Western Australia: Peripheral State and Indian Ocean Orientation

Abstract

Three general propositions will be advanced in this paper 1. That Western Australia (WA) possesses a distinctive political sub-culture due in part to its peripheral location and history within the Australian Federation. 2. That Western Australia’s linkages, while strongly associated with Northeast Asia, are also strong with the Indian Ocean Region and that these latter links will strengthen in the future. 3. Third, Western Australia’s current economic security outlook is especially favourable due to its vast minerals resources and agricultural potential. However, the nature of future development is likely to be determined in part by regional and global energy, food and water security considerations. These three issues-energy security, food security and water security-will become increasingly important in WA State, Australian national and also in global geopolitical terms over the next several decades. It is concluded that, as a result of global concerns over energy and food security, that Western Australia, ‘peripheral’ at the creation of the colonial state of Australia, will increasingly assume a ‘central’ role over the next several decades.