Regions of Western Australia
The regions of Western Australia are distinct geographic areas of
Western Australia, defined by the
State Government for purposes of economic development administration. Together they comprise the whole of mainland Western Australia, with the exception of the
Perth metropolitan area which is not contained in a region. Although originally defined for administrative purposes, they are a useful and convenient way of referring to regional areas of Western Australia, and so receive much wider usage.
The regions were established by the
Regional Development Commissions Act 1993, which defined their extents and established Regional Development Commissions to promote their economic development. 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.
The regions of Western Australia are:
*
Gascoyne*
Goldfields-Esperance*
Great Southern*
Kimberley*
Mid West*
Peel*
Pilbara*
South West*
WheatbeltIt must be noted that the Commonwealth Government Bureau of Metereology, and other instrumentalities also divide the state up into regions as well, and these do not necessarily tie in with the divisions given above. Names of the regions in popular usage also may differ with the 'official' boundaries.
*
List of regions in Australia*
The Regional Development Commissions Act 1993 (as amended)
