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 August 1 to August 16
Community Cabinet comes to the Pilbara
Key stakeholders are always welcome in our region and that was certainly the case for Premier Roger Cook and his WA Cabinet this week.
The Community Cabinet visit saw a range of Ministers visit towns around the region, before a Cabinet meeting in Karratha that provided an opportunity for local businesses and community leaders to ask questions from the floor.
The visit coincided with a variety of announcements for the Pilbara, including the transfer of West Intercourse Island back to Traditional Owners, confirmation of Karratha as the launch city for Youth Week WA 2025, tenders being released for the fast-tracked Tom Price and Paraburdoo hospital projects, and major road upgrades to the Great Northern Highway between Newman and Port Hedland, and Kumarina and Newman.
From an RDA Pilbara perspective, it was great to see construction starting on Pilbara Hydrogen Hub road upgrades and also the release of more than 170 new housing lots in Karratha.
The latter initiative will see 174 new lots of State Government residential land unlocked, with 85 to be developed by Perdaman for its workers and 89 for general release to the market. Perdaman will build another 15 houses for workers on land sold to it by Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation.
It will take much more than this to fully address the shortage of available and affordable housing in the Pilbara, which is a long-term issue requiring collaboration across all levels of government and industry. But it’s pleasing to see an innovative approach being taken to provide some shorter-term relief.
Busy times for RDA Pilbara
The Community Cabinet wasn’t the only thing keeping the RDA Pilbara team busy over the past week.
Our Chair, Nerida Kickett, was delighted to have the opportunity to attend Woodside Energy’s official 70th birthday celebration. The celebration was a great opportunity to reflect on Woodside’s contributions to the Pilbara and catch up with some valued stakeholders, and it was also very timely - Friday August 16 marked 40 years since the North West Shelf project started gas production for WA customers.
Meanwhile, RDA Pilbara CEO Tony Simpson was thrilled to attend the official opening of CORE Innovation Hub’s Rail Collaboration Centre in the Pilbara. The Centre is an important piece of collaboration between industry and government that will boost skills, capabilities and job creation in our region.
Tony then hit the road to Newman for the launch of the Small Business Report by the Newman Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Creating Communities Australia. The report documents challenges being experienced by the local business community, identifies recommendations to help address them and outlines a simple road map towards the future.
RDA Pilbara looks forward to supporting next steps in the report’s implementation.
Jess’s snaps tells the stories of her culture and elders
We love a feelgood local story and Pilbara photographer Jess Allan certainly represents that – as told this week by ABC Pilbara.
The Yindjibarndi woman started out snapping photos on an old Nokia phone but has since taken her craft to a new level, initially saving money to buy a camera and then progressing to a traineeship in photography and media.
Jess now regularly captures the the stories of Yindjibarndi and Ngarluma elders, and an image of her Aunty Wendy Hubert at Python Pool is on permanent display at WA Parliament.
You can read the full, inspiring, story on the ABC Pilbara website: https://ab.co/3ypVs0j
Fortescue set to start hydrogen-powered truck trial in the Pilbara
Fortescue's hydrogen-powered haul truck prototype has now arrived in the Pilbara and will be trialled in a real-life mining environment at Christmas Creek over coming months.
Nicknamed Europa, the prototype will be tested alongside its battery electric equivalent, Roadrunner, as part of Fortescue’s vision for a future fleet of zero emission haul trucks.
Full story: https://bit.ly/4fH8gA2
Don’t forget about the RDA Pilbara Grants Hub
A reminder that RDA Pilbara’s Grants Hub is now open and ready to act as a one-stop shop for all local businesses, community groups, not-for-profits and individuals who are considering applying for a grant.
You can see what grants are available, register to receive alerts when new opportunities arise and access tips to help you apply for grants.
The Hub is live and ready to go, so please visit it here: https://bit.ly/3QB9oei
Events a reminder of the broad scope of the development
Development of the Pilbara needs to be approached holistically - something our Chair Nerida Kickett reflected on in her monthly newsletter column.
As Nerida writes, a diverse range of events and conferences, along with stakeholder engagements, are needed to help make our region as productive and liveable as possible.
Read the full column: https://bit.ly/3WRZJD0
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