Much of Mandurah's economy is based on tourism, retail and manufacturing/construction, and to a lesser extent on mining and agriculture.
Tourism
Mandurah is considered to be the unofficial gateway to the South West and possesses a variety of tourist attractions, especially based around the water. It is a major fishing and crabbing area in Western Australia, with the city well known for the Blue Manna Crab (Portunus pelagicus) with a festival held in early March known as Crabfest.
Like neighbouring settlements Bunbury and Rockingham dolphins and whales frequent the city annually and dolphin and whale watching are a popular pastime. In December, the canal areas in Mandurah becomes well known for their Christmas lights and special boat cruises are often promoted as a result.
Two zoos lie within the outskirts of the city, as well as a miniature village, a tourist railway and a national park.
Retail
Mandurah has seven day trading during the summer, as well as during school and public holiday periods. Mandurah has five distinct shopping areas, including Centro Mandurah (formerly known as the Mandurah Forum) located at the intersection of Pinjarra and Mandurah Roads. The Bridge Quarter (or The Foreshore) located in the CBD and Dolphin Quay/Mandurah Ocean Marina built at the intersection of Mandjar Bay and the Peel Inlet. There are also smaller retail areas in Meadow Springs, Greenfields, Halls Head and Falcon.
Mining
Although not a mining settlement, Mandurah has a number of mines within two hours of the city. This includes bauxite mining and alumina refining at Pinjarra and Wagerup with the Huntly Mine at Pinjarra the largest in the world. Mandurah is also just one hour away from the Boddington Gold Mine, which has recently become Australia's largest producing gold mine
