- NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT VISION FOR THE NORTHERN AGRICULTURAL REGION OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Community CapacityCommunity capacity is the ability of people, organisations and communities to understand natural resource management issues, participate in decision-making and work together to care for land, water, biodiversity and coastal and marine environments.
It includes the knowledge, skills, leadership, relationships, volunteer effort, organisational capacity and resources available within a community. Strong community capacity supports collaboration between Traditional Owners, landholders, community and volunteer organisations, industry, local government, government agencies, researchers and natural resource management organisations.
The Western Australian Natural Resource Management Framework recognises this explicitly through its priority to enhance skills, capability and engagement, reflecting the important role that informed, connected and active communities play in achieving long-term natural resource management outcomes.
The Northern Agricultural Region (NAR) covers approximately 7.5 million hectares and is home to around 71,500 people. Population is strongly concentrated towards the coast: approximately 89% of NAR residents live within coastal local government areas, while around 11% live within inland local government areas. The City of Greater Geraldton alone is home to approximately 60% of the NAR population.
These figures are based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Estimated Resident Population data for 30 June 2025, aggregated across the 15 local government areas that make up the NAR for NARvis purposes. The ABS Regional Population dataset is the current official source for population estimates at this geographic level.
Population change is not occurring evenly across the NAR, coastal and larger regional centres are generally experiencing stronger population growth, while a number of smaller inland agricultural communities have stable or declining populations. The latest Western Australia Tomorrow 12 population forecasts indicate that this pattern is likely to continue. WA Tomorrow 12 is the Western Australian Government’s current medium-term population forecast, providing population forecasts to 2036. When the WA Tomorrow 12 central forecasts for the 15 NAR local government areas are combined, the population is forecast to increase from approximately 67,760 in the 2021 baseline to 75,445 in 2031 and 78,855 by 2036.
Growth is forecast to be concentrated predominantly within coastal local government areas, particularly Greater Geraldton, Gingin, Dandaragan, Chapman Valley and Irwin. At the same time, several smaller inland local government areas are forecast to experience population decline.
By 2036, approximately 91% of the NAR population is forecast to live within coastal local government areas, compared with around 89% in 2025.
Population forecasts are not predictions. WA Tomorrow 12 represents the best estimate of future population if underlying trends in fertility, mortality and migration continue. Actual population change will also be influenced by economic conditions, housing and infrastructure, employment opportunities, migration, government policy and other factors.
Changes in the size and distribution of the NAR population have implications for natural resource management.
Population growth in coastal areas can increase demand for housing, infrastructure, water, energy and recreational facilities and place additional pressure on coastal environments, waterways and native vegetation. Growing communities therefore require careful planning to maintain environmental values while providing appropriate services and infrastructure.
In smaller inland communities, population decline and changing demographics can create different challenges. Reduced population and workforce availability can affect local capacity to undertake land management, participate in community organisations, maintain volunteer groups and deliver natural resource management activities.
Community capacity therefore depends not only on population size, but also on the knowledge, skills, networks, partnerships and resources available within communities. Supporting collaboration between Traditional Owners, community groups, landholders, industry, local government, government agencies, researchers and natural resource management organisations is important for maintaining the long-term capacity of communities to care for the natural resources of the NAR.
The NAR includes communities of many different sizes, from Geraldton, the region’s largest urban centre, to smaller coastal and inland towns and rural communities. Population distribution, employment opportunities and access to services vary considerably across this large and geographically diverse region.
The population also reflects a range of cultural backgrounds. According to the 2021 Australian Census, approximately 74.5% of NAR residents were born in Australia. The region is also home to people born in many countries around the world, with England, New Zealand, South Africa and the Philippines among the more commonly reported overseas countries of birth.
Approximately 7.8% of people in the NAR identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander in the 2021 Census. The ABS Census remains the appropriate source for these demographic characteristics until results from the 2026 Census become available.
The NAR encompasses the traditional lands and coastal waters of Aboriginal people who have cared for Country for tens of thousands of years. The region includes Country associated with Yamatji peoples in the north and Noongar peoples in the south, encompassing a number of distinct Traditional Owner and language groups.
Traditional Owner connections to Country include land, freshwater and coastal and marine environments and are expressed through culture, language, knowledge, ceremony, heritage and ongoing care for Country. These enduring relationships and knowledge systems are fundamental to natural resource management within the NAR.
