Why Estuaries?

  • More than 80 percent of the Western Australian population lives around our estuaries, making them one of our most valuable environmental, economic, and recreational assets.
  • While there are 166 estuaries in Western Australia, it is the estuaries in the south-west of the State that are the most heavily impacted by housing, agriculture, industry and recreation.
Healthy Estuaries WA is a $25 million State Government commitment that coordinates and implements common actions across at-risk estuaries, building regional capability, promoting whole-of-industry engagement, and strengthening cooperative networks to share resources and knowledge. The program includes work to reduce nutrient inputs from priority catchments, use the latest science to monitor and effectively manage waterways, and continue to build collaboration between community, scientists, government and industry. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation have over 25 years of experience and scientific understanding of estuary science and conditions. This knowledge has been used to shape the practical solutions and management tools that makeup Healthy Estuaries WA.

​First launched in June 2020, Healthy Estuaries WA, building on the Regional Estuaries Initiative, focuses on improving the health of Peel-Harvey estuary, Leschenault Estuary, Vasse-Geographe waterways, Hardy Inlet, Wilson Inlet, Torbay Inlet and Oyster Harbour. Supported by the State Government’s Royalties for Regions.

Project Deliverables

There are 4 key project outcomes in the Oyster Harbour Catchment Groups Healthy Estuaries WA project, these are;
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1) Fertiliser Management Program - this comprises a heavily subsidised soil testing, plant tissue testing, whole farm nutrient mapping program and accu-spread field days to enable participants to gain highly detailed and tailored results to support their fertiliser decisions.

2) Contemporary and Regenerative Agricultural Workshops - locally delivered series of workshops relating to soil health, such as the Soil Wise initiative, and contemporary agricultural strategies with prominent guest speakers and hosts.

3) Stream Restoration - focused on retaining water in the landscape by erecting stock exclusion fencing, conducting revegetation along waterways and hosting riparian management workshops.

4) Annual Community Science Forum - in partnership with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and community groups conduct an annual science forum to share updates on the indicative health of the Oyster Harbour.
Visit our Healthy Estuaries blog to hear the latest from Executive Officer Bruce Radys