Take a look back at 2019

The Pilbara News reviews what made headlines across the region during 2019. JANUARY Department mulls temporary closure of Karijini The Pilbara’s most popular national park was recommended to be partially closed for December-January each year — the quietest time of year for tourists — under a proposal from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. The Department planned to close the north-central section of Karijini National Park in a bid to improve management and avoid the heightened risks posed by extreme weather events and staff and volunteer shortages typical of that time of year. Karratha in shock after spate of suicides The Karratha community was left reeling after five residents – a woman and four men, aged between their late teens and mid-40s – died in suspected suicides during the month of December. Along with two other cases in Hedland, police labelled the spate a “well above average” number of suicides for the region and it prompted the creation of a critical incident group made up of first responders and service providers. Tragic end to search for Tom Price mum The Tom Price community was left reeling after a massive four-day search effort for one of its own ended in tragedy in late January. Wife, mother-of-two and site manager Felicity Shadbolt went missing after going for a run near Mt Nameless, about 7km from town, on January 13 morning and was not seen again until her body was found near the Tom Price Tourist Park on January 16. Place-branding campaign aims to put Karratha on tourism map The City of Karratha launched a $1.9 million new place branding campaign to showcase the area as a great place to live and visit and counter the common outsiders’ view of Karratha as simply a mining town. The Karratha is Calling campaign aimed to show the city as a liveable and enjoyable place to live through digital news articles, magazine features, online and social media content and other advertising material targeted at the Perth metropolitan area. Communities celebrate top citizens on Australia Day Residents across the Pilbara came together on the national day to recognise their most dedicated community members at Australia Day awards ceremonies. Other festivities included citizenship ceremonies, pool parties, family activities and fireworks. Pilbara runaway train crash costs BHP BHP was faced with a $300 million damage bill when it deliberately derailed a fully laden, 268-car iron ore train about 120km south of Port Hedland after it careered without a driver for 50 minutes at an average speed of 110km/h. A company statement issued weeks later attributed the incident to a combination of mechanical failure and human error. FEBRUARY Vessels pose a risk to whales in the Exmouth Gulf: Report Humpback whales were found to be at risk from noise made by large vessels operating in the Exmouth Gulf, according to research conducted by Murdoch University Professior Lars Bejder. The finding came just days after influential environmental group Protect Ningaloo referred the operation of oil and gas vessels in the area to the Environmental Protection Authority because of concerns about their possible impact on marine life. Cattle crisis at Pilbara station A second animal welfare catastrophe for the year unfolded in WA’s north when more than 600 dehydrated cattle were confirmed dead at a Pilbara property later revealed to be Yandeyarra Reserve, near Port Hedland. WA Agricultural Minister Alannah MacTiernan said initial inspections had found livestock were in poor condition, with limited water access, and more than 100 cattle had been euthanised. Lot sale kickstarts Karratha shopping centre development LandCorp announced the sale of two foundation lots earmarked for the proposed $17 million Tambrey Village Shopping Centre to WA developer Cooksey Property Group, marking the start of works to develop a shopping precinct to service the suburbs of Nickol, Millars Well, Baynton and Baynton West. The purchase was also expected to kickstart the overarching Tambrey Neighbourhood Centre project, a 10ha residential and commercial precinct, including the shopping centre, first mooted in 2010. Planned hydrogen hub poses new industry for the Pilbara A $3 million feasibility study was launched by Yara Pilbara and Engie to find whether the Pilbara could become the site of the world’s biggest renewable hydrogen plant and a national hub for green hydrogen technology. The companies entered a partnership to explore how renewable hydrogen technology could be integrated into Yara’s existing ammonia plant on the Burrup Peninsula to produce enough hydrogen for 28,000 tonnes of ammonia a year, marking a big expansion on an earlier Yara feasibility study Karratha to play host to State tourism conference The City of Karratha was announced as the host of 2019 WA Regional Tourism Conference, one of the State tourism industry’s biggest annual events, in recognition of its commitment to growing the region’s tourism capacity and offerings. The two-day conference was expected to give local operators the chance to network with hundreds of delegates and showcase tourism opportunities in the region to the broader tourism industry Direct links key to cutting Pilbara freight costs Two complementary reports found local businesses could halve their transportation costs, save time and be more competitive if more direct freight links were established in the Pilbara. In separate but related studies aimed at prompting change, the City of Karratha and the Pilbara Development Commission examined why better freight links were needed in the region and how they could be established, with a focus on direct maritime and air links to Asia. MARCH