The Yamatji Nation Indigenous Land Use Agreement was executed in February 2020 and conclusively registered in October 2020. It is a comprehensive settlement covering approximately 48,000 square kilometres of land and waters in the Mid West and includes native title recognition, land and conservation estate, heritage protection, economic development, water and joint-management initiatives. The Yamatji Southern Regional Corporation (YSRC) is the Regional Entity responsible for implementing the Agreement on behalf of the Yamatji Nation community.
In the southern NAR, the South West Native Title Settlement comprises six Indigenous Land Use Agreements. The Yued ILUA area, which includes Jurien, Moora, Lancelin and Gingin, is particularly relevant to the NAR. The South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council provides central services supporting the six Noongar regional corporations established through the Settlement.
Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation also works with Traditional Owners across the Yamatji and Pilbara regions on native title, heritage and related matters.
For more detailed information about Traditional Ownership, native title, cultural heritage, Right-way Science and Aboriginal participation in natural resource management, visit the Aboriginal Custodianship section of NARvis.
Natural resource management in the NAR is undertaken by a broad network of people and organisations. These include Traditional Owner organisations and ranger groups, Landcare and Coastcare groups, catchment and conservation organisations, grower and farm-improvement groups, local governments, schools, research organisations, conservation NGOs, recreational groups, citizen scientists, landholders, volunteers, government agencies and regional NRM organisations.
Community participation can take many forms, including revegetation and restoration, weed and pest management, coastal and river care, wildlife monitoring, citizen science, sustainable agriculture trials, environmental education, cultural knowledge projects, community planning and advocacy.
The 2021 Review of Regional Natural Resource Management Targets identified at least 19 community-based organisations involved in NRM at that time, as well as NGOs and producer groups working with communities throughout the NAR. It also documented citizen-science initiatives, practical environmental activities and community-led monitoring occurring across the region. Because community organisations form, change and sometimes cease operating over time, this figure should be regarded as a historical baseline rather than a current count.
Community capacity is broader than the number of active organisations. It also depends on whether people and organisations have access to the skills, knowledge, leadership, partnerships, funding, volunteer effort and other resources required to maintain activities over time. The WA NRM Framework similarly describes capacity in terms of skills, connections and motivation and emphasises engagement with volunteers and community groups.
Government and non-government funding can help communities build and maintain this capacity. For example, the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program supports community organisations, industry groups, local governments, schools and Aboriginal organisations to undertake on-ground NRM and capacity-building activities.
Maintaining community capacity is particularly important in a region as geographically large and socially diverse as the NAR. The capacity, priorities and resources of a major regional centre such as Geraldton may differ considerably from those of a small inland agricultural community, a coastal town or a geographically dispersed group of landholders. Effective regional NRM therefore depends on partnerships that can respond to different local circumstances while sharing knowledge and resources across the wider region.
The Northern Agricultural Region (NAR) has a strong economic connection with its natural resources. Agriculture has long been a major industry across the region, while fishing and aquaculture, mining and resources, tourism, construction and a range of service industries also contribute to regional employment and economic activity.
Broadacre agriculture is the dominant land use across much of the NAR. Economic activity varies considerably across the region, with agriculture particularly important in rural and inland communities, while Greater Geraldton provides a major regional centre for health care, education, retail, construction, public administration, transport, professional services and other industries.
Economic conditions influence community capacity in a number of ways. Employment opportunities affect population retention and migration, while the availability of businesses, services, infrastructure and skilled workers can influence the ability of communities and organisations to undertake NRM activities. At the same time, many of the region’s industries depend directly on healthy soils, water resources, biodiversity, coastal and marine environments and functioning ecosystems.
Agriculture is one of the NAR’s most important industries and the dominant land use across much of the region. The NAR covers approximately 7.5 million hectares, with around 70% of the region historically identified as being used for agricultural production.
The region forms an important part of Western Australia’s agricultural production area and is particularly associated with broadacre cropping and livestock production. Major commodities include wheat, barley, canola and other grains and oilseeds, together with sheep, wool and cattle. Horticulture is also important in parts of the region, particularly in areas with suitable soils, water resources and access to markets.
