South Coast NRM Subregions
North Stirling Pallinup Natural Resources
The Pallinup-North Stirlings sub-region takes in the towns of Gnowangerup, Borden and Ongerup. It lies north of the Stirling Range, takes in the Upper Pallinup Catchment and North Stirling Basin and receives about 450mm rainfall per annum.
In the north, the Upper Pallinup landscape comprises an undulating dissected drainage system that flows south east into the Pallinup River. The soils vary greatly but include reddish brown to grey brown loamy duplex soils, isolated areas of hard-setting grey clays developing on colluvial sediments, and shallow granite and 'nestings' of dolerite dykes trending east to west. This landscape differs to the internally, very poorly drained North Stirling Basin in south of the sub-region where soils are characterised by large areas of poorly structured grey sandy duplex and hard-setting clay soils.
The Basin is of hydrological significance in that the area has shallow perched ground water table systems as well as an accumulation of large stores of salt within the basin sediments.
Agriculture in Pallinup sub region comprises mixed farming with predominantly cropping (cereal production) to the north and east with more livestock (sheep grazing) to the south west. The sub region boasts some of the highest GVAP and crop yields in the South Coast region.
Nature conservation and recreation is also a prominent feature with the presence Stirling Range National Park within the sub region.
New land use industries include large areas of lucerne and canola. There is developing interest in aquaculture, sandalwood production and eco-tourism.
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