The Wheatbelt region east of the Darling Scarp is mainly used for dryland agriculture and is located over ancient hard rock which does not hold reliable quantities of freshwater. Towns in this area are serviced by the Goldfields Agricultural Supply Scheme and the Great Southern Towns Water Supply Scheme. Settlement outside the range of these schemes relies on rainwater collection, groundwater, strategic community water supply facilities and non-strategic Agricultural Area Dams.424
Large reserves of easily accessible, high-quality groundwater support irrigated agriculture in the portion of the Wheatbelt region that is west of the Darling Scarp. Water is available from the Gingin and Jurien groundwater areas to support growth of towns in this part of the region.
Broadly, the Wheatbelt region's demand for water is adequately supplied. However, when demand nears the current supply capacity of the three systems, only the Goldfields Agricultural Supply Scheme and the groundwater aquifers west of the Darling Scarp have capacity to expand. The Great Southern Towns Water Supply Scheme has limited capacity to expand, mainly due to financial factors.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
424. Wheatbelt Development Commission (2013)