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

Changes to community demographics is being observed with many farmers leaving the land and seasonal employment impacting the demographics often.

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

Changing crops and plants are being observed.

Mega-farms and more broad-acre farms are now present. It is getting down to less than 7000 farms in the region with hundreds having walked off the land.

There is a mix of diverse family farms. However, farmers are aging.

International ownership or corporate ownership of farms becoming more common. They often use economically viable methods.

More conservation in farming is being seen.

Changes in species in the region observed (cockatoos are moving west, marri trees are flowering early, march flies are starting earlier and staying through till February.

Weed encroachment is becoming a big problem. There is a distinct broom and grass weed fringe in the region with Manjimup being the worst DAFWA has seen. Once cotton bush invades the Region, it will be south-west wide. A changing climate and increase in bush fire will favour some species like Broom which does well after fire. It will out-compete native species, reducing diversity and further increasing fire risk.

More extreme weather events such as strong winds inland is affecting trees.