The City of Karratha, in partnership with the Karratha and Districts Chamber of Commerce and Industry, took a lead role to develop a business case and funding application for the establishment of the Pilbara Universities Centre in Karratha.

The proposed Pilbara Universities Centre would directly improve access to high quality university education locally, reduce migration from the region to pursue education, create opportunities to align tertiary education offerings with the local resources industry and connect local students with jobs in disciplines that are facing a skills shortage.

The Rural Clinical School of WA has programs in 15 rural towns including Karratha and Port Hedland.

Future Tails
Future Tails will contribute knowledge to specialist areas of research, including static liquefaction, filtered and dry stacked tailing and numerical modelling for dam break studies. This knowledge will lead the practice, technology and process for the next generation of geotechnical engineers.

Matt Currie, the Vice President of BHP’s Tailings Taskforce, said there was an increasing demand for tailings expertise, and for qualified people and methods to train these new professionals. “The program will provide essential training and development to people at all levels of their career, and help reinforce the different career paths within the tailings discipline,” Mr Currie said.

Located 75km south of Perth, the Peel is Western Australia’s smallest region geographically, but one of the state’s fastest growing population centres, presenting opportunities for innovation in workforce skills, industry growth and economic diversification.

The Peel has a diverse landscape incorporating 50 kilometres of pristine coastline and urban, agricultural and horticultural land.

With a coastal plain bordered inland by the Darling Scarp, the Peel region is situated amongst the highest rainfall areas of South Western Australia. This climate, along with 23 rivers, streams and creeks, provides an extensive wetland system that is of international and national significance, supporting diverse and unique flora and fauna.

The five Peel Region councils are Mandurah, Murray, Serpentine Jarrahdale, Waroona and Boddington.

The Avertas Energy Waste to Energy plant will be the first of its kind in Australia, integrating the recovery and reuse of waste with the generation of energy to provide a practical solution to two community challenges: waste disposal and renewable energy supply.

The facility will use tried and tested moving grate combustion technology already operational in more than 2,000 similar waste to energy plants around the world. The facility has the capacity to process 400,000 tonnes per year of general waste, resulting in a significant reduction in CO2 emissions and delivering 36MW of baseload electricity to the grid. Waste to energy technology is a viable, clean and sustainable alternative to landfill disposal, which compliments the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) and is integral to any modern integrated waste management system.

Waste is thermally treated with resultant energy recovered to create heat. The heat energy is converted to steam energy which powers a turbine and generates electricity.

Mineral sands mining is a well-established activity and a significant employer in the NGSR with the raw resource being processed in Muchea before being exported from Kwinana Port. There are numerous potential projects in the region for future mining development.

Considerable reserves of high-value mineral sands, including high quality lime sand and silica sand, are a significant state resource with strong global demand. Lime sand, used to reduce soil acidity, is incredibly important for the State’s agricultural productivity. Silica sand has many industrial uses, such as glass production, construction and ceramics.

The Emu Downs and Badgingarra wind farms produce 210MW of the approximately 600 MW of wind energy produced in WA alone7. The recently announced Yandin project will produce an additional 214MW as the State’s largest wind farm that will be able to power 200,000 homes.

The North-West Mobile Force (Norforce) Kimberley Squadron is headquartered in Broome with troops and facilities across the region. These units are part of a high priority team responsible for Army reconnaissance and surveillance in remote areas.

Norforce is a culturally diverse unit, recruiting its mostly Reserve soldiers from communities throughout the Northern Territory and the Kimberley Region of Western Australia

Reducing energy use, climate change risks and waste; conserving water and protecting the natural environment; and planning for sustainable development are just some of the ways the City of Karratha works toward a thriving and sustainable natural and built environment.

The Northern Hub is one of eight national Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs created as an initiative of the Future Drought Fund. The consortium of regional partners is committed to building the resilience and sustainable prosperity of rural industries and communities across the region.

The Hub will transform the drought resilience of farmers, traditional owners and communities in the Northern Territory and Northern Western Australian tropical top end and rangelands. This will be achieved by focusing on pastoral, broadacre, horticulture and forestry systems and water management.

The Kimberley is the northernmost of the nine regions of Western Australia. The diverse population is made up of 50% Aboriginal people representing over 30 traditional language groups. Over 91% of the land in the region has been determined under Native Title and comes under the control or influence of those indigenous people.
The Kimberley region is one of the most remote and untouched ancient landscapes on earth, which features remarkable coastal and inland environment, and is home to many unique birds, mammals, reptiles and marine life. The major regional industries are mining, tourism and agriculture.

Broome is situated along the coastline, in the semi-arid margin of the canning Basin. With a population of 17,000 people, Broome is a recognised pearling and tourist port town, and a hub servicing the pastoral and resources industries.

