Jurien Bay in the west across to the Shires of Dalwallinu, Mt Marshall and to the Shire of Yilgarn and the pastural country on the eastern boundary, the region stretches south down to the Shire of Lake Grace then west to the Shire of West Arthur, then north around the Perth and Peel regions and across back to the coast within the Shire of Gingin.
The Wheatbelt is home to approximately 78,517 people, stretching across 42 local governments, with five main regional centers of Northam, Merredin, Narrogin, Moora and Jurien Bay.
The Wheatbelt falls into a mediterranean climate zone which has hot dry summers and cool wet winters. The region receives around 600 mm of rain in the west, dropping to about 300 mm in the east.
The area is home to two biodiversity hotspots in the region, one being the Central and Eastern Avon Wheatbelt, which is a reflection that over 85% of native vegetation has been cleared in that area of the region. Some areas of the Wheatbelt have been cleared by more than 90%, making all areas of remnant vegetation extremely valuable.
The second Biodiversity hotspot is found in the Central Coast sub-region being the Mt Lesueur Eneabba area.
A biodiversity hotspot is an area characterized by an extraordinarily large number of endemic plant species found in relatively small areas that are facing serious threat from human activities. There are 36 identified hotspots in the world, 15 in Australia, and eight in Western Australia. The Southwest of Australia is a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot, along with the Forests of East Australia.
The Central Coast sub-region has a rich array of connected coastal native vegetation, with the majority being incorporated into different National Parks or Nature Reserves.
Starting from the northern boundary of the Shire of Dandaragan and heading south, the Lesueur National Park covers 26 987 hectares with vegetation predominantly being shrublands, with patches of woodlands. The park has over 900 species of flora and more than 100 species of birds have been identified in the park and several spectacular walk trails loops.
The next spectacular area of vegetation just to the north of Jurien Bay is Drovers National Park. This park has three caves that can be found within the 2 681-hectare area, each with varying features, but only one being open to visitors. It also boasts a wide variety of flora and fauna; however, you will need a 4WD to access the tracks.
Continuing south, the next amazing feature for the Turquoise Coast is the Southern Beekeepers Nature Reserve. This reserve covers approximately 15 000 hectares and continues to showcase the regions diverse flora and fauna.
Nambung National Park is located within the Shire of Dandaragan and covers an area of 17487 ha. Everyone flocks to this park to see the pinnacles, the natural limestone pillars which are all that remains of the old seabed. It is estimated that they formed between 25 000 to 30 000 years ago. In addition, the park boasts spectacular wildflowers during the spring months.
Watheroo National Park is located within the Shire of Moora and covers 44 324 ha of sandplain country with scattered rocky outcrops. If you like caves, then this one has the Jingemia Cave located within it.
If you are into Eucalyptus woodlands, then the Dryandra Woodland National Park will be right up your alley. Being the first National Park in the western Wheatbelt region, it is located near Narrogin, and consists of 28 000 ha native vegetation. There are many walk trails and camping options available and many different fauna species that may come to visit such as numbats, woylies and a resident chuditch.
Take a walk on the wild site at the Frank Hann National Park checking out the remote Great western woodlands. This 60 000 ha National Park is located within the Shire of Lake Grace and is a wildflower enthusiasts dream!
Located between Lake Grace and Lake King is the Lake Magenta Nature Reserve. This isolated reserve is approximately 107 812 ha in size and is an important area for the endangered Mallee fowl and a multitude of other wildlife and wildflowers. It features an ephemeral Salt Lake surrounded by natural vegetation and is a birdwatcher and hiker’s dream!
If you like a large amount of bushland, then the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve is for you. It is one of the largest nature reserves in the southwest of WA, boasting an area of 309,678 hectares and is nestled in amongst pastural country. Located about 140km north of Merredin within the Shire of Mt Marshall, it is home to threatened woodlands and animals, including the mallee fowls, regent parrot and western yellow robins.
Community Groups and environmental groups you can join:
Within the Wheatbelt region, there are a wide range of community groups. These can be grouped into Landcare, Environmental, Friends Groups and Farmer or Grower Groups.