Karratha Women’s Place opens its doors A first-of-its-kind community support centre was officially opened at the Millars Well Co-op on International Women’s Day. Karratha Women’s Place was set up to offer services to support the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of local women and was opened with a series of speeches and a ribbon-cutting ceremony by board members and Pilbara MLA Kevin Michel. Pilbara booze ban stopped for appeals The State Government backed down on further booze restrictions in the Pilbara until appeals to the proposal were cleared by the WA Liquor Commission. The commission confirmed it had suspended new Pilbara-wide restrictions which were due to be imposed on March 31 while it examined several appeals. Cyclone Veronica hits the Pilbara coast Slow-moving ex-tropical cyclone Veronica swept along the Pilbara coast in late March, sending residents from Port Hedland to Karratha into lockdown for up to 57 hours. The severe system led to highways being closed for more than a week, communities needing food drops, cattle from stations being washed away and local governments looking at damage bills in the tens of millions of dollars. Exmouth remembers destruction of Cyclone Vance Exmouth residents past and present attended a commemoration ceremony to remember the impact of Cyclone Vance 20 years on. The category five system was one of the strongest cyclones ever to affect mainland Australia and caused widespread damage in Exmouth, including destroying 100 houses and leaving 2000 people homeless. State Government to close down Wittenoom It was revealed the last three residents of Wittenoom would be kicked out and the town shut down under legislation introduced to State Parliament. Lands Minister Ben Wyatt introduced the Wittenoom Closure Bill 2019 to enable compulsory acquisition of the remaining 17 privately owned lots in the condemned asbestos town, where asbestos tailings remain a health risk to residents and tourists. Ashburton Shire budget could face 10pc hit after Chevron rates decision The Shire of Ashburton expected to lose about 10 per cent, or $5 million, of its operating budget in the wake of a tribunal finding that Chevron was overcharged rates for its Wheatstone LNG Project several years ago. In a decision handed down in the State Administrative Tribunal, Judge Tim Sharp ruled partly in favour of Chevron in its objection to the WA Valuer-General’s 2016-17 unimproved valuation assessment for the $34 billion plant near Onslow, after the Shire had collected rates the previous year based on that valuation. APRIL Exmouth cruise ship no-shows a business blow The lack of cruise ship facilities in Exmouth was found to be threatening the viability of the industry and costing the small town $150,000 a year in lost tourism income. A Shire of Exmouth-commissioned report revealed regular cruise ship cancellations to the tourist town were causing significant harm to local businesses, which often put on extra resources to cater for the influx of visitors. Land development hope for Cossack locals It was revealed long-suffering Cossack landholders may soon be able to build on land the State Government once promised would become the “Broome of the Pilbara” after the City of Karratha ushered through planning changes allowing construction without essential services. Development at the former pearling town had been held back by myriad issues for 35 years, but council passed local planning scheme changes to allow landowners to build homes and holiday accommodation using off-grid power, water and effluent disposal. Lot sale sees planned Karratha mental health facility progress Plans to establish a step-up, step-down mental health facility in Karratha took a significant step forward after City of Karratha councillors approved the sale of a Bulgarra lot flagged for the development. A 3500sqm parcel of land on Gregory Way, Bulgarra, will be the site of the $9.7 million proposed facility after councillors voted in favour of a motion to sell it to the Department of Communities, on behalf of the Mental Health Commission, for about $490,000. Crowd gorges on feast of Karijini cultural delights The Karijini Experience has been labelled the premier cultural event in WA and the 2019 festival did not disappoint, attracting several thousand people over six days. Highlights included performances by Dan Sultan, Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse and 10-course Fervor degustation dinners held in secret locations. ‘Suspicious’ item shuts down Karratha Airport In one of the most bizarre stories of the year, emergency procedures were activated at Karratha Airport on Good Friday after security staff detected a suspicious item inside a passenger’s luggage that was later revealed to be a pie warmer. Several hundred passengers and staff were evacuated from the building and multiple planes were grounded during the investigation process, which lasted for several hours. Thousands turn out for Pilbara ANZAC Day services As dawn broke on ANZAC Day, thousands of Pilbara residents gathered to pay their respects to the men and women who have served their country. The biggest service, at Karratha Country Club, alone drew more 1000 people. MAY No plans afoot to cut insurance costs A Federal Government investigation and regional hearings into high insurance prices in the North West resulted in nothing but talk, five months after a string of recommendations was made to reduce rocketing premiums. Hub brings Wickham community together Wickham’s community hub was more than a decade in the planning but the wait was finally over when the long-awaited facility opened its doors on Sunday morning. The $16.35 million