New workers’ village aims to boost community links

Redevelopment of a Woodside workforce accommodation village in Karratha has been completed, with the first residents expected to arrive later this month.

The 604-bed Bay Village took 13 months to complete and replaced older workforce accommodation at the same location.

During construction, builder Multiplex employed more than 600 local people to complete the project, and more than 90 per cent of the project spend was within WA. The village in residential Karratha aims to promote integration between employees and the community and includes a community services co-ordinator to encourage the use of local businesses and services.

While Woodside said it was transitioning to a mostly residential workforce for its Karratha assets by mid to late 2020s, it said there would still be a role for fly-in, fly-out employees for growth projects, shutdowns and certain specialist roles.

Karratha Gas Plant manager Breyden Lonnie said the village would benefit employees as well as the community.

“Woodside worked closely with the City of Karratha to shape the design of the village with the aim of ensuring the best possible outcomes in terms of workers’ mental health and wellbeing, modern design and community integration,” he said. “Services such as the town shuttle bus are being trialled to encourage our workforce to engage in cultural and sporting activities and support local shops and service providers during their downtime.”