Shire of Dandaragan

Watheroo National Park

The Watheroo National Park covers an area of 44,481 hectares and is located in the Shires of Coorow, Moora and Dandaragan. The national park is characterised by sand plains mostly dominated by heath and woodlands of Eucalypts.

Southern Beekeepers Nature Reserves

Southern Beekeepers Nature Reserve is located north of Cervantes (bordering Nambung National Park) to Hill River, and inland to the Cervantes-Jurien road, and is accessible via 4WD track. The reserve covers an area of around 10 800 ha, and forms part of DEC’s Moora District, the management goals of which include: Conservation; Recreation and tourism (compatible with other goals); Community relations (informed, engaged community); Commercial and other uses (in a manner that minimises impact on other values) and; Research and monitoring (to increase understanding). Specifically, Southern Beekeepers Reserve was gazetted in 1979 as a ‘C’ class reserve for the purposed of apiculture and the conservation of flora. See the Nambung National Park Management Plan 1998-2008.

Nambung National Park

The Nambung National Park covers an approximate area of 193 square kilometres and is home to the Pinnacles Desert.

Lesueur National Park

The Lesueur National Park covers an approximate area of 27,235 hectares and lies in the Geraldton Sand plains IBRA region. The national park is home to approximately 900 native plant species, with four rare or threatened species being recorded in the park including the Mount Lesueur Grevillea, Forrest’s Wattle, Lesueur Hakea and the Laterite Mallee.

Drovers Cave National Park

Drovers Cave National Park is an A-Class reserve that covers an area of 2 680 hectares approximately 5 km north east of the town of Jurien Bay, and is home to a number of limestone caves including Drovers, Hastings, Moorba, Old River and Mystery caves. Many of these caves are locked to prevent access (for health and safety reasons and to protect the caves from graffiti and vandalism).

Drovers Cave is located near the Canning Stock Route and was visited by drovers, hence its name. Drovers Cave was surveyed and gazetted as part of the National Park in 1973.

Conservation reserves in the NAR

To view all the reserves in the Northern Agricultural Region, visit the Land use theme page or view the nature reserve map.

Badgingarra National Park

Badgingarra National Park covers an approximate area of 13,108 hectares and lies in the Shire of Dandaragan. The national park is characterised by emergent breakaway country overlying sandplains. The national park is mostly dominated by low scrub heath.

Conservation significant fauna in the Northern Agricultural Region

For more information about fauna in the NAR visit the fauna theme page, and check out the list of Conservation Significant Fauna.

Swan Coastal Plain subregion (Swan Coastal Plain 2)

The Swan Coastal Plain is located in the southern LGAs. This subregion is dominated by Banksia and Tuart on sandy soils. Dominating the outwash plains of the region are Casuarina obesa, whilst paperbark typically dominates the swampy areas. In the east the Jarrah woodlands are dominant (Mitchell et. al., 2002).

Dandaragan Plateau subregion (Swan Coastal Plain 1)

The Dandaragan plateau is located in the southern LGAs of the NAR. This subregion is characterised by low woodlands of Banksia, Jarrah-Marri woodlands and scrub heath on laterite pavement and on gravelly sandplain (Desmond, 2001).

Lesueur-Coomallo Floristic Community D1

Description from Lesueur-Coomaloo Floristic Community D1 Interim recovery plan no. 109 (pg 2):

This community occurs in the Geraldton Sandplains IBRA region and comprises a species-rich low heath, on moderately to well-drained lateritic gravels on lower slopes and low rises, dominated by Allocasuarina microstachya with A. ramosissima, A. humilis, Baeckea grandiflora, Borya nitida, Calytrix flavescens, Calothamnus sanguineous, Conostylis androstemma, Cryptandra pungens, Dryandra armata, Gastrolobium polystachyum, Hakea auriculata, H. incrassata, H. aff. erinacea, Hibbertia hypericoides, Hypocalymma xanthopetalum, Melaleuca trichophylla, Petrophile chrysantha, Schoenus subflavus and Xanthorrhoea drummondii.

Current Status: WA listed as Critically Endangered.

Lesueur-Coomallo Floristic Community A1.2

The Lesueur-Coomallo Floristic Community A1.2 is an Ecological Community occurring within the Geraldton Sandplains IBRA Bioregion that has been identified as Endangered at State level, being endorsed in 2001. The Floristic Community has only been identified on one 31 hectare area within Lesueur National Park and is currently at threat from altered fire regimes, dieback (Phytophthora sp.), plant and animal pests, and mining.

The Lesueur-Coomallo Floristic Community A1.2 is described in Interim Recovery Plan No. 106 (pg 3) as being: Species-rich heath with emergent Hakea obliqua on sand with faithful species of Hakea obliqua and Beaufortia aff. elegans and constant species of Dasypogon bromeliifolius and Stirlingia latifolia over well-drained grey sand over pale yellow sand on lateritic uplands. Associated species include Allocasuarina humilis, Calothamnus sanguineous, Hibbertia hypericoides, Hypocalymma xanthopetalum and Schoenus subflavus.

Banksia Woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain: a nationally protected ecological community

The Banksia Woodlands ecological community only occurs on or adjacent to the Swan Coastal Plain of Western Australia, which stretches to the north and south of Perth. The broader region—Southwest Australia—is recognised as one of only two global biodiversity hotspots in Australia.

The ecological community provides habitat for many native plants and animals that rely on Banksia Woodlands for their homes and food. Remaining patches of the ecological community provide important wildlife corridors and refuges in a mostly fragmented landscape.

