Land use

Western Australia is the largest Australian State, spanning 2 400 kilometres from north to south, and experiencing a variety of climatic conditions, soil and land properties, and water availability. Accordingly, the state is suited to a variety of agricultural industries ranging from open range grazing and broadacre cereal cropping through to irrigated pastures and horticulture, orchards and vineyards.

The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia provides the advice, support and tools needed to ensure the State’s land has the capability to sustain agricultural use, without degrading the soil and water resources on which it relies, and to ensure our most valuable agricultural land is protected from non-agricultural development.

Articles

Regenerative agriculture - Case studies from Western Australia

13 July 2020

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has worked with farmers to document their use of regenerative agriculture practices in Western Australia.
Bluebush pastures in the southern rangelands of Western Australia

7 June 2019

Bluebush pastures are a group of the many pasture types in the southern pastoral rangelands of Western Australia.
Introduction to pastures in the southern rangelands of Western Australia

25 June 2019

This page summarises the Introduction section of the Pasture condition guides for the southern rangelands, including the Gascoyne, Murchison and Goldfields-Nullarbor (the guides).
Western Australian Agriculture Climate Resilience Fund

27 May 2021

The WA Government is investing $15 million into an Agriculture Climate Resilience Fund to help WA farmers and industry to respond to the challenges of climate change.
Livestock water requirements and water budgeting for south-west Western Australia

26 November 2013

Adequate supplies of good quality stock water are just as important as feed supplies during summer, a period when feed and water quantity and quality are at their lowest in the agricultural areas o
Quality assurance schemes for fresh produce

4 November 2013

Fresh food businesses are faced with the challenge of creating a food safety culture, maintaining best practice and retaining customer confidence, while effectively managing overall costs.
Dryland salinity in Western Australia

20 November 2013

Dryland salinity (salinity on non-irrigated land) is one of the greatest environmental threats facing Western Australia's agricultural land, water, biodiversity and infrastructure.
Dryland salinity – extent and impact in the South West of Western Australia

26 November 2013

More than 1 million hectares of previously productive land in South West Western Australia (SW WA) is severely affected by dryland salinity, and about 0.75 million hectares is moderately affected..
An Introduction to Carbon Farming in Western Australian

10 December 2013

Carbon farming refers to the land-based activities that store carbon in vegetation and soil (sequestration), or minimise the release of greenhouse gases from livestock, soil or vegetation (avoidanc
Land conservation district committees in Western Australia

11 November 2013

Land conservation district committees (LCDCs) are statutory committees appointed by the Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation in Western Australia, to administer land conservation districts in