The Development of the City of Karratha - Place-Based Solutions in a Remote Area
Tracks
Library
| Tuesday, August 27, 2024 |
| 2:20 PM - 2:40 PM |
Overview
Peter Long, Future Solutions
Speaker
Peter Long
Future Solutions
The Development of the City of Karratha - Place-Based Solutions in a Remote Area
Abstract
The town of Karratha was gazetted on the 8th of August 1969 and the first occupants moved into their new homes in June 1970. Three years later, the town had a population of over 3000 people. After that date Karratha continued to grow, but in fits and starts: rapid expansions due to a new resource project were followed by periods of little change and a reducing population.
Remote towns are unloved by Australia’s urbanised population which unconsciously reaps the benefit of the wealth generated in the bush. Karratha is no exception: its remoteness increases the cost of nearly everything, its climate is difficult with hot summers and regular cyclones, people have to be paid more, so it is expensive to live in. And like all of regional Australia, its relatively small population makes it politically insignificant – there is little incentive for governments to spend. In Karratha, the initial government investment steadily reduced until there was not a new building constructed in over a decade. Our civic infrastructure and services fell well behind what is expected elsewhere and new residents came for a time to earn some big money before returning to gentler climes.
We who loved the region knew it should be better than it was. The Pilbara alone generates a third of the nation’s income and its people deserved better. In addition, the country needed a significant city on its remote north-west coast to promote its security, wealth, connectivity, and liveability.
After completing an arresting audit of its facilities which showed how poorly we compared to Perth, the Karratha Council decided it was time to act. We considered ways to secure and boost our income, prioritised our infrastructure needs and services and changed our risk attitude. Helped by a supportive State Government, a boom in projects and a few entrepreneurial individuals, we invested substantially in a wide range of initiatives and changed our town dramatically.
The result has been a surge in people wanting to stay and live here, a range of sporting and cultural events, and to date, a steadying economy. There is much to do but people who haven’t visited for a decade cannot get over the change we made to our town.
In my presentation, I will explain what we did to achieve this.
Remote towns are unloved by Australia’s urbanised population which unconsciously reaps the benefit of the wealth generated in the bush. Karratha is no exception: its remoteness increases the cost of nearly everything, its climate is difficult with hot summers and regular cyclones, people have to be paid more, so it is expensive to live in. And like all of regional Australia, its relatively small population makes it politically insignificant – there is little incentive for governments to spend. In Karratha, the initial government investment steadily reduced until there was not a new building constructed in over a decade. Our civic infrastructure and services fell well behind what is expected elsewhere and new residents came for a time to earn some big money before returning to gentler climes.
We who loved the region knew it should be better than it was. The Pilbara alone generates a third of the nation’s income and its people deserved better. In addition, the country needed a significant city on its remote north-west coast to promote its security, wealth, connectivity, and liveability.
After completing an arresting audit of its facilities which showed how poorly we compared to Perth, the Karratha Council decided it was time to act. We considered ways to secure and boost our income, prioritised our infrastructure needs and services and changed our risk attitude. Helped by a supportive State Government, a boom in projects and a few entrepreneurial individuals, we invested substantially in a wide range of initiatives and changed our town dramatically.
The result has been a surge in people wanting to stay and live here, a range of sporting and cultural events, and to date, a steadying economy. There is much to do but people who haven’t visited for a decade cannot get over the change we made to our town.
In my presentation, I will explain what we did to achieve this.
Biography
To be provided