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Avon Valley Environmental Society |
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Avongro |
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Beverley River Care Group Inc |
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Corrigin Bush Friends |
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Corrigin Farm improvement Group |
ttps://www.gga.org.au/group/corrigin-farm-improvement-group/ |
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Drummond House Toodyay Environment and History Center |
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Dumbleyung Landcare Inc |
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Gabby Quoi Quoi Catchment Group |
https://www.visitgoomalling.com.au/see/konnongorring/gabby-quoi-quoi/ |
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Julimar Conservation and Forest Alliance |
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Lake McDermott Catchment Group |
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Mt Marshall Land Conservation District Committee |
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Moore Catchment Council |
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Northam Clean up Community Group |
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Northam Environmental Hub |
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Northam Swan Guardians |
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Quairading LCDC |
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Skeleton weed action group |
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Toodyay Friends of the River Inc |
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Toodyay Landcare and Grazing - |
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Toodyay Naturalist Club |
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Wagin Landcare Management Committee |
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Wheatbelt Environmental Network |
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Wildflower group and Herbarium – Kulin |
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Wildflower Society – Merredin branch |
https://www.merredin.wa.gov.au/listings/community-groups/195/wildflower-society |
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Williams Environmental Group Inc |
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Wongan Hills Bushcare group |
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York River Conservation Society |
Farmer and biosecurity groups
The Wheatbelt NRM is the main NRM group for the region. It follows the boundaries of the Avon Valley Basin, which covers over 12 million hectares. This catchment stretches from the Darling Scarp in the west through to beyond Southern Cross in the east, then from Lake Grace in the south to Dalwallinu in the north.
The Wheatbelt NRM focusses on the protection of Eucalypt Woodlands, Black Cockatoos, Aboriginal NRM such as managing an Aboriginal Rangers team, and hosting and Elders Advisory Group, hosting a Mooditj Boodja website and other resources, Sustainable agriculture, with projects covering feral animal control, soil health and sequestration of carbon.
Part of the Central East subregion of the Wheatbelt is covered by the Rangelands NRM, which is the largest NRM region in the state stretching across 227 million hectares or 85% of Western Australia. It was established in 1997 to address the need for greater ecological preservation and sustainability across the region. As with all regional NRM groups, this is achieved through the creation of relationships and partnerships across all members of the community, including governments (25 Local Governments), schools, universities and industry.
Within this vast landscape there are many environmental diamonds, of which three are UNESCO World Heritage listed, and one is nominated to become listed.
First Nations Land Management Activity Links
The Traditional Owners of the lands in the Wheatbelt region include the family and clan groups of the Ballardong, Goreng, Gubrun, Kalamaia, Njaki-Njaki, Whadjuk, Wiilman, Wudjari, Yued and Yamatji People of the Noongar Nation.
Native Title has been determined over most of the region, with many groups operating through Aboriginal Corporations and managing Country via ranger programs;
- Ballardong Aboriginal Corporation- The Ballardong territory is approximately 63 000 km2 and refers to a dialectal group north-east of Perth. The Ballardong people are recognised as one of the six individual Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUA) covered in the South West Native Title Settlement. The South West Native Title Settlement recognizes the Noongar people as the traditional owners of the South West region, acknowledging their continuing cultural, spiritual, and social connections to the land.
- Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation – Based predominantly within the Perth region and stretching out to Wundowie, Chidlow, Bullsbrook and Toodyay. The Whadjuk group is recognized as one of the six individual Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUA) covered in the South West Native Title Settlement. The South West Native Title Settlement recognizes the Noongar people as the traditional owners of the South West region, acknowledging their continuing cultural, spiritual, and social connections to the land.
- Wilman (Dryandra) Aboriginal Corporation- This group was created in order to lead cultural heritage management relating to the Dryandra Woodlands National park, with elders being members of the board of management for the park.
- Noongar Land Enterprise Group - The Noongar Land Enterprise (NLE) Group is a community - not for profit growers’ group that is found in the South West that represents six landholding groups. The aim of the group is to help the community to move from passive to active land management through business development on country.
- Yued Aboriginal Corporation -Based in a region just north of Perth. The part of the Yued community that is located within the Wheatbelt is located within the Shires of Dandaragan, Moora, Toodyay, Gingin, Victoria Plains, Dalwallinu. The community is active in land management in the region.
- Yamatji Southern Regional Corporation - Based in Geraldton, the corporation was formed to act as a regional entity to implement a best practice governance structure to manage the benefits and activities of the ILUA.
First nations Ranger groups:
- Noongar Boodja Ranger Team — Wheatbelt NRM - The rangers engage in a variety of projects that require training and skills that benefit both the country and the participants. Some of these skills include native seed collection, weed control, plant identification, and safely operating equipment.
- Wilman Dryandra Ranger team- Looking after country within the Dryandra National Park.
- Yued Rangers- The Yued community works closely with the Moore Catchment Council to implement on-ground projects.
Land use/ Agricultural Activity
The Wheatbelt region supports over 30706 jobs and has an economic output of $18.023 billion. The main industries that contribute to this include broadacre agriculture, forestry and fishing. pastural leases, mining (iron ore, gold, copper, nickel, silver and natural gas), tourism and fishing such as the rock lobster industry. The mining industry is the largest employer in the region.
Over 50% of the Wheatbelt is classified as being agricultural production. Three quarters of this is broad acre cropping which produces cereal, oilseed, pulses and hay, and livestock such as cattle and sheep for meat production and wool.
Economic Profile - Wheatbelt Development Commission
