The removal of trees for housing, increasing development and an increasing population are all having an impact on the system.

Changes to Busselton airport where FIFO workers are able to fly in and out from is resulting in changes in social structure. Increases in rental prices resulting in people moving on causing labour shortages.

Increased tourism pressure; large scale events causing local issues

Increased traffic congestion – increased frustration and pollution

Demographic of the communities are changing. There are more Perth people living in the area and more FIFO using Busselton Airport. With these changes it is being observed that there is less connection to the environment, whether natural or social due to urbanisation; fast population growth; increased traffic congestion and rapid expansion in residential and industrial development.

Rapid population expansion is occurring, faster than resources can service them.

Increased absentee landholders are being observed.

Increasing social problems is being experienced.

Increase in temperature and reduction in rainfall is impacting on the local amenity through the increase stresses on the forest.

Flooding of urban centre a concern with expected sea level rise.

Loss of animal husbandry skills is being observed especially in younger generations.

A lot of previously viable productive operations are now non-viable.

There is a lack of succession from one generation to another due to lack of viability and it not being attractive to younger generations.

Government policy is not supporting agriculture in the catchment and it is becoming nearly non-existent.

Increasing subdivisions are eating into agricultural land. This drives up prices of farming land making it difficult for young farmers to buy in and increases restrictions on surrounding farmers (eg. noise, dust and chemical usage).

Sea level rise and storm surge is currently impacting infrastructure and is expected further impact it into the future.

Rising sea levels and increased wave action is expected to negatively impact on the landscape. Sea level rise will impact estuarine fringing vegetation and coastal processes (sand and waves).

Prolonged periods of high sea levels and flooding expected.

Salt water intrusion is increasing and staying above surface for longer periods. As rainfall decreases, there will be an increase in pumping from the aquifer which will mean more salt intrusion into the groundwater.

Rivers are not running the same; reduced flows are being observed often.

Contamination of water resources from run-off from hobby farms, fertilisers from lawns and urban stormwater run-off being observed.

Reduction in rainfall will continue to result in increased stress on forests and impacts on water systems on which people depend including the recharge aquifers for drinking water.

Longer periods of stress are being observed and the trees aren’t recovering.

Increased evapotranspiration expected.

There is a lack of connectivity of forest systems in the urban development areas of the coast (e.g. banksia forest).

Fire risk is expected to continue to increase.

Dieback spread is increasing.

More fires and an increasing intensity in wetlands driven by stronger winds are being observed. More frequent summer storms occurring due to more lightning strikes; more drying vegetation and more people (intentional an unintentional ignition).

The Tuart forest is changing.

An example of an out-of-balance system is the increase in the numbers of Ibis in irrigated fields being observed.

There is an increase in Wheatbelt bird species being seen on the coastal plain.