Peter Long, Kelly Nunn to drive diversification after re-election as City of Karratha council leaders

Peter Long will serve another two years as Mayor for the City of Karratha after his re-election at Monday’s council meeting. Mr Long has worked on council since 2011, serving two years as deputy mayor before landing the top role in 2014 as the City’s first mayor. He said he wanted to continue his commitments in the diversification of the economy, aged care and safety among other things. “Getting different sorts of jobs so that people of all different skills can actually live here,” Mr Long said. “The trouble with being a resource town as we are now, whenever iron ore price drops and the mining companies start pulling their expenditure in, people lose jobs. “We’re trying to get away from that boom-bust mentality, which the resource industry is bringing on.” Mr Long is one of the backers of the More than Mining campaign launched by former WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls. The campaign calls for an overhaul of fringe benefits tax to reduce the cost of buying or renting a house in the country’s mining towns. “The benefit to these communities will be huge and and we think it’ll cause housing prices to drop in the longer run,” he said. “So it’ll be easier for ordinary mums and dads to buy their house.” Kelly Nunn was also re-elected as deputy mayor, this time in a contested election with Geoff Harris also putting his hand up. Mr Long said he was pleased for Ms Nunn’s re-election. “She’s been deputy mayor for the last two years and she did a very good job and she’ll continue to do a very good job,” he said.