The New Pilbara
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THE NEW PILBARA THE NEW PILBARA Pilbara Cities Initiative made possible by the State Government’s Royalties for Regions program. Karratha City. Photograph courtesy of LandCorp. 4 THE NEW PILBARA The information contained in this publication Document produced and designed by FORM for the is provided in good faith and believed to be Pilbara Development Commission accurate at time of publication. The State and October, 2016 the authors shall in no way be liable for any loss sustained or incurred by anyone relying on the information. While every effort has been made to vet the contents of this report, it may contain references to, or images of, people who are now deceased. Pilbara Development Commission: The Pilbara Development Commission and the authors regret any offence this may cause. The Quarter HQ Level 2, 20 Sharpe Avenue Data presented on pp. 52, 53, 56, 57, 68, 69, 90, Karratha WA 6714 104, 105, 137, 138, and 151 of this publication has been compiled and presented by KMPG on 1800 843 745 behalf of the Pilbara Development Commission [email protected] based on data sourced from third parties, www.pdc.wa.gov.au with reliance placed upon the accuracy and completeness of the data provided by the relevant parties. © Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. Copyright for photographic images is held by the individual photographers. Copyright for written content resides with the authors. Copyright for the design resides with FORM. Copyright for the publication is vested in the Pilbara Development Commission. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means without prior permission from the Pilbara Development Commission. THE NEW PILBARA 5 ‘Opportunities abound in the Pilbara and many people have sought a better life by relocating to the region from other towns and cities, not just within Western Australia, but from around the country and overseas. ‘This diversity of cultures, traditions and beliefs has blended with the Pilbara “can do” and “fair go” attitude to create the rich tapestry of character and community that has become the new Pilbara.’ Hon. Brendon Grylls, MLA Leader of the National Party of Australia (WA). 6 THE NEW PILBARA Newman, 2016. Photograph by Sarah Stampfli. 8 FOREWORD Hon. Terry Redman MLA, Minister for Regional Development; Lands; Minister assisting the Minister for State Development 9 FOREWORD Chris Gilmour, Chairman: Pilbara Development Commission 10 OVERVIEW 12 THE PILBARA: Map 16 THE PILBARA: Economic Powerhouse 18 PILBARA CITIES INITIATIVE: Why it was started 20 PILBARA CITIES INITIATIVE: A Vision and an Achievement 22 TO 2050 AND BEYOND CONTENTS 24 PILBARA CITIES SNAPSHOT 26 COMMUNITY PROJEctS AND ENGAGEMENT 28 Aboriginal 40 Education 52 Health 60 Family & Community 64 Recreation 90 Towns 96 Youth 100 LAND AVAILABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT 104 Aboriginal 110 Civic Infrastructure 116 EcONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION 132 INFRASTRUctURE COORDINATION 134 Infrastructure 136 Roads 140 Towns 150 Water 160 PROJECT PARTNERS 162 INDEX THE NEW PILBARA 7 HON. TERRY REDMAN MLA, Minister for Regional Development; Lands, Western Australia The State Government has long recognised that This unprecedented investment from the State as a vital driver of the State’s economy, building Government cemented the Pilbara’s economic on the potential of the Pilbara is a benefit for all importance in the nation’s economy and created a Western Australians. brighter future for the region. The landmark $1.7 billion Pilbara Cities Women in Karratha now have access to obstetric initiative is part of a long term commitment services, removing the need to travel long distances from the State Government to build the Pilbara to deliver their children while underground power into a vibrant region with a strong economy across Karratha, Port Hedland, Dampier, and that is a desirable place to live, work, and Roebourne will enable greater community and invest. Looking at the Pilbara region today I commercial resilience in the aftermath of cyclones. can confidently say we are well on the way to For the first time, Newman and Wickham have achieving this, and so much more. salaried paramedics to supplement the volunteer paramedics in these communities. For a region with a population of only 60,000, the Pilbara punches above its weight in terms These are just a few examples of the positive of economic contribution to the State, and to outcomes Pilbara Cities has delivered for the towns Australia. However, this wasn’t reflected in the and communities of the region. Pilbara Cities has level of investment in community and town underpinned the ‘new Pilbara’ – a region with infrastructure. the same offerings and opportunities that the metropolitan areas in Western Australia have, and Underpinned by the State Government’s because of this more and more families are choosing Royalties for Regions program, the Pilbara to call the Pilbara home. Cities initiative took on the challenges