The ecological community was listed as endangered under Australia’s national environment law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), on 16 September.

For more information about this ecological community visit the Department of Environment website.

*Claypans with mid dense shrublands of Melaleuca lateritia over herbs

Classified as Claypans of the Swan Coastal Plain under EPBC Act.

Category (WA) – Priority 1

For more information see the Clay pans of the Swan Coastal Plain – Interim Recovery Plan No. 354 (DPaW2015).

Lesueur-Coomallo Floristic Community M2 (Melaleuca preissiana woodland)

Woodland dominated by Melaleuca preissiana along sandy drainage lines, with faithful species of Anigozanthos pulcherrimus and constant species of Chamaescilla corymbosa, Petrophile brevifolia and Xanthorrhoea reflexa.

Category (WA) – Priority 1

For more information visit the DPaW website.

Lesueur-Coomallo Floristic Community DFGH

Mixed species-rich heath on lateritic gravel with Hakea erinacea, Melaleuca platycalyx and Petrophile seminuda: a fine scale mixture of four floristically-defined communities occurring on lateritic slopes.

Category (WA) – Priority 1

For more information visit the DPaW website.

*Claypans with mid dense shrublands of Melaleuca lateritia over herbs

Classified as Claypans of the Swan Coastal Plain under EPBC Act.

Category (WA) – Priority 1

For more information see the Clay pans of the Swan Coastal Plain – Interim Recovery Plan No. 354 (DPaW2015).

Primary and Secondary Coastal Dunes

Primary dunes (from low water mark) and secondary dunes. Valued for recreational, aesthetic and cultural reasons, along with the services provided for storm protection  and habitat.

Seagrass Meadows

Seagrasses are flowering plants that complete their life cycle submerged in seawater. Western Australia has the world’s highest diversity of seagrasses, with 27 species occurring in shallow waters off the coast. Seagrasses form a vital component of marine ecosystems through their services as primary biomass producers, sources of habitat (including breeding and nursery areas) and dissolved oxygen, sediment traps, and nutrient cycling. Seagrass distribution is determined by a combination of shelter, sediment, turbidity, nutrient, temperature, current and tidal influences.

Extensive seagrass meadows occur in protected near-shore areas of the NAR, where clear water, low nutrients and sandy sea floors prevail, and are dominated by the long strap-like Ribbonweed or Strapweed (Posidonia spp) and the thin-stemmed Wireweed (Amphibolis spp).

Seagrass habitats are fragile and susceptible to damage and can take many years to recover from disturbance, such as physical damage/removal and shading due to algal blooms (as a result of increased nutrients), and sedimentation (due to dredging activities and erosion in catchment areas).

More information on seagrasses in Western Australia can be found in the following publications: Flowers of the Ocean: WA’s Expansive Seagrass Meadows; The Wonders of Weed Information Sheet; Fisheries Fact Sheet: Seagrasses; Establishing Reference and Monitoring Sites to Assess a Key Indicator of Ecosystem Health (Seagrass Health) on the central west Coast of Western Australia (see references).

Jurien Bay Marine Park

Jurien Bay Marine Park was declared in 2003 and encompasses the marine waters between Wedge and Green Head. Extending for around 5.5 km offshore, the Park contains an extensive limestone reef system, forming shallow lagoons and seagrass meadows, and also incorporates many island nature reserves that provide habitat for rare and endangered animals, including dibblers (an endangered marsupial) and various seabirds.

The seagrass meadows that occur within the Park are important nursery habitat for many marine animals, including the western rock lobster. The Park also contains the sole major breeding area on the western coast for the rare Australian sea lion, supporting a population of approximately 800. The unique and biological diversity of the Park is due to a number of species that are at the limit of their geographical distribution – leading to a mix of temperate and tropical species.

The Marine Park is popular for recreational activities such as scuba diving, snorkelling, swimming, windsurfing and surfing. Fishing is allowed in the Marine Park, with the exception of defined sanctuary and scientific reference zones (bag limits, minimum sizes and licences apply). Spearfishing, crabbing, rock lobster fishing and netting are restricted in some zones. For more information see: The Department of Fisheries WA website and the Jurien Bay Marine Park brochure.

Jurien Groundwater Area

The Jurien Groundwater Area spans over 5,000 km2 of land and has a total groundwater availability of around 84 million m3/year. Groundwater usage is low, with 21 per cent of resources allocated. There are also significant amounts of groundwater available in the Parmelia/Leederville formations. The superficial formation contains important resources near the coast, although the quality and quantity of groundwater is variable (DoW, 2010).

For information on the allocation plan click here.

Nambung River

Hill River

Saline lakes of Coolimba – Jurien

Lake Thetis

Lake Thetis is one of few lakes where both submerged benthic microbial mats and developing microbial structures occur. The shallow pools on the south western shore provide the perfect environment for the growth of micro-organisms, particularly cyanobacteria, which are the building blocks for stromatolites, the regions only example of ‘living fossils’. Stromatolites – layered rocks – are the oldest form of life on earth dating 3.5 billion years, although the Lake Thetis structures are relatively new, being about 2,000 years old. Stromatolites grow in Lake Thetis because of the extreme salinity and limited circulationof the water and the occurrence of calcium carbonate. Lake Thetis is a very important site in the region and a significant example of a specialised form of aquatic ecological community.

A symposium on Western Australia’s south-west microbialites during October 2012 developed a number of methods of addressing the major issues with conservation management of WA’s microbialites and microbial assemblages including increased sharing of knowledge and community ownership.