Features and location of farms

The dairy industry in Western Australia is currently a pasture-based production system grazing annual pastures or perennial pastures, on farms located in the irrigation areas and the south west of the state. Cereal and protein grains sourced from the WA wheat belt are used to supplement pasture. Grains are always available due to the State’s large export volumes.

The industry is currently located in the southwest of the state which has a Mediterranean climate and associated winter rainfall pattern. The industry is located mainly within 50 km of the coast from Perth to Albany. Demand for increased production and urban pressure on the coastal strip provides the incentive for the industry to expand into new regions, including those that have been dairy areas in past decades.

The main existing dairy regions are

Northern: Perth to Waroona Central: Waroona to Dardanup incorporating farms using water from the Harvey and Wellington Dams Boyanup: Boyanup to Busselton Vasse: Busselton to Cowaramup Southwest: Margaret River and Scott River South Coast: Northcliffe, coastal strip from Walpole to Albany

Historically the Northern Region contained many dairy farms, however the numbers have fallen over time due to urban encroachment from Perth and Mandurah. As a consequence many farms in this geographic region are now located towards the southern end of the region (Waroona).

In the Central Region many dairy farms rely on flood irrigation using water from the Harvey Irrigation Scheme. The numbers of dairy farms in the Harvey area have fallen due to pressure from horticulture, hobby farms and urban enroachment. High pressure irrigation water is now supplied by pipeline in the Waroona and Harvey area by Harvey Water, a farmer owned co-operative. It is expected that flood irrigation will be phased out and replaced with alternative sprinkler irrigation systems in the coming years.

While irrigation water is readily available from the Wellington Dam section of Harvey Water’s scheme, high salt levels from this dam have restricted the use of this water for irrigation purposes. Schemes to divert high salt runoff from entering the dam may result in greater use of this water in the future for irrigation purposes. Water from Wellington Dam is supplied to farms via irrigation channels.

Farms in the Boyanup and Vasse regions are mainly dryland farms. However in recent years the use of centre pivot irrigation systems has emerged with water supplied from aquifers.

Farms in the Southwest region include dryland farms mainly located around Margaret River or irrigated farms based on centre pivot irrigation at Scott River. Farms in the Souther region include farms located at Manjimup, Northcliffe, and along the coast from Walpole to Albany. Farms in this region may experience frosts in winter.