WACE Geography ATAR case studies
WACE Geography ATAR · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Geography ATAR course is a Western Australian senior-secondary course studied in Years 11 and 12 and administered within the WACE framework by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA), the statutory authority for curriculum, assessment and certification in Western Australia. It is intended for students who want a rigorous, conceptually demanding study of geography and who may be seeking an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank pathway, though students should confirm current ATAR eligibility rules with SCSA and their school. The WACE Geography ATAR case studies are 5 cases and about 3,338 words.
1Coastal Management Trade-offs on a Retreating Shoreline
A 12 km sandy coastline fronts a town of 8,500 residents. Long-term aerial photography shows the shoreline has retreated 1.8 m per year for 40 years, but the last 5 years averaged 3.1 m per year.
677 words, about 3 min2Urban Heat and the Equity of Tree Cover
A metropolitan region of 1.4 million people has an average tree canopy cover of 18%. Suburb-level data show canopy ranges from 6% in the inner northern suburbs (median household income 52,000, density 3,200 people/km²) to 34% in the outer western suburbs ( 118,000, density 900 people/km²).
643 words, about 3 min3Water Allocation in a Closing Basin
A river basin of 22,000 km² supports 3,100 irrigated farms and a city of 600,000 people. Annual average inflow is 1,450 GL, but allocations total 1,680 GL - a 16% over-allocation.
689 words, about 3 min4Land Use Conflict at the Peri-Urban Fringe
A city of 900,000 is expanding into a peri-urban region of 4,800 km² that contains 62% of the state's prime horticultural soils, 14,000 ha of remnant native vegetation and 210 farming businesses. The metropolitan plan projects 180,000 new residents by 2045, requiring about 9,000 ha of new urban land.
652 words, about 3 min5Tourism Growth and Carrying Capacity on a Heritage Coast
A coastal national park of 380 km² receives 1.9 million visitors per year, up from 1.1 million a decade ago. The park has 46 km of walking trails, 9 beaches and a single access road.
677 words, about 3 min