Wickham Community Hub includes a library, 50-place early learning centre, youth drop-in centre, skate park, offices, multi-purpose community rooms, water playground and refurbished squash centre and community hall. Centre shuts after mortgage default A state-of-the-art medical centre planned to revolutionise healthcare in Karratha closed suddenly after the Aboriginal corporation funding it defaulted on mortgage payments. Staff at the Pilbara Medical Centre on Warambie Road were given a week to leave the premises after the bank issued a breach notice against Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation and ordered the clinic to stop trading. Price keeps her seat Liberal MP Melissa Price was convincingly re-elected to the seat of Durack, but question marks remained over whether she’ll retain her Cabinet portfolio for the environment. Ms Price, who has held the seat since 2013, enjoyed a swing of nearly 2.5 per cent in her electorate, despite claims she was avoiding media throughout her campaign. Pipeline plan near Ningaloo setback Plans to construct a controversial gas pipeline next to world heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef in the Exmouth Gulf were back at square one after the proponent asked the Environmental Protection Authority to terminate its assessment. The proposal by engineering company Subsea 7 was to build steel pipe bundles carrying communication lines and drag them through the Gulf to offshore gas fields. End of the road for Wittenoom A State Government plan to shut down the asbestos-contaminated town of Wittenoom was backed by local councillors, who called for a bipartisan approach to remediate its surrounds without delay. Councillors also said the State Government should take responsibility for potential disease lawsuits stemming from exposure in Wittenoom. Fishy affair shines spotlight on town The organisation of the 2019 Ningaloo Whale Shark Festival started later than usual but despite that numbers were steady on previous years with the gala on Friday night almost at full occupancy and Sunday’s festival sundowner a sellout. JUNE $20m hotel works to start in August Works were finally due to begin on a controversial Pilbara hotel development in August, more than six months after the originally scheduled start date. Construction of a $20 million Hilton Garden Inn, at The Quarter in the Karratha CBD, was originally slated for the beginning of the year, but property developer Pacifica Developments did not start designs until the end of January. Ocean gentle giants in focus Researchers and managers of the world’s biggest fish descended on Exmouth for a conference on the science and tourism around the ocean’s gentle giant. The fifth International Whale Shark Conference ran from May 28-31 and brought together 130 delegates from 21 countries. Shire boosts eco-resort plan Mining magnate Andrew Forrest’s mission to transform an Exmouth caravan park into a state-of-the-art eco-resort finally gained momentum after the local council approved major planning changes. The Shire of Exmouth approved a revised Local Development Plan for the Vlamingh Head precinct, providing a framework for the proposed redevelopment of the Ningaloo Lighthouse Caravan Park. Camp not asleep to town’s needs Construction on a controversial 604-bed fly-in, fly-out accommodation facility in Karratha began after years of negotiations and debate between Woodside and the City of Karratha. Construction will take about 13 months, with the facility expected to be fully operational in mid-2020. Cruise ships to Dampier The Pilbara cruising industry is set to be bolstered next year when the Port of Dampier welcomes a cruise liner for the first time. This comes as Port Hedland prepares for a passenger vessel to dock into the town after a two-year hiatus, setting 2020 up to be the strongest cruise season for the region. Petitioners voice anger over fares Pilbara residents furious over rocketing airfares to Perth have taken matters into their own hands with one person collecting some 5000 petition signatures in a week. The petition was calling for a one-way ceiling price of $500 to be set by the airlines. JULY A tale of one city - and one town - in the Pilbara July marked five years since former Pilbara MLA Brendon Grylls declared Karratha the first city of the north. At the time, he was hopeful of declaring Port Hedland a city too by year’s end. That never happened, and the gulf between the two towns has become hard to ignore. Pilbara News looked back at the progression of Karratha and Port Hedland over the last half decade. Work camp proposal to house 1300 Karratha hotel Best Western Plus The Ranges lodged a development application with the City of Karratha to build a 1288-bed workforce accommodation village in an extension of its existing premises on De Witt Road, about 1.5km from the CBD. Waste initiatives cheered Yara Pilbara, Woodside and Rio Tinto have made inroads into the war on waste this year, with all three companies implementing new initiatives focused on reducing, reusing and recycling. Yara is leading the way with a ban on the use of disposable cups saving the company $20,000 a year. September start for delayed road Construction of stage three of the Karratha to Tom Price road was set back due to delays in issuing tenders and the discovery of asbestos in the area. At the beginning of April, Pilbara News reported construction of stage three would start in July, but it was reported work would not begin for at least another three months. NW flights to take off A new flight service linking five towns in the North West announced it would take off from August after stakeholder support helped get the ambitious