The South West Coastal groundwater plan area
The South West Coastal groundwater plan area occurs within the South West of Western Australia, 60 km south of the city of Perth. The plan area covers approximately 460 km² and includes the city of Mandurah and extends along the coast to Myalup.
Groundwater resources in the plan area
Groundwater in this area is mainly used for urban purposes such as the irrigation of public spaces, school grounds and domestic gardens. It also supports some agriculture.
Groundwater is abstracted from two aquifers; the superficial and the Leederville. The superficial aquifer is the watertable aquifer, and the Leederville aquifer is generally confined underneath.
The South West Coastal groundwater plan area has been divided into seven smaller units called subareas. These are:
- Coastal
- Colburra Downs
- Falcon
- Island Point
- Lake Clifton
- Mandurah
- Whitehills
Water planning in the South West Coastal area
The Department of Water is currently developing a groundwater allocation plan for the area.
The plan will include groundwater allocation limits for each of the subarea aquifers and policies for managing water abstraction and use.
If you would like to be involved in the allocation planning process and receive updates on the status of this plan, please contact the Kwinana Peel regional office in Mandurah, phone 08 9550 4222, or email allocation.planning@water.wa.gov.au
Why is the department preparing a water allocation plan?
The KwinanaPeel region has one of the highest growth rates of urban development across the state.
The South West Coastal groundwater area also boasts iconic environmental features including the PeelHarvey estuarine system and the Ramsar listed PeelYalgorup wetlands. Both the estuary and the wetland system are recognised internationally for their values.
This means that careful planning is required to manage groundwater use in the area, best managed through the development and use of this allocation plan.
Planning is needed to ensure that the needs of the community and the environment are protected while providing current and future users with secure water supplies.
How can I access any of the information on the South West Coastal groundwater area that the department has produced?
We are committed to making our technical information used in the planning process publicly available. Supporting documents for the upcoming plan will be linked here as they become available. For further information please contact the Kwinana Peel regional office.
Further information
For licensing information, please contact the Kwinana Peel regional office in Mandurah on 08 9550 4222.
For planning information, please contact the Department of Water’s Water Allocation Planning branch. Phone 08 6364 7600 or email allocationplanning@water.wa.gov.au