Eyre Peninsula landscapes are resilient and biodiverse, and sustainably support the communities that live in, work and visit them.
Within this context, the Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board leads the sustainable care of the region’s diverse landscapes, strengthening ecological resilience and supporting the wellbeing of local communities.
Committed to protecting natural assets and productive land, the Board delivers lasting environmental and productivity outcomes through conservation and collaborative partnerships. Working with local communities and key stakeholders, the Board supports sustainable land and water use and strengthens biodiversity for the benefit of current and future generations.
The Eyre Peninsula landscape region takes in approximately 8 percent of South Australia, covering an area of 80,000 square kilometres. It extends from Whyalla in the east, along the Gawler Ranges in the north, to the edge of the Nullarbor Plain in the west. The region includes over 1,640 kilometres of mainland coast spanning from the upper Spencer Gulf to the Great Australian Bight, including 182 offshore islands.
The Eyre Peninsula has a population of approximately 62,000 with major centres being Whyalla and Port Lincoln. Cropping and grazing are main land uses (80%) and main industries by output are agriculture, forestry and fishing, construction and mining; while the top industries by employment are healthcare and social assistance, agriculture, forestry and fishing and retail.
Eyre Peninsula is made up of diverse landscapes from arid areas and farming land to coastal and urban areas. Find out more in our district descriptions that group together areas of similar landscape and land uses.
The involvement of the region’s community has and will continue to be central to implementing landscape change. The community’s contribution is broad and diverse, and it includes on-ground action, information sharing through community networks, working in partnership with the Board to develop and deliver projects, and participation in decision-making such as the preparation of our regional landscape plan. We also have Board members who represent their local communities and an annual Grassroots Grants program to encourage the community to work on local landscape issues.
The agricultural area of Eyre Peninsula ranges from broad-hectare agricultural production with largely mixed cereal and livestock grazing on annual pastures to intensive cropping in the more reliable rainfall areas with pulse and oilseed crops in the rotations. Annual rainfall varies from a reliable 600mm at Port Lincoln to a highly variable 270mm west of Penong.
Soils vary from shallow calcrete and calcareous loams to dune-swale and sandy plains with a range of management issues affecting the sustainability and profitability of framing enterprises.
On average, the region produces 40% of the State’s wheat crop, 24% of barley, and 22% of oats.
There is a scarcity of drinkable water resources on the Eyre Peninsula, hence fresh groundwater is the main source of water for public water supply, irrigation, stock and domestic use. Fresh groundwater is generally confined to discrete areas within limestone aquifers, which occur in the southern and western extents of the region. Most of the region’s fresh groundwater is prescribed under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019, and take is regulated through the Water Allocation Plan (WAP) for the Southern Basins and Musgrave Prescribed Wells Areas and associated water licences.
Pest animals and plants can pose significant threats to agriculture, the natural environment and public health and safety on the Eyre Peninsula.
The Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board works closely with land managers to find ways of reducing the number of pests, help restore native biodiversity and reduce losses in the agricultural industry, as well as responding to new or developing threats from pest plants and animals.
Eyre Peninsula supports rich biodiversity with over 500 native animal species and 1,900 native plant species, including at least 40 plants and several animals found nowhere else in the world. Biodiversity loss is a serious concern, with nine animal and three plant species already extinct and many more at risk on the Eyre Peninsula. Forty-three percent of plants and over a third of native animals have a conservation rating.
The EP Landscape Board works to maintain and enhance biodiversity in priority land and coastal ecosystems, and protect and enhance habitats for important species.
The Eyre Peninsula region encompasses the lands of the Barngarla people, Far West Coast Aboriginal people, Gawler Ranges Aboriginal people, Nauo people and Wirangu people.
The Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board is committed to implementing the Caring for Country – Aboriginal Participation Plan and working closely with Traditional Owners and Aboriginal people in the region to create active partnerships that support cultural connection, protect cultural sites, and safeguard the natural resources of Eyre Peninsula’s lands and waters.
Local Government is a key stakeholder within the region. We strive to maintain effective working relationships with the region’s 11 Councils, the Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association as well as Regional Development Australia. Together, we plan and deliver strategic regional priorities and on-ground projects
The 11 Councils are City Council of Whyalla, Port Lincoln City Council, District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula, Tumby Bay District Council, District Council of Ceduna, District Council of Streaky Bay, District Council of Elliston, Wudinna District Council, District Council of Cleve, District Council of Kimba and District Council of Franklin Harbour.
Eyre Peninsula contributing to natural resource management outcomes
Find out how we are working with the community to safeguard Eyre Peninsula’s natural and productive environment.
Eyre Peninsula’s contributions to NRM shared knowledge across Australia
Eyre Peninsula’s contributions to our national NRM snapshots
