The region consists of four local government areas, including the Shires of Broome, Derby-West Kimberley, Halls Creek and Wyndham-East Kimberley. The major population centres are the towns of Broome, Kununurra, Derby, Halls Creek, Wyndham and Fitzroy Crossing. There are also over 100 Aboriginal communities of various population sizes, scattered throughout the region and nearly 100 properties servicing the pastoral industry.

The Pilbara Region is Western Australia's second most northern region. It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean to the west and the Northern Territory border to the east, and encompasses the Great Sandy desert to the north east. It covers an area of over 505,000 square kilometres which is approximately 20 per cent of the State's total area.

Most of the inhabitants are located in the western third, whereas the eastern third is largely desert with few inhabitants. The region has four local government areas - the Shires of Ashburton, East Pilbara, Roebourne and the Town of Port Hedland. The major towns of the region are Port Hedland and Karratha. Other towns are Roebourne, Dampier, Onslow, Pannawonica, Paraburdoo, Tom Price, Wickham, Newman, Marble Bar and Nullagine.

The Pilbara came to national and international prominence during the 1960s when the go-ahead was given to extract iron ore deposits in the region. Today the Pilbara economy is crucial to the State, providing two of the State's largest export revenue earners - iron ore and liquefied natural gas.

The Gascoyne Region is located in the lower north west of Western Australia and is dissected by the Tropic of Capricorn. The region extends more than 600 km along the Indian Ocean coast from the Zuytdorp Cliffs to the North West Cape. This incorporates some key coastal geographic features such as the Ningaloo Reef and Marine Park, Coral Bay, Cape Range National Park, Shark Bay World Heritage Area, Monkey Mia and Dirk Hartog Island. The region extends over 300 km inland to Mount Augustus, the world's largest monocline. The Kennedy Range National Park and the Gascoyne River are major inland features.

The 136,110 square kilometre land area of the Gascoyne is about twice the size of Tasmania and represents about five per cent of Western Australia's total area.

The region's population is centred in the key settlements of Carnarvon, Exmouth, Coral Bay, Denham and Gascoyne Junction. Whilst many opportunities for development exist, attracting capital investment remains one of the key challenges facing the region.

The Mid West Region covers almost 470,000 square kilometres or nearly one fifth the area of Western Australia. The region extends along the coast from Greenhead in the south to beyond Kalbarri in the north and more than 800 kilometres east into the mineral rich hinterland. With an area twice the size of the United Kingdom, the Mid West region embraces a wide diversity of landscapes and land uses.

These range from the rich fishing and agricultural areas along and near the coast to the valuable pastoral and mining areas further inland. The Mid West region comprises nineteen local government authorities including the City of Geraldton which is the region's major commercial, administrative and service centre.

The Wheatbelt Region of Western Australia consists of 44 municipalities and covers 154,862 square kilometres; extending from the Indian Ocean in the north west to the western edge of the Goldfields, to the Darling Scarp. The area encompasses some of the most productive wheat fields in Australia, in an area twice the size of Tasmania and six per cent of the State's total area.

The Wheatbelt has long established towns, such as Northam and York, and has well developed networks, social amenities and services. It also benefits from its close proximity to the Perth metropolitan area.

TheWheatbelt’s economy has historically been based on agriculture, particularly cropping, which remains the most dominant industry in the region but it is also supported by mining, commerce, manufacturing, fishing and tourism.

The Peel Region is located immediately south of Perth and covers the coastal plain from the Indian Ocean to the Darling Range. The region is geographically diverse with coastal areas, estuaries, dams, farming areas, native forests and escarpments. Much of the region is a plateau with large expanses of native forest and farmlands.

The region is comprised of the City of Mandurah and the Shires of Boddington, Murray, Serpentine-Jarrahdale and Waroona and covers an area of approximately 5,500 square kilometres.

The South West Region covers an area of 23,970 square kilometres in the beautiful south west corner of Western Australia. The rugged coastline, world class surfing, caves and wineries, are some of the attractions for visitors.

The region's activities include agriculture and horticulture; timber and forest products; mineral extraction, processing and manufacturing; retailing; tourism; construction; other manufacturing; service industries; and fishing and aquaculture. With the ongoing development of these activities and associated infrastructure there will be increasing employment opportunities for the people of the South West.

The region consists of 12 local government areas including Bunbury (City), Harvey, Collie, Dardanup, Capel, Busselton, Augusta-Margaret River, Nannup, Manjimup, Bridgetown-Greenbushes, Boyup Brook and Donnybrook-Balingup. In recent times, the coastal towns of Australind, Busselton, Margaret River and Dunsborough have experienced rapid growth.

The Great Southern Region is located on the south coast of Western Australia, bordering the Southern Ocean. The coast extends for approximately 250 kilometres and features some of the most rugged and beautiful scenery in Australia. The region extends northwards 200 kilometres, and incorporates high quality agricultural areas and tourist locations such as the Stirling Ranges and the Porongurup National Park.

The total land area is 38,917 square kilometres representing approximately 1.5 per cent of the State's total area. The estimated resident population was 51,359 in June 1998.

The historic port town of Albany, which is the State's oldest European settlement, has one of the best natural anchorages in the Southern Hemisphere and is the region's administrative hub. It is the major centre from where much of the crop and livestock production in the region is transported. Inland are found some of the most productive crop and livestock agricultural areas in the State. The Great Southern is notably the second largest wool producing region in Western Australia.

The Goldfields/Esperance Region is one of contrasts with mining in the north and agriculture and fishing in the south. The region is 771,276 square kilometres in area, which represents about one quarter of the State, and includes the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the Shires of Ngaanyatjarraku, Laverton, Leonora, Menzies, Dundas, Ravensthorpe and Esperance. South Australia to the east, the wheatbelt to the west, Great Victoria Desert in the north and the south coast are the generic boundaries of the Region.

The goldrush years of the late nineteenth century brought the region to prominence and mining continues to be the dominant industry. Gold generates most revenue followed by an expanding nickel industry that is being assisted by recent technological advancements for processing laterite ore. Improving transport infrastructure and energy supplies are expected to strengthen the region's future contribution to the State's economy.

Other significant industries are manufacturing and commerce, which are generally located close to the major regional centres of Kalgoorlie and Esperance; fishing along the south coast; and tourism where beautiful beaches and spectacular coastal scenery contrast with the red hues of the arid interior to the north.