Regions of Western Australia#Census and Australian Bureau of Statistics

{{See also|Lands administrative divisions of Western Australia#Land divisions|label 1=Lands administrative divisions of Western Australia}}

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.{{cite web|url= https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/main_mrtitle_815_homepage.html |title=Regional Development Commissions Act 1993|publisher=State Law Publisher, Government of Western Australia|access-date=6 November 2013}} 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.

File:Chittering_checkpoint_May_2020.jpg checkpoint from the south, May 2020]]

During the Western Australian government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel between regions{{snd}}other than between Perth and Peel{{snd}}was restricted, with police checkpoints set up at the borders. Only essential travel was allowed.{{cite news |title=New COVID-19 restrictions on travel within WA as big queues form on WA/SA border ahead of closure – ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-24/perth-stadium-becomes-coronavirus-hq-wa-travel-warnings-issued/12085616 |access-date=8 May 2020 |publisher=ABC News|location=Australia |date=24 March 2020 |language=en-AU}} At some checkpoints, police were assisted by army and State Emergency Service personnel;{{cite news|url=https://www.facebook.com/7NEWSPerth/videos/wa-drivers-confronted-by-army-checkpoints/898884317227677/|title=WA drivers confronted by army checkpoints|publisher=7News|date=1 April 2020|access-date=16 May 2020}} the army did not have any authority to prosecute or arrest.{{cite news|url=https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/coronavirus-in-australia-army-called-in-to-help-enforce-strict-new-quarantine-rules--c-766521|title=Coronavirus in Australia: Army called in to help enforce strict new quarantine rules|publisher=7News|date=28 March 2020|access-date=16 May 2020}} Remote communities and some "biosecurity areas"{{cite web|url=https://www.communities.wa.gov.au/coronavirus-covid-19/remote-aboriginal-communities-covid-19/|title=Remote Aboriginal Communities (COVID-19)|publisher=Department of Communities|access-date=17 May 2020}} had further travel restrictions{{Cite web|url=https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-the-premier-and-cabinet/covid-19-coronavirus-regional-travel-restrictions|title=COVID-19 coronavirus: Regional travel restrictions |publisher=Government of Western Australia|date=15 May 2020|access-date=16 May 2020}} due to the lack of medical facilities and number of high risk community members. Some inter-regional restrictions were lifted on 18 May,{{cite web|url=https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-the-premier-and-cabinet/covid-19-coronavirus-wa-roadmap|title=COVID-19 coronavirus: WA Roadmap|publisher=Government of Western Australia|date=14 May 2020|access-date=16 May 2020}} and on 5 June all regional restrictions were removed except for remote Aboriginal communities.{{cite web|url=https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-the-premier-and-cabinet/covid-19-coronavirus-regional-travel-restrictions|title=COVID-19 coronavirus: Regional travel restrictions|date=5 June 2020|access-date=6 June 2020|publisher=Government of Western Australia}}

On 31 January 2021, after a quarantine hotel security guard in Perth tested positive, a five-day lockdown, from 6{{nbsp}}pm on 31{{nbsp}}January until 6{{nbsp}}pm on 5{{nbsp}}February 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 [...]."{{cite news |last1=Laschon |first1=Eliza |title=COVID lockdown announced for Perth and South West after quarantine hotel worker tests positive|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-31/covid-quarantine-hotel-worker-tests-positive-in-perth-wa/13106968 |access-date=31 January 2021 |publisher=ABC News|location=Australia |date=31 January 2021 |language=en-AU}}

{{Clear}}

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),{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/wa/wa-forecast-map.shtml |title=Western Australian Forecast Areas Map |access-date=2008-03-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302000524/http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/wa/wa-forecast-map.shtml |archive-date=2 March 2008 }} – noting the changes in 2012 – http://www.bom.gov.au/NexGenFWS/wa/districts.shtml#new-districts-map 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.

The South West Land Division has 23 fire districts.http://www.bom.gov.au/wa/forecasts/sw-wa-fire-forecasts.shtml South West Western Australia Fire Weather Forecast Areas

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

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

{{see also |List of schools in rural Western Australia}}

The Department of Education defines the following:{{Cite web |url=http://www.det.wa.edu.au/schoolsonline/district.do |title=Education Department of Western Australia – Schools Online |access-date=16 October 2011 |archive-date=14 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114190022/http://www.det.wa.edu.au/schoolsonline/district.do |url-status=dead }}

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

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The Department of Agriculture and Food defines the following:http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/PC_93310.html?s=2048819175 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}

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

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Main Roads Western Australia defines the following:{{Cite web |url=https://www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/AboutMainRoads/OurRoleRegions/Pages/home.aspx |title=Our Role in the Regions – Main Roads Western Australia |access-date=3 October 2013 |archive-date=21 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021144719/https://www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/AboutMainRoads/OurRoleRegions/Pages/home.aspx |url-status=dead }}

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

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The Department of Water defines the following:{{Cite web |url=http://www.water.wa.gov.au/Water+regions/default.aspx |title=Department of Water :: Water regions |access-date=17 December 2010 |archive-date=30 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130144652/http://www.water.wa.gov.au/Water+regions/default.aspx |url-status=dead }}

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

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{{further|Coastal regions of Western Australia}}

The Department of Fisheries tends to separate the state into four main regions for the purpose of regulating recreational fishing:{{Cite web|url=http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Fishing-and-Aquaculture/Recreational-Fishing/Recreational-Fishing-Rules/Pages/default.aspx|title = Recreational fishing rules}}{{full citation needed |date=April 2025}}

