Shire of Gingin
| Area | ~3,211 square kilometres, located ~85 km north of Perth. |
| Towns | Gingin, Guilderton, Lancelin, Ledge Point and Seabird |
| Average Temperature | Mean daily maximum temperature over 30 years 1990 – 2019 Coastal: 29.1°C (Jan) and 19.4°C (Jul); Inland: 33.1°C (Jan) and 18.3°C (Jul). |
| Annual Rainfall | Average annual rainfall over 30 years 1990 – 2019 Coastal: 544 mm; Inland: 514 mm (BoM 2020). |
| ABS Profile | Gingin ABS profile |
| Shire Website | Shire of Gingin |
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Around 5,310 people live in the Shire of Gingin (ABS 2016), the second largest population in the region. Of these, about 850 people live in the town of Gingin itself and around 1,180 people live in the coastal towns of Lancelin, Ledge Point, Guilderton and Seabird.
The population in the Shire of Gingin increased by 10.1% between the last census in 2011 and the most recent census in 2016, and is projected to increase by a further 16.4% by 2031 (DPLH 2016). The Shire of Gingin is one of the fastest growing local government areas in Western Australia, fueled largely by its proximity to Perth.
Approximately 24% of residents of the Shire of Gingin were born overseas and approximately 1.9% are of Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander descent.
Estimates of the resident populations as at 30 June are released annually for Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Australia by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The estimates are generally revised 12 months later and final estimates are available after the following census. Visit the ABS website for further details.
The economy of the Shire of Gingin depends primarily on agriculture, fisheries and related services, as well as the construction industry and hospitality sector. Local farming includes the production of broad acre cereal crops (wheat, canola, lupins, oats), irrigated horticultural crops (fruits, vegetables), and livestock (poultry, pigs, sheep and cattle). The fisheries sector is focused on a large, although now declining, western Rock Lobster industry. The coastal towns and diverse natural environments within the Shire are attractive and popular holiday destinations and tourism is an important part of the economy.
The main land uses in the Shire of Gingin are agriculture, horticulture, residential, recreation and nature conservation.
Nature Reserves
Yurine Swamp Nature Reserve
The Yurine Swamp Nature Reserve covers ~40 ha and is located at Beermullah.
Yeal Nature Reserve
The Yeal Nature Reserve covers 15 458 ha and is located south west of Gingin.
Timaru Nature Reserve
The Timaru Nature Reserve covers ~104 ha and is located south of Gingin.
Nullilla Nature Reserve
The Nullilla Nature Reserve covers ~6 ha and is located south of Gingin.
Nilgen Nature Reserve
The Nilgen Nature Reserve covers ~7 530 ha and located on the outskirts of Lancelin. This coastal reserve includes a white sandy beach and extensive sand dunes backing onto wildflower heathland. Nilgen Nature Reserve provides habitat for a number of birds, reptile and mammals, including the tiny native marsupial Honey Possum Tarsipes rostratus.
Nabaroo Nature Reserve
The Nabaroo Nature Reserve covers ~11 ha and is located along the Karakin Brook near Cowalla.
Moore River National Park and associated Nature Reserves
The Moore River National Park covers ~23 578 ha and the adjacent Moore River Nature Reserve and Sand Spring Well Nature Reserve cover a further ~ 6 500 ha and ~27 ha respectively. All three reserves are located along the path of the Moore River and consist largely of Banksia heathland.
Gnangara-Moore River State Forest
The Gnangara-Moore River State Forest covers ~55 874 ha including some pine plantation and extensive area of native vegetation south of Gingin. Not all of the State Forest falls with the Northern Agricultural Region.
Gingin Stock Route Nature Reserve
The Gingin Stock Route Nature Reserve covers ~68 ha of Tuart Eucalyptus gomphocephala forest on the outskirts of Woodridge.
Breera Road Nature Reserve
The Breera Road Nature Reserve covers ~148 ha and is located south of Gingin.
Bootine Nature Reserve
The Bootine Nature Reserve covers ~97 ha and contains the largest known remnant of the endangered Threatened Ecological Community known as Shrublands and woodlands on Muchea Limestone of the Swan Coastal Plain.
Boonanarring Nature Reserve
The Boonanarring Nature Reserve was gazetted in 1991 and covers ~12 500 ha. The reserve is unique, with an ecotone of 10 vegetation types from the Swan region not found together on any other conservation reserves. Boonanarring is home to over 570 plant species, 13% of which are of special interest, many bird species and at least three significant small mammal species (Moore et al 2016).
Bashford Nature Reserve
The Bashford Nature Reserve is a small reserve covering ~140 hectares near Nilgen.
