- NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR THE NORTHERN AGRICULTURAL REGION OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
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The economy of the Shire of Moora is centred on agriculture and the businesses and services that support the surrounding farming district. Agricultural production includes broadacre cereal and oilseed crops, livestock and horticulture. Moora also functions as an important regional service centre, supporting retail, health, education, transport and other services.
Tourism contributes to the local economy, particularly during the wildflower season, and it is also conveniently located for visitors travelling through the region to attractions including New Norcia and the Pinnacles.
The Shire of Moora spans the transition between the Perth Basin in the west and the ancient Yilgarn Craton further east. This geological transition is reflected in the Shire’s varied landforms, soils and vegetation.
Western parts of the Shire include landscapes associated with the Dandaragan Plateau and are underlain by sedimentary rocks of the Perth Basin. These areas are characterised by gently undulating sandplains, lateritic surfaces, low rises and valleys. Further east, the landscape is associated with the ancient crystalline rocks of the Yilgarn Craton, including granitic and metamorphic rocks.
The Moore River and its tributaries form an important drainage system through the Shire, with alluvial deposits occurring along river valleys and drainage lines. Soils vary considerably and include deep sands, sandy and loamy earths, duplex soils and gravelly soils, together with heavier clay and alluvial soils in valleys and low-lying areas.
The Shire includes parts of the Dandaragan Plateau (SWA01) subregion of the Swan Coastal Plain bioregion and the Merredin (AVW01) subregion of the Avon Wheatbelt bioregion. This transition supports a diverse range of native vegetation, including species-rich heathlands and shrublands on sandy soils, together with Acacia shrublands and eucalypt woodlands further inland.
Remnant eucalypt woodlands within the eastern part of the Shire may form part of the nationally listed Eucalypt Woodlands of the Western Australian Wheatbelt ecological community. This community is listed as Critically Endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Characteristic canopy species include York gum (Eucalyptus loxophleba), salmon gum (Eucalyptus salmonophloia), wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo) and other Wheatbelt eucalypts. Individual woodland patches must meet the community’s diagnostic and condition requirements to form part of the nationally protected ecological community.
The Shire also contains wetlands, riverine vegetation and remnant woodland and shrubland habitats that contribute to regional biodiversity and ecological connectivity. These remnants are particularly important within agricultural landscapes where extensive historical clearing has fragmented native vegetation.
Agriculture is the dominant land use across much of the Shire of Moora, with broadacre cropping and livestock production occurring throughout the cleared agricultural landscape. Other land uses include conservation, horticulture, rural residential development, mining and infrastructure associated with Moora’s role as a regional service centre.
Significant areas of remnant native vegetation are protected within Watheroo National Park and numerous nature reserves across the Shire. These conservation areas protect examples of the Shire’s diverse sandplain, woodland, shrubland, wetland and riparian environments and provide important habitat for native flora and fauna.
At the 2021 Census, the Shire of Moora had a population of 2,286 people. Moora is the Shire’s principal population and service centre, with smaller communities including Miling, Watheroo, Coomberdale, Bindi Bindi and Koojan. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people represented approximately 12.8% of the Shire’s population at the 2021 Census.
Current population estimates are released annually by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, while WA Tomorrow 12 provides the latest Western Australian Government population forecasts to 2036.
The Moore River is the principal river system within the Shire. The river rises near Perenjori and flows for approximately 288 km through the northern Wheatbelt before reaching the Indian Ocean at Guilderton. Its catchment covers approximately 13,450 km² and includes extensive agricultural areas. River flow is strongly seasonal and influenced by winter rainfall, while salinity and water quality vary considerably throughout the catchment. Groundwater is also an important water resource within the Shire where parts of Moora lie within groundwater management areas of the Northern Perth Basin, including the Jurien and Gingin groundwater areas. The Jurien Groundwater Area covers about 5,000 km² and includes the Watheroo subarea, and it also occurs within superficial and surficial aquifers, fractured rock and deeper sedimentary aquifers including the Leederville–Parmelia, Yarragadee, Cattamarra, Eneabba, Lesueur and Otorowiri systems. Groundwater resources are managed through allocation limits and licensing to balance water use with environmental requirements. The Gingin Groundwater Area extends northwards into the Moora area and contains a range of shallow and deeper aquifers within the northern Perth Basin. Groundwater from these systems supports agriculture, horticulture, industry, public water supply and other uses, while also sustaining groundwater-dependent ecosystems.