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

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{{see also |Mineral fields of Western Australia}}

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.(1981) Map of Western Australia showing Administrative Divisions and Principal mines and operators

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:{{cite web|title=Region and local planning schemes|url=http://planning.wa.gov.au/639.asp|publisher=Government of Western Australia|access-date=4 November 2013|author=Department of Planning|author2=Western Australian Planning Commission|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409074047/http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/639.asp|archive-date=9 April 2013|url-status=live|date=22 January 2013}}

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

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The Department of Fire and Emergency Services defines the following:{{Cite web |url=http://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/aboutus/corporateinformation/Documents/DFES-Organisational_Structure.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2 February 2015 |archive-date=2 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202164546/http://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/aboutus/corporateinformation/Documents/DFES-Organisational_Structure.pdf |url-status=dead }}

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

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The Department of Health defines the following:{{Cite web|url=https://www.wacountry.health.wa.gov.au/About-us/Overview|title = WA Country Health Service – Overview}}{{full citation needed |date=April 2025}}{{Cite web|url=https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/About-us|title = About us}}{{full citation needed |date=April 2025}}

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

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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 Bulletinshttp://www.agric.wa.gov.au/PC_93285.html?s=1392304539 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}} – 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.

{{further|Lands administrative divisions of Western Australia#Land districts}}

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.

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

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{{Main|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.T. Stevenson "The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia" pg 589 Dorling Kindersley 2005 {{ISBN|0-7566-1324-8}}[http://www.wineaustralia.com/Australia/Default.aspx?tabid=179 Australian Wine and Brandy corporation – Western Australia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080722023419/http://www.wineaustralia.com/Australia/Default.aspx?tabid=179 |date=22 July 2008 }}winepros.com.au, The Oxford Companion to Wine pg 765 [http://winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=3564 Western Australia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326065817/http://winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=3564 |date=26 March 2015 }} Wine regions include:{{cite web|url=http://www.wineaustralia.com/australia/Default.aspx?tabid=4466|work=Western Australia|title=Western Australia's Wine Regions|access-date=2010-11-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127123842/http://www.wineaustralia.com/australia/Default.aspx?tabid=4466|archive-date=27 November 2010}}

{{Tree list}}

• 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

{{Tree list/end}}

{{main|Coastal regions of Western Australia}}

Western Australia has the longest coastline of any state in Australia, at {{convert|10,194|km}}.Short, Andrew D (2005)Beaches of the Western Australian Coast: Eucla to Roeback Bay {{ISBN|0-9586504-3-8}}. page 1{{full citation needed |date=April 2025}} 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.[http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/wa/wa-forecast-map.shtml Western Australian Forecast Areas Map] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302000524/http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/wa/wa-forecast-map.shtml |date=2 March 2008 }}

Landgate publishes touring maps that include coastal zones including:

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• Batavia Coast (incorporating the area of Dongara, Geraldton, and Kalbarri)"'StreetSmart Touring Map – Batavia Coast Western Australia {{ISBN|0-7309-2935-3}}{{full citation needed |date=April 2025}}
• 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)

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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:{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/66f306f503e529a5ca25697e0017661f/12A078C0878D2351CA256AD4007F6839?opendocument|title=1216.0 – Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC), 2001|work=Australian Bureasu of Statistics|date=28 September 2001|access-date=17 October 2011}}

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• 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

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The ABS produces regional profiles for the nine ABS statistical divisions, and the ten Development Commission{{clarify|reason=There are nine Regional Development Commissions regions – Perth is not included|date=May 2020}} regions.

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

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• Arid Western Australia tends to be synonymous with the Eremaean province biological region relating to plants and dry conditions
• Remote Western Australia{{snd}}also synonymous with Outback Western Australia{{snd}}is 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.
• Nullarbor{{snd}}a term with multiple meanings{{snd}} covers between south east Western Australia, and far west South Australia.

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• Australian regional rivalries
• Geography of Western Australia
• List of regions of Australia

{{Reflist |30em}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070519231453/http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/sec/rec/index.php Fisheries – recreational fishing regions]

{{Refbegin |30em}}

• Regions Western Australia. Perth, W.A. : Dept. of Commerce and Trade. Issue 1 (Mar./June 1998)-issue 11 (February 2002)
• Regional futures: challenges and opportunities for Western Australia's regions: a discussion paper prepared by the Regional Development Council and the Department of Commerce and Trade. Perth, W.A. : The Council, Rev. June 1996.
• Western Australia: a statistical snapshot of the regions prepared by the Department of Commerce and Trade for the Regional Development Council. Perth: The Department., 1995.
• Western Australia tomorrow: population projections for the statistical divisions, planning regions and local government areas of Western Australia. Perth, W.A. : Western Australian Planning Commission, 2000. Population report (Western Australian Planning Commission); no. 4. {{ISBN|0-7309-9222-5}}

{{Refend}}

{{Refbegin |30em}}

• Streetsmart Travellers Atlas of Western Australia (2006) Department of Land Information and West Australian Newspapers,9th ed. {{ISBN|1-921048-13-1}}
• Quality Publishing Australia.(2007) Roads & tracks Western Australia: campsites directory, roads and tracks, all in one Jolimont, W.A., Quality Publishing Australia, 5th ed {{ISBN|1-876723-35-1}}
• UBD Western Australia country road atlas (2005) Macquarie Park, N.S.W.UBD, a division of Universal Publishers, 11th ed {{ISBN|0-7319-1587-9}}

{{Refend}}

{{Western Australian regions}}