PILBARA REGION: A Snapshot
Pilbara Roadmap 2011 – 2016
Part One
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About Us
Regional Development Australia - Pilbara
What is RDA Pilbara?
RDAP is a not-for-profit community
organization formed as part of a
Federal Government initiatives to
support regional development
across Australia.
We work in partnership with all
levels of government, industry and
the non-government sector to help
build and strengthen communities
in the Pilbara region.
RDA Pilbara’s Mission
Our mission is to develop and
strengthen Pilbara communities
through leadership, collaboration
and the provision of responsive and
innovative services.
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Key Facts
The Pilbara Region
The Pilbara region is located in the north of Western
Australia, adjacent to the Kimberley region. With
the Indian Ocean to the west, the region extends
across the Great Sandy Desert to the Northern
Territory border in the east.
Land area:
Unemployment rate:
507,896 km2 (including offshore islands)
4.5% (2009- 10)
Population, 2009:
Gross Regional Product:
47,528
$9.2 billion
Workforce (2009/2010):
25, 419
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An Ancient Land
the Pilbara’s natural environment
Geographical Features: The region
can be separated into three distinct
geographical formations, a vast
coastal plain, breathtaking inland
ranges and an arid desert region
extending to Australia’s dry centre.
Climate: The climate is semi-arid,
characterized by high temperatures,
low and variable rainfall and high
evaporation. Between October and
April, the temperature throughout
the Pilbara can reach or exceed 32
degrees Celsius almost every day.
During the summer a maximum
temperature of 40 plus degrees
Celsius is frequent and extreme
conditions with temperatures above
50 degrees are not uncommon in
inland areas. During the winter
months the average temperature
falls to an enjoyable 25 degrees
Celsius.
Karlamilyi National Park: This Park is
the largest national park in WA (12
837 km2) and the second largest in
Australia. Located in a remote area
north east of Newman, the Park is
mostly arid or semi-arid desert and is
popular for remote area tourism.
The Dampier Archipelago: The
Archipelago consists of 42 islands
within a 45km radius of the port
of Dampier. 25 are reserved
conservation areas for fauna and
flora, and three are reserved for
conservation and recreation. The
islands consist of granitic,
sedimentary and volcanic rocks,
and overlain by much younger
limestone and limesand. The
larger islands support a diverse
range
of
vegetation
communities, as well as mammal
and reptile fauna. The smaller
islands are important sea and
shore bird breeding and feeding
locations while islands closer to
the mainland protect regionally
significant mangrove stands, and
marine turtle breeding sites.
Geoheritage: A number of
internationally important fossil
sites containing the oldest known
fossils are reserved in the Pilbara
region and are now protected
from future impacts through
reserves managed by the
Geological Survey of Western
Australia.
Karijini
National
Park:
Western Australia’s second
largest national park (6274
km2). It contains many
spectacular features and a
variety of rugged landscapes.
The plateau consists of
rounded hills and ranges
divided by valleys and deeply
incised gorges.
The Banjima, Innawonga and
Kurrama Aboriginal people
are the traditional owners of
the park.
Millstream-Chichester
National Park: This 2385 km2
park comprises a landscape of
rolling
hills,
spectacular
escarpments, winding treelined watercourses and part of
the Fortescue River, where
permanent pools are fed by
underground springs. The
Millstream wetlands support
many plants, bird and insect
species. The park was a focal
point for the Yinjibarndi people
and an important inter-tribal
meeting place.
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Australia’s powerhouse
the Pilbara economy
The resources sector: The Pilbara is
Western Australia’s principle mining
region, with industry production
valued at $34.5 billion in 2009-10,
48.7% of the State’s mineral
production. As such, the Pilbara
makes a significant contribution to
the state and Commonwealth
export income.
Oil and gas in the Pilbara region
largely produced offshore, is the next
largest contributor to wealth,
generating $21.2 billion or 97% of WA
Petroleum production (crude oil and
condensate, LNG, Natural Gas and
LPG). Petroleum generated $865
million in royalties for the State
Government.
The royalties paid by companies to
export WA’s natural resources are
significant, with over $3.2 billion
collected in the 2008/2009 financial
year.
Tourism: Apart from the resources
sector, tourism has the most
economic potential in the Pilbara,
particularly
with
respect
to
Indigenous Cultural, industrial and
nature based tourism.
In 2009
tourism expenditure in the region
totaled $207 million.