plan over the line. The Aviair flight network would involve regular flights from Karratha to Paraburdoo, Port Hedland, Newman and Broome, and Newman to Port Hedland, on a nine-seater plane. Beazley backs major defence presence in NW WA Governor Kim Beazley underscored the need for a major defence presence in the North West to protect key infrastructure, saying that the region’s strategic position is poised to only become more complex in the years to come. Study finds Gulf plays critical role A once-in-a-generation report revealed the staggering level of biodiversity in the Exmouth Gulf and found it contains more species than the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef. The report revealed the Exmouth Gulf was home to at least 1800 species of fauna, including eight marine mammal species, five species of sea turtles, 63 species of sharks and rays and 790 species of fish. AUGUST ACCC push to cut insurance costs A national website comparing home insurance costs was among 13 new recommendations put forward by the consumer watchdog to help those struggling with high premiums in the North West. The comparison site would be compulsory for all insurance companies and would provide consumers with clear information about their choices. Karratha a city built on resources and passion Karratha celebrated 50 years since it was gazetted and Pilbara News looked back on the main turning points in its history. From a vast tract of undeveloped pastoral land to a prosperous regional city in control of its destiny, Karratha has come a long way its first half century as a town. Resident’s Qantas probe grounded A Karratha resident’s quest for answers about the high cost of airfares in the Pilbara has come to a screeching halt after a meeting with Qantas failed to provide answers. Chris Pickett, who started a 9000-signature petition and a Facebook group with more than 5000 members, met with a senior representative from Qantas and raised eight issues on behalf of residents in the region. Festival crowd shimmers for golden 50th birthday The red dust of Tom Price was temporarily laced with gold as community members celebrated the golden jubilee of their town’s biggest annual event. The Namelesss Jarndunmunha Festival marked its 50th anniversary, drawing several thousand people to Clem Thompson Memorial Oval for the milestone event, which featured the gold-inspired theme of Jubilee in the Dust. City’s rental squeeze even worse Rental properties in Karratha were becoming harder to come by as prices soar and owner-occupier rates skyrocket. According to the Real Estate Institute of WA website, the price of most rental properties had increased between $40 to $70 a week since the beginning of the year and the number of homes available to lease has declined from 140 to 40 in just over six months. FIFO camps to house 5288 staff Three applications for new fly-in, fly-out workforce accommodation projects went before the City of Karratha council, a sign the predicted rise in resource industry activity in the region is taking off. Councillors voted not to oppose any of the projects in-principle but noted an increase in new FIFO camp developments would present a “difficult balancing act”. SEPTEMBER Get set for mini-boom The Pilbara needed to start preparing for significant economic growth with a rapidly tightening property market, rising population and diversifying economy already manifesting as early signs of an upswing, according to a report prepared for the State Government. Prospects of major NW city raised Calls for politicians to renew focus on establishing a major city in the North West, potentially in Karratha, received the backing of two prominent West Australians. On Seven’s new panel show Flashpoint, former foreign minister Julie Bishop and WA builder Dale Alcock said creating a North West city would showcase WA to key Asian trading partners. Rodeo thrills, spills bring small town to life Charging bulls and bucking horses made their riders hold on tight and the red dust fly at the Pilbara’s biggest rodeo. The three-day Robe River Rodeo and Campdraft drew several thousand people to Pannawonica, bringing the small town to life for its biggest annual event, now in its 24th year. Road project under way Two major Pilbara towns witnessed a milestone achievement after construction of an infrastructure project decades in the making finally got under way. The official sod turning for stage three of the Karratha to Tom Price Road was conducted, with Premier Mark McGowan and Minister for Transport Rita Saffioti completing the bumpy journey between the two towns on the currently unsealed road. GP wait times clogging up ED Wait times of up to two weeks to snare a GP appointment in Karratha caused a rise in the number of people turning up to the local hospital emergency department. At the time, there were only two GP clinics in the area, with a total of six doctors on hand to serve the more than 20,000 people who live in the likes of Karratha, Wickham, Dampier and Point Samson. Mining area’s big tourism opportunities Karratha was a hive of activity when close to 250 delegates descended on the city for the WA Regional Tourism Conference. It was only the second time the conference has been held in a regional location, with representatives from major tourism stakeholders gathering to discuss topics such as indigenous tourism, skills and labour and the changing perception of Karratha. OCTOBER Premier warns Feds on bid to scrap FBT Premier Mark McGowan believes the Pilbara will be “dramatically impacted” if the Federal Government adopts a draft report recommendation to scrap allowances and fringe benefits tax concessions. The comment was made in