Travelling through pastoral areasIncreasing numbers of people from all walks of life are getting out ‘beyond the bitumen’ and seeing our ‘Outback’. However, all travellers in these areas should be aware of and be prepared for the potential dangers they may face in this treacherous and unpredictable terrain.
‘Travelling in Outback Western Australia’ (pdf 1.5MB) gives travellers through Western Australia’s remote areas plenty of practical tips on being thoroughly prepared for their trip and being self sufficient during it. Part of that preparation is obtaining a good set of maps. This is particularly important if you are going off public roads.
Maps of pastoral areas are inexpensive and are available from
- Landgate - telephone 9273 7341
There are several types of maps that are useful when travelling in pastoral areas. The Travellers Atlas of Western Australia is an excellent book of maps covering all of Western Australia. It shows the pastoral stations and their boundaries, so you know which pastoral station you are travelling through.
Landgate also have regional maps at 1:1,000,000 scale for the Kimberley, Pilbara, Goldfields, etc., as well as some excellent tourism maps covering major regional destinations. If you plan going on isolated tracks, you should get the relevant topographic maps, which show particular areas in great detail. Don’t just rely on a GPS – if it stops working, you could end up in serious trouble. Take a comprehensive set of maps with you.
However, remember that all pastoral leases are private property and for your own safety, you must get permission from the pastoralist well in advance if you plan on travelling off public roads onto the pastoral station tracks. Tracks off public roads that are marked on some maps are private station tracks and you cannot assume ‘right-of-way’, even if these tracks go to the coast, a gorge or a river.
Due to privacy laws, contact details for individual pastoralists are not available from the Pastoral Land Business Unit.
However, contact details may be sourced through publicly available records such as the Australian telephone directory (White Pages) or through Landgate (telephone 9273 7341) (on a fee for service, case by case basis.
A range of resources concerning travelling through pastoral areas and the Outback of Western Australia can be found in our Useful links section.
Prospecting on pastoral leases
Prior to entry - Any person entering upon a pastoral lease for the purpose of carrying out a Miner's Right, granted b DMP under section 20 of the Mining Act 1978, for prospecting activities should take all reasonable practicable steps to give the pastoralist prior notification in order to ascertain whether that person's presence will interfere with the pastoralist's activities.
It is important that a mutual understanding or "good neighbour policy" be adopted in order to satisfy concerns arising from the location and type of the proposed prospecting/exploration activity that may impinge upon any pastoral improvements or disturb pastoral programs in respect to rangeland regeneration or livestock, etc.
For information, please access the Department of Mines and Petroleum guidelines found at www.dmp.wa.gov.au/456.aspx
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