presented by the resource sector’s growth and We now move to the next stage of development and revitalised the region through investments in sustainability for the region. The Pilbara Regional infrastructure, land development, community Investment Blueprint outlines the growth and projects and economic diversification. The development aspirations, priorities and investment Karratha Quarter, the revitalisation of South opportunities for the region moving forward, and Hedland, the upgrade of wastewater treatment will allow us to build on the success of the Pilbara plants across the region, Wallwork Road Bridge, Cities initiative. I look forward to working in Dampier Community Hub and the development collaboration with the community, other government of the East Pilbara Arts Centre and Martumili agencies and industry to make the future aspirations Gallery are just some examples of strategic of the Pilbara Regional Investment Blueprint a reality. projects and infrastructure that Pilbara Cities has delivered. 8 THE NEW PILBARA CHRIS GILMOUR Chairman, Pilbara Development Commission This publication provides an overview of the Pilbara The Pilbara Development Commission is Cities initiative, and what it has delivered and responsible for the effective planning, coordination achieved for the region since its inception in 2009. and delivery of the Pilbara Cities initiative. This includes maintaining effective relationships with The Pilbara has been through a significant key partners across government, industry, and the transformation over the last six years, which has been community, who have all played a key role in the nothing short of remarkable, and heralds a new era of transformation of the region and in the delivery of normalisation for the region – the ‘new Pilbara’. Pilbara Cities projects. The Pilbara is now characterised by high quality Pilbara Cities has, and will continue to deliver regional living, with modern services and facilities major projects that transform towns and cities into that support the development of strong local attractive and vibrant places offering a full suite of communities. lifestyle options and diverse opportunities similar to those on offer in the metropolitan area of Western The Pilbara is now home to world-class recreation, Australia. sporting, and community facilities, infrastructure and land supply are now meeting the needs of the The Pilbara Regional Investment Blueprint builds growing population and there are new opportunities on the success of the Pilbara Cities initiative, and is for business growth and diversification. Residents a plan for the region, by the region. It will take the have access to suitable levels of education and health ‘new Pilbara’ into a new era of development, and services, which are all being delivered through will be a roadmap for the future that will see the modern infrastructure and innovative technologies. Pilbara become a region of diversity by harnessing its strengths and investing in its people. The Pilbara Cities initiative has laid a solid foundation for this transformation, and in this publication we I am proud of the difference Pilbara Cities has highlight the Pilbara Cities investments that have made to the region so far, and the support that been channelled into projects such as housing, health, Pilbara Cities gives to the region means that more education, culture, recreation, environment, and people can visit, stay, invest, work, and play in the economic development, which all are critical to the communities in a sustainable way. As we move wellbeing and retention of residents. into the next phase of development for the region I look forward to delivering the vision of the Pilbara Regional Investment Blueprint to ensure a strong legacy for the region for future generations to come. THE NEW PILBARA 9 OVERVIEW The Pilbara. Unless this unique region is experienced first- Each town is distinctive, and has its own heritage and identity, hand, it usually eclipses any attempt to describe it. Stand on its own relationship with the Pilbara’s recent and ancient past. the lip of a gorge in Karijini National Park, and test a whole Whether purpose-built to cater for the 1960s discovery of iron hemisphere’s centre of gravity. Swim to the centre of Handrail ore, for nineteenth-century gold prospecting, or to service the Pool—don’t think of what lies below—and look up to where early pastoral industry, the Pilbara’s settlements are now home the earth’s crust tears open to the sky. Float in the mouth of to nearly 70,000 people, and the region boasts an enviable mix the earth. Experience the spatial dissonance when taking of cultures and nationalities. a tour around one of the world’s largest open pit mines in Newman. How to explain how any of that might feel? It also is the country of more than thirty Aboriginal language groups. The desert and coastal regions of the Pilbara are shaped The region accounts for 20% of Western Australia’s total by tens of thousands of years of ritual and story, passed from land mass, spanning the breadth of the state.