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Caring for our Country

What is natural resource management?

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South Coast - Natural Resource Management region

Regional summary

The South Coast covers more than 5.4 million ha on land and stretches three nautical miles from the coast. This area includes all southerly-flowing rivers from Walpole in the west to beyond Cape Arid in the east. Some internally drained areas north east of Albany and north of Esperance are included in this area. The region is home for just over 57 000 people, with about 20 per cent of its workforce directly employed in agriculture, forestry or fisheries. The coastal towns' populations are thriving while inland towns are declining in numbers.

The coastline is one of the region's most important natural features. The coastal settlements are experiencing rapid change with the increase in local and international tourist number. The coastal and marine environments contain much of the region's ecologically intact ecosystems, with more than 70 per cent of the coastal land corridor under some form of conservation management. The inlets on the shoreline are highly valued for both residential settlement and recreational use.

Several industries contribute to the economy, such as fishing, mining and agriculture and related services. The fishing industry is extensive with the catch including a wide variety of species. Mining is a small but important part of the economy. With more than 70 per cent of the region made up of agriculture landscapes, the economy relies strongly on agricultural production and other related service industries.

Biodiversity summary

Biodiversity summaries and species lists for the South Coast region have been produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts using the Australian Heritage Assessment Tool.

For information visit: Biodiversity summaries and species lists for natural resource management regions 

Contact

South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc. manages this region.

For more information visit: www.southcoastnrm.com.au