The South West Region
The South West is one of Western Australia’s nine recognised regions located outside the Perth metropolitan area. Fronting the Indian and Southern oceans, covering 24,000 square kilometers and including 12 local government areas, the South West is the most populous and economically diverse of WA’s regions.
The regional landform comprises the Swan Coastal Plain to the north, the Scott Coastal Plain to the south, Darling Range in the east, and Whicher Range linking the Darling Range to the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge in the Capes area. Of the landmass that comprises the region, about two-thirds is made up of State Forest, National Parks and regional parks, with the southern forests being the largest component. About 25% is occupied by agricultural and rural uses, with about 8% used for industrial and urban development.
Archaeological evidence shows that South West Aboriginal history dates back some 45,000 years. The Noongar people are the overall traditional owners and have widespread cultural and heritage links throughout the region.
Fast Facts
In 2022 the population of the South West was 193,738, made up of:
Bunbury Geographe -114,460
The Capes Region - 60,812
Warren Blackwood - 18,466
Between 2011 and 2022 the population of the South West has increased by 39,219 residents.
The total output for the South West Region is $42.1B (5.14% of the $819B for Western Australia). The top 3 industries sectors by Output are Manufacturing at $9.74B, Construction at $6.01B and Mining at $5.43B.
The top 3 Industry Sectors by employment are:
Health care and social assistance at 11,336 jobs
Construction at 8,780 jobs
Retail at 8,595 jobs
People between 45-54 make up the largest age bracket of workers at 23% of the 80,407 total jobs in the South West. 18.4% of workers hold a certificate as their highest level of qualification with 9.1% holding a bachelor’s degree.
There are 16,688 trading businesses in the South West. Of these 10,272 are non-employing (sole traders) and 31 of these businesses employ over 200 people each.
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