Derby is located 200km north of Broome. Derby is on Salt-Water country and boasts the second largest tidal movements in the world and is the gateway to the thousand islands of the Dampier Peninsula.

Fitzroy Crossing is located on the banks of the Fitzroy River. With a range of fertile soil types, the area is used extensively for livestock and horticulture production.

Halls Creek comprises of desert country and pastoral grazing land with a number of unique natural attractions such as the World heritage Listed Purnululu National Park and Wolf Creek Crater forming the basis of a tourism industry.

Kununurra sits just 37km west of the Northern Territory border and is a hub for tourism, mining and agriculture including the world heritage listed Purnululu National Park – Bungle Bungle Ranges, the Ord River Irrigation Project and the massive man-made Lake Argyle.

Wyndham is located at the point at which five rivers flow into the Cambridge Gulf and was established in 1886 as a port town which was the principal point of entry during the gold rush. Today, its port services the growing pastoral and agriculture industries of the region.

Universities and the VET sector need to embrace change and work together. The need for reskilling will combine higher education and vocational, the key being right-time right-place education.

Learning pathways will need to be easier to navigate and flexible, offering more choice and micro credentialing options.

Australia has a skills deficit along with most other countries and collectively, we need to increase work-integrated learning and particularly increase STEM-skilled graduate numbers.

In the Peel region the Western Australian Food Innovation Precinct (WAFIP) is being developed to support Western Australia in building a robust and vibrant food and beverage manufacturing sector.

Specialised equipment and research and production capabilities will ensure the Precinct offers a substantial variety of technologies and processing methods, aimed at scientifically proving nutrition and traceability, and the development of high-value food with extended shelf life.

The Precinct will create an enabling environment for Western Australian, Australian and global entrepreneurs, food companies and agri-enterprises to cost-effectively network, research, develop, prototype and market-test new value-added food products derived from Western Australia primary produce.

The Karratha City in partnership with its waste contractor Cleanaway, helps to inform the community about waste and recycling to simplify processes, improve resource recovery and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill to help protect our natural environment.

Yara Pilbara is a producer of a chemical used in the manufacturing of industrial explosives. The 300,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate produced each year on the peninsula directly underpins the blasting activities required to operate many of the Pilbara’s economy-shaping iron ore mines.

But straddling those two production regimes is a “waste” recycling initiative that is very much taking circular economics from paddock to plate in WA.

The product at the heart of this is known as Pivot 16. It’s being used a few hundred kilometres up the Pilbara coastline by Pardoo Beef Corporation to help grow pasture for cattle being raised for sale in both domestic and international markets.

The Meru Waste Disposal Facility (MWDF) in Geraldton is the only Class III landfill north of Perth and services a number of Mid West local governments. The City of Greater Geraldton's proposed Community Reuse and Recycling Centre also supports Geraldton and parts of the wider region. Significant further investment in facilities such as the MWDF is required to meet State recycling targets.

A priority for the region must be to optimise the use of regional waste as a resource, with a number of innovative solutions available. Achieving economies of scale remains a significant challenge for the region in regard to management of waste.

The Pilbara Regiment is one of the Australian Army’s Regional Force Surveillance Units and vital to the Australian Defence Force’s defence of Australia. It is an Army reconnaissance and surveillance unit focussed on the collection of information in the northwest region of Western Australia.

Creative industries are defined as “those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent, and that have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property”.

The creative industry workforce has expanded from a focus on creative workers in the arts and cultural sector to a broader group of ‘creative industries’, incorporating workers with creative roles in design, marketing and the digital economy.

Located at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, the Alcoa Mandurah Art Gallery has free exhibitions on display throughout the year. It presents around 10 diverse exhibitions each year featuring contemporary, indigenous, historical, traditional, design and sculptural artworks. The Mandurah Performing Arts Centre Foyer Galleries represent emerging and early career artists, supported by the Black Stump Gallery, Contemporary Art Spaces, Liveringa Gallery and Dwellingup Arts Collective.

Reducing energy use, climate change risks and waste; conserving water and protecting the natural environment; and planning for sustainable development are just some of the ways the City of Karratha works toward a thriving and sustainable natural and built environment.

The Northern Hub is one of eight national Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs created as an initiative of the Future Drought Fund. The consortium of regional partners is committed to building the resilience and sustainable prosperity of rural industries and communities across the region.

The Hub will transform the drought resilience of farmers, traditional owners and communities in the Northern Territory and Northern Western Australian tropical top end and rangelands. This will be achieved by focusing on pastoral, broadacre, horticulture and forestry systems and water management.

The Wheatbelt is so called because of its extensive agricultural industry. The region is the primary producer of cereal crops in the state and contributes other agricultural products such as canola, olives, vegetables, wine grapes, honey, citrus fruits and livestock.

Whilst agriculture remains the dominant industry, the economy of the region is also supported by mining, commerce, retail, manufacturing, fishing and tourism.

