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Karratha is a town adjoining the port of Dampier
in the Pilbara region of Western Australia which was
developed from the 1960s to accommodate the
processing and exportation workforce of the
Hamersley Iron mining company and, in the 1980s, the
petroleum and liquefied natural gas operations of
the North West Shelf Venture. The town's name comes
from the cattle station from which land was
reclaimed for the development. Karratha in the local
Aboriginal language means 'good country' or 'soft
earth'. The town is the seat of government of the
Shire of Roebourne.
Karratha is located approximately 1,535 kilometres
(954 mi) north of Perth and 850 kilometres (528 mi)
south of Broome on the North West Coastal Highway.
Suburbs
Karratha is composed of 9 main suburbs: Karratha
Town Centre, Bulgarra, Pegs Creek, Millars Well,
Nickol, Nickol West, Baynton, Baynton West, Tambrey
and one industrial area, known as both the LIA
(Light Industrial Area) and KIE (Karratha Industrial
Estate). Karratha's housing development continues,
with new villages and suburbs being built. The
Tambrey Centre currently has its own residential
housing under construction. Nickol has also been
expanded, with Nickol West completed in 2008.
Baynton West is also being developed, and the
expectation is that all the lots will be built and
occupied by 2010.
Economy
Karratha's economic base includes the iron ore
operations of the Rio Tinto Group, sea-salt mining,
ammonia export operations, North West Shelf Natural
Gas Project, Australia's largest natural resource
development and the newest Natural Gas Project
called Pluto LNG which is situated adjacent the
existing North West Shelf LNG facility. Karratha
came into being in the late 1960s due to the
tremendous growth of the iron-ore industry and the
need for a new regional centre caused by a shortage
of land in Dampier. Karratha only has 4 major food
stores such as KFC, Mc Donalds, Chicken Treat and
Subway. Also grocery stores like Coles and
Woolworthes.
Karratha has the largest shopping centre in the
Pilbara, Centro Karratha, which has major food and
grocery retailers and department store chains. It
was opened in 1986 as Karratha City and expanded in
2005. The centre also serves the neighbouring towns
of Dampier, Wickham and Roebourne. There is also a
smaller centre, Karratha Village, which has health
services including pharmacy, medical and dental
practices. There is only one hospital in Karratha.
A new shopping centre has been proposed for the
Tambrey area. It is currently under review by the
Shire of Roebourne and looks set to begin
construction late 2010.
A range of hotel, motel, B&B and caravan/RV
accommodation is available for visitors. However, as
the town is booming, accommodation is often hard to
come by. It is prudent to make a reservation in
advance.
The town has restaurants, a tavern, two hotels and
two night clubs. It also has a large shopping
centre. New establishments proposed or under
construction include 8 story apartment and shopping
complex.
Education is provided through four public primary
schools and one private primary school, one public
and one private high school, a TAFE centre with
university facilities, and a library.
As well as its professional medical services, the
district is served by the Nickol Bay Hospital which
provides a comprehensive array of services,
facilities and training.
Karratha Airport with frequent services to and from
Perth, is the second busiest in Western Australia;
it has three passenger airlines servicing the town
with regular schedules: Qantas, Skywest and Virgin
Blue. Qantas also flies twice-weekly Boeing 737-800
services between Brisbane and Karratha—the first
direct link between the Pilbara region and
Australia's east coast. The airport also serves as
the hub of the Pilbara's light-aircraft and
helicopter services enabling contractors to access
destinations offshore and in other parts of the
region.
Annual Festivals & Events
FeNaClNG
Each year in August Pilbara Iron, Dampier Salt,
Woodside Petroleum Limited (WEL), and other smaller
companies sponsor one of the largest festivals in
the North West, over two days. The name FeNaClNG
Festival is derived from Fe (iron), NaCl (salt) and
NG (natural gas).
Christmas Lights
Beginning in December 2009, the town of Karratha is
also host to one of Australia's largest Christmas
lights competitions, with a total of $6,000 cash
prizes (First prize of up to $3,000). The
competition is a partnership between the local
newspaper Pilbara Echo , Woodside Energy, and
Horizon Power. |
