Western Trade Coast State Development Area

About

Located at the centre of WA’s port, freight, transport and utilities networks, the Western Trade Coast has supported the WA economy for more than 70 years. The region currently supports around 43,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributes up to $20 billion annually to WA’s economy.

As WA transitions toward a more diversified and lower carbon economy, the Western Trade Coast is entering a critical period of change. The area is well positioned to support growth in renewable energy, critical minerals processing, advanced manufacturing and shipbuilding, alongside its established heavy industries. Major State-significant projects, including Westport and the Henderson Defence Precinct, will underpin long-term employment, investment and economic resilience.

The declaration of the Western Trade Coast as a State Development Area (SDA) under the State Development Act 2025 provides a coordinated framework to guide this next phase of industrial development, further activate strategically important land and infrastructure, and support emerging industries while balancing social and environmental considerations. For more information, view the Western Trade Coast State Development Area Overview.

Status

Current status: Declaration in progress

The Western Trade Coast SDA will be formally declared under the State Development Act. The declaration will be published in the Parliamentary Gazette, which sets out the statutory description of the SDA, including its boundaries and declaration date.

Following declaration, the Coordinator General becomes the central point of oversight for the SDA and is responsible for leading preparation of the Western Trade Coast SDA Plan to guide future land use, infrastructure coordination and development across the area.

What this SDA means

The Western Trade Coast SDA establishes a whole‑of‑government approach to planning, infrastructure coordination and development facilitation in the region.

For proponents and industry:

• Clear guidance and project facilitation through a central point of contact
• Improved certainty for development and investment decisions
• Coordinated planning and delivery of shared, common‑use infrastructure
• Support for State‑significant projects, including Westport and the Henderson Defence Precinct
• An escalation point for resolving complex development constraints.

For landowners:

• Greater clarity on long‑term planning intent and future land use opportunities
• Identification of transitional land uses and strategic land assembly requirements
• No change to existing land tenure, ownership or lawful land uses as a result of declaration.

For the community:

• Maintaining the existing environmental standards, heritage requirements or statutory approval processes
• Coordinated management of social and environmental values, including Cockburn Sound
• Support for ongoing local employment, skills development and economic diversification.

Consultation 

Targeted consultation is supporting declaration of the Western Trade Coast SDA.

The Office of the Coordinator General will undertake statutory public consultation during preparation of the Western Trade Coast SDA Plan. Information on consultation timing, how to participate and supporting material will be published on this page when available.

The OCG will also continue to engage with landowners, industry, government and other stakeholders as part of ongoing implementation planning.

Next steps

The Western Trade Coast SDA will progress through the following phases:

SDA identification (current phase)

• SDA identified and boundary defined
• Targeted consultation undertaken
• SDA Declaration.

SDA Plan

• Detailed technical studies undertaken
• Improvement Scheme process initiated
• Draft SDA Plan developed
• Public consultation on the draft SDA Plan
• Finalisation of the SDA Plan for Government approval.

SDA implementation

• SDA Plan comes into effect
• Coordinated implementation across government
• Immediate and ongoing oversight by the Coordinator General, commencing at declaration, to ensure alignment with SDA objectives.

Resources

Download the Western Trade Coast State Development Area Overview