The natural and cultural attributes of the region make it extremely versatile in tourism service and product offerings.

Support for local government, business and communities is required to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the regional, state, national and international tourist sectors. A collaboration model across 42 shires is required.

A ‘Wander the Wheatbelt’ online platform is being investigated with short term opportunities to boost tourism.

With increasing international trade and interstate interconnectivity, disease control and biosecurity is likely to become an even greater consideration for industry. The management of pests such as stable fly is essential in a region with animal industries producing waste products that are a food source for the flies. A threat to animal welfare, stable fly also affects human life, local fauna and industries such as tourism.

The regulation of poultry manure, post-harvest vegetable crop waste, and intensive agriculture waste products disposal may reduce stable fly numbers. Creating value from waste associated with intensive agriculture is an emerging opportunity for the NGSR. Power generation, fertiliser, gelatine and insect production, and food products from second and third grade produce and agricultural by- products present value-adding opportunities.

With the expanding population of the NGSR and surrounds, the need for appropriately managed waste facilities will only increase in importance. Shire commitments to a reduction in the per capita kilograms of waste sent to landfill and increased recycling have further highlighted the need for better waste management capacity into the future.

The Kimberley region offers a range of education and training opportunities from the early school years through to further education and training after school. Choosing to stay in the Kimberley region provides a lifestyle and work balance, without having to compromise on career employment possibilities and personal growth.

The University of Notre Dame and the CQUniversity both have campuses and hubs based on the ground in the region, as well as the increasing number of online courses which can be studied via distance education options.

The University of Notre Dame is located in Broome, and is home to the Nulungu Research Institute with a focus on core researching Education, Health and Wellbeing, and Caring for Country.

The Great Southern is Western Australia’s southernmost region, bordered by the Southern Ocean where the coast stretches for approximately 250 kilometres. Spanning over 39,007 square kilometres, the region represents 1.5% of Western Australia’s total land mass and extends inland for 200 kilometres.

Deemed as one of the most liveable regions in WA, the Great Southern is renowned for its unspoilt natural environment including white sand beaches, tall timber forests, wildflowers and a spectacular rugged coastline complete with whales, dolphins and other marine life, the region has an inspiring and diverse tourism offering.

The Great Southern region is known for its primary production, natural and harvested fishing, aquaculture, award winning vineyards, fine food and wine culture, ecotourism and natural attractions.

The City of Albany, the State’s oldest European settlement (settled in 1826) is the region’s administrative, business and financial hub.

Murdoch University sub-campuses are located at Whitby and Mandurah and there is a TAFE campus at Mandurah. Mandurah is identified as a location for further growth, with the potential for an additional campus in the Mundijong/Whitby area.

There is an expanding supply of primary and secondary schools across the region, public and private, as well as access to Education Support Centres, Language Development Centre and Intensive English Centres.

Today’s educational systems are fundamentally misaligned with the future of work. It is expected that there will be a major disruption. The future will be less about knowledge and increasingly a lifelong approach to being technology-enabled and developing skills.

The need for reskilling will be more vocational so universities will need to adapt for relevance. Courses will also need to be shorter. Traditional three-year degrees are luxuries that cannot be afforded by reskilling workers.

Is Australia’s housing crisis self-inflicted? If so, then we need a series of reforms to reverse it
The best long-term solution to the structural problems of the rental crisis is to build more public and/or affordable housing.

Make renting more Sustainable. Increase rent assistance or look at rental caps, similar to countries in Europe and some US states, long term tenancy agreements with incentives for all parties to the agreement.

Build to Rent
The Build to Rent property sector is growing in Australia – this new class of housing is focused on providing high quality purpose designed and built rental stock, creating an additional housing choice for Australian renters with greater security and service.

Build to Rent developments are typically owned by institutional investors for the long term and the owner could be the developer/ongoing building manager. The format provides tenants with the flexibility of renting with the security of home ownership.

Build-to-Rent developments are usually large-scale residential properties specifically designed, built and managed for long-term ownership and rental.

Social Housing
In the 40 years between 1981 and 2021 the percentage of all Australian households living in social housing (i.e. state owned and managed public housing or community managed housing) has ranged from 4.9 per cent in 1981 to 3.8 per cent in 2021. Such a drop in the proportion of social housing raises the question of has Australia achieved the balance right, and also just what is the right level of social housing for Australia?

In 2018 Statistics Canada said 628,700 Canadian households, more than one in ten renter households nationally (13.5% of 4,652,500), were living in social and affordable housing.
In New Zealand, as of 30 June 2021, there were 74,337 public housing households. This equates to 4.0% of households living in social housing.

In England (in 2018) 17% of households (3.9 million) lived in social housing, while the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development publishes that 1.2 million households live in public housing, which is 0.98 per cent of all housing.