RDA Pilbara regularly compiles a wrap of news that's important to industries and communities in the region and also the highlights of our activities on the ground.
Read on for what's been happening from February 23 to March 1.
A landmark agreement in the Pilbara This week marked a momentous occasion for the Pilbara, with Traditional Owners and Custodians, government and industry coming together to sign a Statement of Intent in relation to future decision making around land use on Murujuga country.
The Statement of Intent is an important step towards a formal Heads of Agreement.
It’s not often that something is truly nation-leading but this is thought to be the first time in Australia that government and industry have partnered with First Nations people towards such a Heads of Agreement.
As such, it’s likely to serve as a model for future partnerships with Traditional Owners and Custodians across the country. Well done to all involved.
RDA Pilbara engages with key stakeholders in Canberra RDA Pilbara CEO Tony Simpson this week traded the red dirt of the Pilbara for the halls of Parliament House in Canberra and some important engagement with key federal stakeholders.
This included Minister for Regional Development Kristy McBain and some very relevant conversations about the refresh of the White Paper on Developing Northern Australia.
In-person engagement such as this is critical to advancing the development of the Pilbara. It's vital that decision and policy makers understand the needs, opportunities and challenges of our region and we’re grateful to all those who made themselves available to meet.
Woodside signs another major international gas agreement Last week saw the announcement of Japanese power producer JERA taking a significant stake in the Scarborough gas project – and this week Woodside was back in the news with a long-term supply deal with South Korean national gas company KOGAS.
While the KOGAS deal is around portfolio supply, it will include volumes from Scarborough, which is expected to start shipping in 2026.
It’s yet another pointer to how energy from the Pilbara – be it from traditional sources or future clean energy production – is in demand around the world and especially from nations in Asia.
Demand is likely to grow even more in coming decades, as the Pilbara Hydrogen Hub comes to fruition.
Read more: https://bit.ly/3SUnqYa
Woodside and the WA Government also this week announced an expansion to the Karratha and Roebourne Education Initiative that has been in place at Karratha Senior High School and Roebourne District High School.
The program will now be extended to Karratha Primary School, Dampier Primary School, Tambrey Primary School, Peg's Creek Primary School, Baynton West Primary School, Millars Well Primary School and Wickham Primary School.
An excellent outcome for a quality program, the first iteration of which was launched way back in 2007.
Read more: https://bit.ly/49FhYja
A new CEO for the Pilbara Development Commission Congratulations to Simon Taylor on being announced as the new CEO of the Pilbara Development Commission.
Simon has strong connections to the Pilbara, including a stint as the Department of Communities’ Regional Executive Director for our region, and brings a wealth of leadership experience to his new role.
We look forward to working with Simon and the PDC team in years to come as both of our organisations strive to advance the industries, businesses, communities and people of the region.
What a difference 45 years makes! A fantastic piece of throwback imagery from Pilbara Ports Authority this week, sharing some great vision of what the Spoilbank Marina site looked like back in 1978 compared to how it’s shaping up now!
Pilbara Ports also shared timelapse vision of Spoilbank over the course of 2023. It’s certainly been a hive of activity and we can’t wait to see the rest of the project take shape.