Bartletts Well Nature Reserve
The Bartletts Well Nature Reserve covers ~160 ha and is located east of Moore River National Park.
Bambanup Nature Reserve
The Bambanup Nature Reserve covers ~140 hectares near Bambun Lake, which contains water year round. The lake was a popular picnic spot in the 1900s.
Geology
The coastline of the shire is dominated by the Kockatea formation, formed in the Triassic period and consisting of shale, minor siltstone and sandstone. Beekeepers Nature Reserve lies on the Lesueur Sandstone formation, which consists of quartz sandstone with subordinate granule conglomerate and minor siltstone. To the east, the Eneabba formation, formed during the Jurassic period, is interbedded with red-bed sandstone and siltstone. The coastal landscape is dominated by the flat sandy soils of the Swan Coastal Plain. Inland, the terrain is undulating and includes a number of fresh water lakes and streams.
Environment
The shire is located within the Dandaragan Plateau (SWA01), Perth Swan Coastal Plain (SWA02) and Northern Jarrah Forest (JAF01) IBRA sub-regions and is characterised by Jarrah and Marri woodlands and Banskia heath on sandy soils. Ten Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs) are found in the shire. These include three national TECs, the vulnerable Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh, the endangered Banksia Woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain and the critically endangered Claypans of the Swan Coastal Plain. The other TECs are the Shrublands and Woodlands on Perth to Gingin Ironstone, the Shrublands and Woodlands on Muchea Limestone, the Forests associated with deep seasonal wetlands on the Swan Coastal Plain, the Saline Shrublands of Clay Pans, the Dense Shrublands of Clay Flats, Shrublands on Dry Clay Flats and the Melaleuca Shrublands on Limestone Ridges. Gingin Brook and the Moore River are home to important populations of the endangered Western Dwarf Galaxias Galaxiella munda and the vulnerable Carter’s Freshwater Mussel Westralunio carteri, as well a high diversity of other freshwater fish and crayfish species. A large part of Jurien Bay Marine Park is also located off the coast of the shire. The islands in the Marine Park are home to endemic species like the vulnerable Lancelin Island Skink Ctenotus lancelini, important haul out and pupping grounds for vulnerable Australian Sea Lion Neophoca cinerea and important breeding grounds for seabirds including Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacificus and Roseate Tern Sterna dougalli.
Coastal Assets
Coastal Dunes
The coastline of the Northern Agricultural Region consists mainly of sandy beaches backed by low dunes, valued for recreational, aesthetic and cultural reasons and as storm protection and habitat. Primary dunes, or foreshore dunes, refer to the first system of dunes shoreward of the low water mark. These dunes typically support little vegetation. Secondary dunes, or back dunes, are undulating, sandy ecosystems located further from the water.
Marine Assets
Seagrass Meadows
The Central West Coast limestone reef system extends from Kalbarri to Perth and supports an extremely high species diversity of seagrasses. Extensive seagrass meadows in protected, near-shore areas of the NAR, provide shelter and nursery habitat for many fish and other marine creatures including Western Rock Lobster. Seagrasses also provides services as primary biomass producers, sources of dissolved oxygen, sediment traps and nutrient cyclers.
Lancelin And Edwards Islands Nature Reserve
The Lancelin and Edwards Islands Nature Reserve are located at the southern end of the Turquoise Coast islands nature reserve group. Lancelin Island has a high diversity of plants, supporting over 50 plant species, and is home to the endemic and threatened Lancelin Island Skink Ctenotus lancelini. The western side of Lancelin Island is protected in the Lancelin Island Lagoon Fish Habitat Protection Area.
Groundwater Areas
Gnangara Groundwater Area
The Gnangara Groundwater Area is bounded by the Moore River, Swan River and Gingin Brook. It covers 2,200 km2 and recharges from rainfall. The largest aquifers are the Superficial, Mirrabooka, Leederville and Yarragadee North. Groundwater levels are declining due to a decrease in rainfall in recent years, an increase in abstraction of groundwater and the Gnangara Pine plantation.
Gingin Groundwater Area
The Gingin Groundwater Area covers over 6,000 km2 of land and yields ~207 million m3 of available groundwater per year. Usage in the area is high and resources are approximately 75% allocated. The largest aquifers occur in the Superficial, Leederville, Parmelia and Yarragadee formations. Water quality is generally good, except in the aquifers along the Darling Scarp and in the coastal area south of Lancelin. The Leederville and Parmelia formations are currently over allocated.
