Stretching from Shark Bay on Western Australia’s northern coast to Esperance in the south, the Southwest Australia Ecoregion is a huge, triangular swathe of land.
It covers around 493,000 square kilometres, and is one of the most diverse biodiversity regions in the world.
One of only 34 global biodiversity hotspots, it’s recognised as one of the most biologically important, yet fragile, environments on Earth.
But as much as the South West may be recognised for its unmatched natural beauty, it's as well known for being a traditional provider of industrial resources, like coal and gas.
The long distances, vast open spaces and abundance of resources have meant mining has been associated with the South West for as long as white settlement.
Arthur Bailey and William Ford first found gold at Fly Flat, near Coolgardie, in 1892, and since then an obsession with precious minerals has been intrinsic to the West Australian identity. Some of our favourite stories, from the Gold Rush to Gina Rinehart, revolve aorund what we dig out of the ground.
Now, as two long-standing MPs test the waters with a total fracking ban in the South West, these two ideas - two ideas which hold a strong standing in the West Australian mindset - are coming to a head.
State Member for the South West Sally Talbot and member for Collie Mick Murray, both Labor members, pledged earlier this month to completely ban unconventional shale and tight sand gas drilling throughout the South West.
It’s been a controversial topic, one that has caused no end of heated discussion between almost all of the residents of the small country towns dotting the landscape from Perth to Esperance.
Arguments over the facts, the science and the place of industrial mining in a region becoming ever-more conscious of the importance of its natural environment have become the main talking points at town hall meetings and discussion with members of parliament.
All if it is in the aim of trying to find some kind of balance between environmental protection and industrial development.
Ms Talbot said both herself and Mr Murray had long been proponents of industrial expansion in the South West, and their decision was as much about protecting viable industry in the area as it is about ecological protection.
"Mick and I come from the part of the Labor Party that's always supported industrial expansion," she said.
"We've always advocated - where possible, with proper environmental controls - for industry.
"Our view is that, in the South West, we have two industries that re not just viable; they are the lifeblood of our economy. And those two industries are tourism and agriculture."
The decision they made, Ms Talbot said, came from a long and arduous examination of what was important to the South West – financially, ecologically and socially – and making a decision based on what would be best for the region's future.
“What we had to do was look at those industries, and decide for ourselves – and its up to us now to persuade everyone else – to assess whether those two industries were compatible with fracking,” she said.
“And our conclusion is that they're not in the South West.
“Agriculture and tourism are both major providers of long-term, secure jobs, and they have a record of being good sources of traineeships and apprenticeships for young people.
“The tourism industry can and will employ anybody, from a young teenage waiter to an experienced tesaraunt manager. They're industries that suit our economy very well. They’re industries we need to protect.”
And while Ms Talbot is certain the decision they’ve taken is the right one, she makes no claims a complete ban on fracking is particularly necessary state-wide.
“This decision is specifically about the South West; we're making no overall judgement about the fracking industry,” she said.
“We’ve traditionally had a galthy realtionship with the wider mining industry, and we so no reason for that not to continue.
“What we're saying is that fracking is wrong for the South West.”
Ms Talbot and Mr Murray’s decision has met strong opposition from the mining industry, as well as state Environment Minister Albert Jacob, who said WA already had suitable environmental laws protecting ecological regions.
“In my view, WA has the best track record in the world of balancing environmental outcomes with resource development. We have stringent policies to prevent the issues the Labor Party are talking about,” he said.
Mr Jacob said the ban was pre-emptive, since no plan for fracking has yet been approved by the State Government.
“The Environmental Protection Authority's rigorous assessment process, which includes opportunities for public submissions, is lauded nationally and internationally and I would expect a commercial fracking proposal which may have a significant environmental impact to be formally assessed at the highest level,” he said.
Despite assurances from the government and the mining industry on the safeness of currently-used mining processes, it’s obvious from the support the anti-fracking movement has received – namely through social media-fulled community action – there’s a strong opinion being formed by the people of the South West, and increasingly areas closer to Perth, for a definite line to be drawn.