All onshore mining royalties are
collected by the WA Government,
while offshore oil and gas royalties
are collected by both the State and
Commonwealth Governments.
The Pilbara region produced $32
billion or 96% of WA’s iron ore
production in 2008-2009.
This
generated approximately $1.86
billion in royalties.
Aquaculture: The Pilbara Region
produced approximately 15% of the
value of the state’s pearl production
at $13.5 million in 2008-09.
Indigenous Participation: A number
of significant strategic partnerships
have been established across the
region targeting and promoting
Indigenous economic participation
and employment such as the Pilbara
Aboriginal Contractors Association
There is also an emerging Indigenous
arts industry which is rapidly gaining
national and international attention.
Fishing: The live weight fishing catch
for the Pilbara region in 2008-09 was
2264 tonnes valued at $9.5 million.
Agriculture: Agriculture production in
2008-09 for the Pilbara region was
valued at $67.1 million. There are
approximately
66
agricultural
establishments in the region covering
11.8 million hectares, including a
number of large pastoral stations.
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Strong and Vibrant
the Pilbara community
Health: Alongside housing, health is
the region’s number one priority.
There is need for significant
expansion and upgrade to health
services across the Region including
the introduction of new services. A
number of health initiatives
targeting
the
Pilbara
were
announced in the 2010/11 State
Budget. Funding of $150million was
allocated under the Royalties for
Regions to construct a new hospital
in Nickol Bay and a further $2.5
million has been provided for
improving general clinical and
medical imaging equipment across
all Pilbara hospitals.
Education: The Pilbara currently has
39 schools attended by more than
9000 students and 600 staff. The
education priorities for the region
include, increasing apprenticeship
training places, establishing a
military academy and general
expansion and upgrade to existing
facilities including hostel style
accommodation for remote based
students.
Housing: The recent resources boom
resulted in a housing affordability
crisis in the region.
Significant
measures have been undertaken to
address
the
issues
including
increasing the supply of residential
land in the region’s hotspots:
Karratha, Port Hedland and Newman.
Childcare: Recent shortages in
childcare facilities have been
address through Government and
Industry support for new centres in
Port Hedland, Karratha and
Newman as well as planned
upgrading of centres in Dampier
and Paraburdoo.
However, there is much work still to
be done. To cater for the region’s
population targets and satisfy unmet
latent demand there will be a need
for an estimated additional 40 900
permanent dwellings by 2035.
Non-Government Organisations:
There are a range of NGO’s in the
Pilbara, many represented by the
Pilbara Association of NonGovernment Organisations that
provide valuable and much needed
services to the community. With
the anticipated growth in both
transient and residential population
numbers the demand for these
services will increase.
Culture and Entertainment: Cultural
and entertainment facilities are
currently limited in the region,
however, there are plans to enhance
the vitality and vibrancy of many of
the main city centres, for example
the Karratha City of the North Plan
which will involve many new
restaurants, night clubs, cinemas and
amusement facilities.
Sport and Recreation: Because of
the climate, water plays an
important role in recreation in the
Pilbara. Popular coastal activities
include recreational fishing and
diving, and the region has some of
the highest recreational boat
ownership in Australia.
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Rich and Diverse
the Pilbara’s cultural heritage
Indigenous Heritage: Aboriginal
people have lived in the Pilbara for
more than 40,000 years. Today
there are more than 31 Aboriginal
cultural or language groups across
the region. Pilbara Indigenous
culture still follows traditional Law
patterns, processes and custodian
duties. The beliefs that Dreamtime
beings,
who
created
the
landfeatures and continues to
control water and food supplies
are still strongly feld throughout
the Pilbara.
Conservation of indigenous culture
and the land, to which they have
traditional custodianship, is central
to the respect and recognition of
the part such culture plays in the
identity of the Pilbara.
Pastoral Legacy: Early European
settlement occurred at Roebourne
and the port of Cossack. Early
industry was largely pastoral, gold
mining and pearling. The pre-mining
era towns provide many examples
of colonial architecture of the early
1900s, with the best examples
being at Cossack, Roebourne, and
Marble Bar.
Pilbara Heritage Places: The State
Register of Heritage Places lists 250
places for localities in the Pilbara.
These range from historic buildings
in town sites to rural homesteads
and significant natural places both
on shore and off-shore
The conservation of colonial
heritage in old town sites and
centres
such
as
Cossack,
Roebourne, Port Hedland, Marble
Bar and Onslow is very important in
a region where the majority of the
built form has been constructed
since the late 1960s.
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