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18-645: Whicher Range , also known as Whicher Scarp , is a range in the South West region of Western Australia . The range has an average elevation of 170 metres (558 ft) above sea level. Bounded by the Swan Coastal Plain to the west and the south, the Darling Scarp to the north and the Blackwood Plateau to the east, the range is approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Busselton . The range has

36-443: A significant reduction in the number of decisions requiring ministerial approval which allowed for streamlined decision-making and greater local government autonomy. Although successive state governments have periodically promoted municipal amalgamation, only a small number of local governments have merged over the course of Western Australia's history. Historically most local governments have strongly resisted forced amalgamations and

54-523: A tax on private allotments to fund the construction and maintenance of "roads, paths and plantations". As the Colony began to develop, the first form of local government was established in some areas under the Towns Improvement Act of 1838. These trusts were empowered to elect ratepayers as Trustees and assess and collect a property tax for the construction of roads. Many of these town trusts, including

72-529: Is one of the nine regions of Western Australia . It has an area of 23,970 km , and a population of about 170,000 people. Bunbury is the main city in the region. The South West has a Mediterranean climate , with dry summers and wet winters. There is about 900 mm of precipitation per year, with most between May and September. Mean maximum daily temperatures range from 16 °C in July to 34 °C in February. The economy of

90-452: Is under continuous threat from weeds such as Watsonia . A National Park, Whicher National Park , has been created on the range. Despite its unique environmental features of rare flora and residual native vegetation the range is under pressure as a water and gas supply location. The Abba River and the Vasse River both rise in the range and then flow north before finally discharging into

108-740: The Indian Ocean Territories Administration of Laws Act , which allows the Western Australian Local Government Act to apply "on-island" as though it were a Commonwealth act. Nonetheless, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are not parts of Western Australia. The most recent local government elections were held in 2023 . Land was originally granted in the Swan River Colony under regulations which allowed for land commissioners to assess

126-605: The Greater Perth Movement around this time led to the amalgamation of inner city local governments to create a greatly expanded City of Perth until 1993, when the City was broken up once again. The first local government department was established by the state in 1949 to guide local government authorities. Following the war local governments increasingly expanded their services from property, health and local infrastructure (roads, drainage) to community and social services. This

144-505: The Perth Town Trust , experienced severe administrative and financial difficulties, and in some cases barely functioned at all. The Guildford Town Trust lasted only a couple of years before ceasing to function until it was reconstituted in 1863. The District Roads Act and Municipal Institutions Act , both of 1871 improved matters by allowing for the establishment of Roads Boards and Municipal Corporations. Municipal Corporations had

162-645: The Vasse-Wonnerup Estuary near Busselton. The Margaret River and its tributary Margaret River North also rise from the Whicher Range and then flow west before discharging into the Indian Ocean . Large gas reserves are known to exist under the range. Discovered over 30 years ago, the field is estimated to be over 4 trillion cubic feet in size. However, working out means of extracting the gas proved difficult for an earlier company Amity Oil in 2004. In 2011,

180-1086: The South West is very diverse. It is a major world producer of aluminium oxide and mineral sands , and also has substantial agriculture , timber , and viticulture industries. It is Western Australia's second-most popular tourist destination after Perth . The South West region consists of the following local government areas : Some well-known attractions include Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and Discovery Centre , Ngilgi Cave , Augusta Jewel Cave , Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse , Busselton Jetty , Mammoth Cave , Easter Cave, Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Centre , Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree , Diamond Tree , and Gloucester Tree . Local government areas of Western Australia There are 137 local government areas (LGAs) in Western Australia , which comprise 27 cities, 102 shires, and 8 towns that manage their own affairs to

198-585: The Whicher range is Petrophile latericola also known as Laterite petrophile , Ironstone Petrophile or the Ironstone Pixie Mop, which has a range of approximately 4.1 square kilometres (2 sq mi) within the range. Another threatened species that inhabits the range is Grevillea elongata or the Ironstone grevillea which is found mostly in one single community known as Southern Ironstone ; this species

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216-627: The capacity to levy property taxes, pass municipal by-laws and undertake various local regulatory services previously carried out by colonial officials and other central bodies. Corporations could also establish civic institutions and facilities with the governors' consent, including libraries and botanical gardens. Road Boards where strictly limited to the construction of roads, could not levy property taxes and depended on colonial government grants for any expenditures. Women were permitted to be elected to Road Boards from 1911 and to Municipal Corporations from 1919. The influence of town clerk W.E. Bold and

234-632: The extent permitted by the Local Government Act 1995 . The Local Government Act 1995 also makes provision for regional local governments (referred to as "regional councils", established by two or more local governments for a particular purpose. There are three classifications of local government in Western Australia: The Shire of Christmas Island and the Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands are federal external territories and covered by

252-499: The form of a crescent shaped scarp. Composed of lateritic Mesozoic sediments, the range marks the southern and western edge of the Yilgarn Block . The range is also the location of endemic rare flora and this had been identified in the 1970s. It has also been surveyed more recently in 2008, showing that further interest in the range's floristic uniqueness deserved more study. The most critically endangered species that inhabits

270-668: The player for the gas resource included Westralian Gas and Power, which endorses hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" to release the gas. The Western Australian Minister for Mines and Petroleum, Norman Moore has also made public comments regarding legislation in relation to fracking. Also at the same time Whicher Range Energy is in the process of drilling on the location. The range and the rivers that originate in its area were under review for potential dam sites and water allocation. 33°48′S 115°22′E  /  33.800°S 115.367°E  / -33.800; 115.367 South West (Western Australia) The South West region

288-455: The present day. In the 1970s, the scope of local government services expanded to encompass the provision of nursing homes and other forms of aged care. During the late 1980s, and early 1990s a bi-partisan reform process led to the Local Government Act 1995 , which amongst other changes, established for the first time a clear separation of responsibility between elected councillors and local government administration. Other key changes included

306-764: The total number of authorities has declined only marginally over the last century. The most recent state government led effort to encourage the voluntary amalgamation of 30 metropolitan local governments into 16 was abandoned by the Barnett government in 2014. In 2017, the McGowan government initiated a review process to reform the Local Government Act 1995. The 30 metropolitan local government areas (LGAs) comprise 20 cities, 3 shires, and 7 towns. The 107 non-metropolitan local government areas (LGAs) comprise 7 cities, 99 shires, and 1 town . The Shire of Christmas Island and

324-414: Was termed the “New Order” at the time, and encompassed the development of community centres, infant health clinics and sporting facilities. Only a few cities – Fremantle , Nedlands , Perth , South Perth , and Subiaco  – existed prior to 1961. On 1 July 1961, all road districts became shires, and all municipalities became towns or cities. This structure has continued till

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