Agricultural production is strongly influenced by climate, soil condition, water availability and other natural resources. Maintaining productive soils, native vegetation, biodiversity and water resources while adapting to a changing climate is therefore important for the long-term resilience and productivity of the region’s agricultural industries.
Current information about agricultural production and outlook is available from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) and the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).
Commercial and recreational fishing are important economic, social and cultural activities along the NAR coast. The region’s coastline and offshore islands form part of Western Australia’s West Coast Bioregion.
The Western Rock Lobster Panulirus cygnus supports Western Australia’s largest and most valuable fishery and is particularly important to coastal communities within the NAR. The fishery operates along much of the west coast, including waters off Geraldton and the Mid West.
Other commercial and recreational fisheries target a range of finfish, octopus and other marine species. The condition and management requirements of individual fish resources vary. The West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource, which includes species such as West Australian dhufish and some snapper and grouper species, is currently being managed under a long-term recovery framework.
Aquaculture also contributes to the region’s marine economy. The Aquaculture Development Zone was established in waters between Geraldton and the Houtman Abrolhos to facilitate sustainable marine aquaculture development by providing a defined area with strategic environmental approvals.
The Houtman Abrolhos and surrounding waters support commercial fishing and aquaculture activities alongside important conservation, tourism, recreational and cultural values.
Mining and resource development make an important contribution to the Western Australian economy and occur in parts of the NAR. Resources extracted or developed within the broader region include mineral sands, iron ore, construction materials and other mineral resources.
The significance and location of mining activity vary considerably across the NAR. Resource projects can provide employment, investment and economic opportunities for regional communities but can also interact with land, water, biodiversity, cultural heritage and other natural resource values.
Western Australia’s resources sector remains extensive and diverse. In 2024–25 the State had 139 principal, predominantly high-value and export-oriented mining projects, including iron ore and mineral sands projects, as well as producers of basic raw materials used by the construction industry. NAR-specific project locations and status should be checked through MINEDEX rather than treating statewide project totals as NAR figures.
Current information about Western Australian mineral and petroleum projects is available through the Western Australian Government’s resource sector information and statistics and MINEDEX.
Tourism is an important contributor to the economy of Western Australia and is particularly significant for many of the NAR’s coastal communities. The region’s natural landscapes, biodiversity, coastline, wildflowers, national parks, islands and cultural and heritage attractions draw visitors from within Western Australia, interstate and overseas.
Significant destinations and attractions within the NAR include Kalbarri National Park and the Murchison River gorges, the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Geraldton and the Batavia Coast, Wildflower Country, the Pinnacles and Nambung National Park, Jurien Bay and the Turquoise Coast, and New Norcia.
Nature-based tourism creates economic opportunities associated with accommodation, hospitality, tours, fishing, boating, diving and other recreational activities. It also increases the importance of managing visitor access and infrastructure in ways that protect the environmental and cultural values on which much of the region’s tourism appeal depends.
Current tourism statistics are available from Tourism Western Australia, including research for Australia’s Coral Coast and LGA/regional profiles. Tourism WA notes that the introduction of the new Domestic Tourism Statistics system in 2025 changed the methodology, meaning domestic and total expenditure data before and after the change should not simply be treated as one continuous series.
Employment patterns vary across the NAR and reflect the different economies of its coastal, urban, agricultural and inland communities. Agriculture remains particularly important across rural areas, while residents are also employed in industries including health care and social assistance, retail, education, construction, mining, public administration, tourism, hospitality, transport and other services.
Based on NARvis aggregation of the 2021 Census, approximately 57.8% of NAR residents aged 15 years and over were participating in the labour force. Around 55.2% were employed, while approximately 31.6% were not in the labour force. The Census unemployment rate among people participating in the labour force was approximately 4.6%.
hese figures provide a consistent Census snapshot across the NAR but should not be interpreted as current 2026 labour-market estimates. The ABS Labour Force Survey, rather than the Census, provides Australia’s official ongoing labour-force statistics.
Note: Where NAR-wide population and demographic statistics are presented on NARvis, they have been calculated by aggregating data for the 15 local government areas used to define the Northern Agricultural Region for NARvis purposes. Current population estimates use ABS Estimated Resident Population data, demographic characteristics use the 2021 Census, and population forecasts use WA Tomorrow 12.
