Natural Resource Management

Many residents choose to live in the South West Metropolitan Region because of its attractive environment and the lifestyle and recreational opportunities offered by its bushland, wetlands, waterways and coastline.

The south west of Western Australia is an internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot, and the South West Metropolitan Region is home to over 30 nationally recognised threatened flora and fauna species and 6 threatened ecological communities.  The remnant bushland, wetlands, waterways and coastline of the region serve as critical habitat, refugia and ecological corridors, linking the diverse and valuable flora and fauna communities of the Swan River estuary, the oceanic coast, the Beeliar and Rockingham Lakes wetland chains and the Swan Coastal Plain.

In 2013, the Perth South West Alliance developed and began implementing its Regional NRM Strategy: A regional approach to Natural Resources Management (NRM) in the South West Metropolitan Region to protect and enhance the environment for its community. A Regional NRM Facilitator was appointed in 2014 to work with member Councils to implement the Regional NRM Strategy.

A range of projects have since been undertaken or are currently underway to collaboratively address priority issues such as invasive weed and feral animal control, bushfire risk mitigation and post-fire recovery, marine debris removal, foreshore stabilisation, bushland and wetland rehabilitation, and the protection and extension of ecological corridors.