Parliament in response to a question from Pilbara MLA Kevin Michel about what the concessions would mean for regional towns in WA. CBD hotel work to start this year Construction of a long-awaited hotel at The Quarter in Karratha’s CBD was set to begin before Christmas, after being approved by the State’s regional development authority. The 100-room Hilton Garden Inn was originally slated to begin construction in January, but delays with the sale of the land and the development application caused that timeframe to be setback by almost a year. BDR on track: Papalia A Pilbara-wide trial of the banned drinkers register could begin as soon as the end of the year, as concerns have been raised at the plan’s slow rate of progress. Racing and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia has advised he “hopes” the trial of a banned drinkers register, which he proposed for the Pilbara in August 2018, would begin by the end of the year or a short time afterwards. Take two for liquor ban push A fresh push for tougher liquor restrictions in parts of the Pilbara could be on the way as WA Police confirms its officers have begun gathering information for a potential new application. A WA Police spokeswoman confirmed that liquor enforcement unit officers from Perth visited Karratha, Roebourne, Wickham and Newman between August and October to collect information. Works starts on new shops Karratha’s first major retail project in decades - a $17 million shopping precinct in Nickol expected to better activate the western side of Karratha - begun construction. Two building companies began concurrent construction works on the Tambrey Village shopping centre, on the corner of Dampier Highway and Bathgate Road. NOVEMBER Nightclub plan to jump over more hurdles A new two-storey nightclub proposed for the Karratha CBD was approved by the council, subject to meeting further compliance requirements. A development application for the old bank building at 12 Hedland Place to be converted into Karratha’s second nightclub was approved with conditions by an 8-2 majority of City of Karratha councillors. Planning under way for new $38m hospital The WA Country Health Service has entered the early stages of planning a proposed $38 million new hospital for the town of Tom Price to replace its ageing existing facility. A portion of the vacant land bordered by East Road, Poinsettia Street and South Street has been identified by WACHS as the preferred location for a new Tom Price health service. World menus set to be our oyster They are a desired seafood delicacy and their planned mass production in the North West could see WA grown rock oysters reach menus across the globe as part of a move to bolster local economies and create work. The Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia is pumping millions of Commonwealth funding into aquaculture trial sites off the coastlines. Premmie Para celebrity The community of Paraburdoo had a case of baby joy after the first baby to be born at the town’s hospital in more than 14 years entered the world. Born eight weeks premature, Cooper Coles was delivered by local staff and Royal Flying Doctor Service specialists in an unexpectedly early birth at Paraburdoo Hospital on Friday, November 7. Housing plan to keep rents down The lack of housing availability and rising rents in Karratha could become a thing of the past as the City considers an investment program worth tens of millions of dollars. City of Karratha councillors passed a motion last week to develop a business plan which would look into the idea of investing between $20 million and $35 million to build houses and apartments in town. DECEMBER New sports bars to liven up town The hospitality scene in Karratha is set to drastically transform over the next year as the city prepares to go from having no sports bars to three by the end of next year. Blanche Bar Group submitted the licence for its newest venture, Grand Central, which will open at the new Tambrey Village Shopping Centre by next November, while Onyx on Sharpe owner Sean Throssel prepared to open Stadium 26 by the end of the year and the Tav in Pegs Creek was continuing with renovations to convert its space. TV family affair for Red Dog vet He’s best known as Red Dog’s vet and now he’s returned to TV, this time with his family in tow and a whole heap of different animals to treat. Well-known Pilbara vet Rick Fenny hit the small screen for the four-episode TV series Desert Vet, which will see him dealing with everything from loveable pets to endangered whale sharks alongside his marine biologist son Ed Fenny and his veterinarian daughter Louisa Fenny. One last wag of Pilbara’s greatest tail A legendary Pilbara tail hit the big screens once again to close the curtain on one of the most iconic and beloved Australian movie franchises in history. Koko: A Red Dog Story officially opened in cinemas , bringing an end to the award-winning film series that has become synonymous with the red dirt region. Palms reno to boost town The Dampier Community Association rejoiced at the news a contractor had been appointed to redevelop Rio Tinto’s mothballed workers’ village. Rio Tinto engaged CMA Contracting to complete the renovation of the 576-room Peninsula Palms Village, near Rio Tinto’s Dampier port. Tree’s company for saving lives The Anchovy Flats between Karratha and Dampier are home to many whimsical sculptures, but now a lone blue tree is serving as a stark reminder of the tragedy which struck the community around this time last year. The 2018 festive season was a tough one for many, with the family and friends of the eight people in the region who took their own lives still reeling from the loss.