Rivers
Moore River
Drainage Basin Length (km) Catchment Area (km2) Average Stream Salinity (mg/L) Key Characteristics Moore-Hill 288 13,450 3000-35000 The Moore River’s eastern reaches (Moore River East) which originates near Dalwallinu, and northern reaches (Moore River North) commences east of Coorow. The major tributaries are the Coonderoo River and Gingin Brook. The Moore River enters the ocean at Guilderton and the estuary is only open to the ocean for a few weeks each year. Gingin Brook
Drainage Basin Length (km) Catchment Area (km2) Average Stream Salinity (mg/L) Key Characteristics Moore-Hill 46 1,370 < 1000 Gingin Brook is the only remaining freshwater creek passing over the Swan Coastal Plain. It has almost permanent flow since it is fed by springs as well as general groundwater. For information on the allocation plan click here.
Wetlands
Lancelin Defence Training Area
This is part of a regionally significant group, the Bassendean group, and is recognised for its conservational values. Due to its proximity to surrounding nature reserves and national parks and the large area of freshwater wetlands on the site, it is likely to support a relatively high diversity of wetland biota.
Karakin Lakes
The Karakin Lakes are a good example of freshwater marsh, dominated by low sedges and grasses. Although the site has been modified by people over time, this type of wetland ecosystem is uncommon in south-western Australia.
Birdlife Western Australia
Birdlife Western Australia
Friends of Lancelin Coast Inc.
Friends of Lancelin Coast Inc. Contact: John $ Heather Hatch
Friends of Moore River Estuary
Friends of Moore River EstuaryThe Friends of Moore River Estuary Inc (FOMRE) is an incorporated body that focuses on the protection of the Moore River Estuary natural landscapes and environment and the promotion of responsible development.
Guilderton Community Association
Guilderton Community Association
The Guilderton Community Association is made up of residents and regular visitors to Guilderton who are interested in maintaining and sustainably improving the town now and for the future. The main aims of the association are to:
- promote the interests of the Guilderton community;
- assist in the improvement of the town in a manner which protects the natural environment of the Guilderton/Moore River area;
- conserve the natural environment of the Guilderton/Moore River area; and
- liaise with the Gingin Shire Council on behalf of the Guilderton community.
Sub-groups of the Association are responsible for providing many services within the town, such as the Visitor’s Centre, the Library and the Arts Group which is responsible for much of the public art in the town.
For people interested in joining the Guilderton Community Association, membership is open for any person over the age of 18 who is:
- a permanent resident of Guilderton;
- an occasional resident of Guilderton;
- a ratepayer at Guilderton; or
- supports the objects of the Association.
For those interested in joining the Community Association or simply after more information, please contact us at [email protected].
Ledge Point Coastcare Group
Ledge Point Coastcare Group Contact: Jan RichardsNotes
Ledge Point Coastcare Group focuses on coastal rehabilitation (weeding, native plant propagation workshops) and marine debris removal. Group volunteers participate in Cleanup Australia and the WA Beach Cleanup annually, and weeding activities year-round. Please contact Jan Richards for litter bags if required.
(Adapted from: Do Something Near You Website)
Lower Moore River Working Group
Lower Moore River Working GroupThe Lower Moore River Working Group (LMRWG) is a non-political group that focuses on the Lower Moore River and its environment. The Group actively manages weed infestation, revegetation, walking trails, boardwalks, fishing platforms, and erosion due to boat traffic and livestock. The group works with landholders to revegetate, fence, and direct stock to avoid bank degradation. Additionally the group is involved with funding for grants to complete water sampling and studies of the river system and its health.
(Adapted from: LMRWG Website)
P.O. Box 1003 Guilderton WA 6041 Australia
Moore Catchment Council
Moore Catchment CouncilMoore Catchment Council is a non-for profit, community body elected to represent the community’s interest in Natural Resource Management issues. The sub-region includes Shires in the Northern Agricultural Region that are directly associated with the Moore River catchment and drainage system – an area covering approximately 14 000 square kilometers, from Perenjori in the north east to Gingin in the south, where the River meets the Indian Ocean at Guilderton.
The philosophy of the Moore Catchment Council is to protect and continue to enhance the natural resources of the area for future generations. The role of the Council is to promote integrated catchment management and co-ordinate efforts to ensure effective on-ground action, along with sourcing funding to implement community prioritised strategies.
(Adapted from: Moore Catchment Council website)
P.O. Box 337 Moora WA 6510 Australia
1 Padbury Street Moora WA 6510 Australia
![N Gay - Conversation on [email protected] Moore River, Guilderton](https://www.narvis.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/N-Gay-Conversation-on-Conservation--Moore-River-Guilderton.jpg){kind=link}
