Publication Date

12-2006

Publisher

Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

City

Perth

Abstract

The following 2005/06 Annual Report to the Western Australian Pastoral Lands Board presents an assessment of overall land condition on pastoral properties throughout the Rangelands of Western Australia.

The Western Australian Rangelands pastoral estate consists of 466 Stations covering approximately 910 000 km2. This equates to 42% of the States Rangelands. The total number of pastoral leases has continued to decline from the previous reporting period and there are currently 478 stations (525 Leases).

The Rangelands are made up of a diverse range of climates from the semi arid tropics in the north to the arid south. Topography and rainfall varies significantly. This diversity has led the demand for diversification of use for the rangelands that are not based on traditional pastoralism. At the recent ‘Gascoyne Muster – The Next generation’ the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure flagged the intention to address the issue of diversification of use on pastoral leases as the next key topic following rolling tenure. The northern rangelands remain predominantly cattle focussed on the export market. The southern rangelands have seen a continuing trend over the past 20 years of an expansion of the cattle industry at the expense of the sheep industry.

Number of Pages

64

Keywords

rangelands, condition monitoring, pastoral lands board, Commissioner of Soil and Land, postoral leases, Western Australian Rangeland Monitoring System (WARMS), rangeland resource surveys, pastoral lease inspection program

Disciplines

Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Environmental Monitoring | Natural Resources Management and Policy

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