Since the 1980s, there had been an awareness in the community of the need for a coordinated approach to manage competing demands on the natural resources of the area. The need for a formal management structure to tackle catchment issues on a broad scale, holistic basis led to the Shires of Busselton and Capel making a joint submission to the Minister for the Environment in 1995.

In response to this request, a Steering Committee of community members was formed, to work out with the wider community the most appropriate means of addressing the many issues confronting the catchment.

A community based management body - the Geographe Catchment Council - was formed to deal with land and water issues using an integrated catchment management approach.

GeoCatch was preceded by an organisation called the Geographe Bay Advisory Committee (GBAC).

Everyone who lives in or travels through the catchment benefits from and is responsible for its ongoing health. GeoCatch supports and assists initiatives, particularly on-ground works, aimed at rehabilitating, protecting and promoting sustainable development of the catchment.