Western Australia's Pastoral Industry

The pastoral industry of Western Australia is a key primary industry related to the grazing of animals. Although grazing also takes place in the South West Land Division (the ‘agricultural areas’), the term ‘pastoral industry’ generally refers to the extensive grazing industry which occurs on sheep and cattle stations in more remote areas of the State.

Many pastoral areas were being grazed in the 1890’s, with the goldfields areas opened to grazing after the gold rushes and the Nullarbor areas opened up in the 1960’s. The pastoral industry occurs on about 45% of Western Australia’s rangelands, which in total occupy about 87% of WA. Most of the rangelands are either pastoral lease or, in the central areas of WA, unallocated Crown Land.

There are three broad regions of the pastoral rangelands, namely the Kimberley region, the north west spinifex region of the Pilbara and the shrub land regions of the Gascoyne, Murchison, Goldfields and Nullarbor region.

Sheep and cattle stations are pastoral leases that are leased to pastoralists by the State Government for varying periods of time up to 50 years. All pastoral leases expire on 30 June 2015, however most will be renewed for a term equal to their current lease term. Pastoral leases are administered by the Pastoral Lands Board.

There are currently 527 pastoral leases covering 474 pastoral stations. These leases are mostly held by either individual families or pastoral companies, with some also being held by indigenous groups, mining companies or conservation groups.