Karratha to host major conference

Karratha has been selected as the 2019 host destination for the nation’s major conference on economic development in Northern Australia, an event expected to bring a wide range of opportunities for the local economy.

Hundreds of delegates representing all tiers of government, industry, business and academia, among others, will converge on Karratha’s Red Earth Arts Precinct for two days in June for the Developing Northern Australia Conference to discuss issues of importance to the nation’s resource-rich but largely undeveloped north.

It will mark the first time the conference has come to WA after being hosted in Queensland and the Northern Territory for the past four years, mainly because of a lack of suitable large venues in northern WA until the completion of REAP in April.

City of Karratha Mayor Peter Long said securing the conference was a coup for the Pilbara which held exciting potential for economic investment and promoting the region’s tourist appeal to an audience of national decision-makers.

“This is a chance for the city to showcase both our liveability and the investment opportunities available to a large, influential audience,” he said.

“We expect these high-profile visitors to support local businesses, stimulate our economy and generate interest in the unique tourism destinations and experiences the Pilbara has to offer.”

Association of Sustainability in Business chief executive Sam Stewart, whose organisation co-ordinates the Developing Northern Australia Conference, said organisers had been impressed with Karratha’s recent transition from a mining-centred town into a highly liveable community with a more diversified economy, as well as its status as a major economic hub for Australia.