$1.5b injection to increase population, Karratha

Recently, the development of a new Hilton resort has been announced, with the eight-storey hotel expected to open in 2014. This $65 million hotel will include 144 rooms, 20 apartments, a restaurant, bar, fitness facilities and three conference rooms.  
Mirvac WA’s chief executive officer Evan Campbell said last year that, without these developments, the area would be 2,000 to 3,000 dwellings short in four years time.
Other plans for the area to counter this dwelling shortage include a new community centre, an upgrade to the city centre’s streets, and the second stage of high-rise apartment project Pelago East.
WA’s Regional Development and Lands Minister Brendon Grylls said that “a city of the north with 50,000 people needs a vibrant and thriving CBD, and these projects represent a significant step towards achieving this goal.”
Stage 2 of the Pelago East project, set to be completed within the next 15 to 18 months, will total $150 million with 174 new apartments. Thirty-five per cent of the project has been pre-sold prior to public marketing, with apartments starting from $440,000.
Meanwhile, $65 million will be used to construct a main street in the area.
“The works will include pushing Sharpe Avenue through to Dampier Road to establish a defined main street that Karratha has traditionally lacked,” Mr Grylls said.
“The new landscaped, tree-lined Sharpe Avenue with shaded walkways will become the much-needed focal point with public facilities and open spaces that are accessible and pedestrian friendly,” he said.
“The new street network will attract more business investment, by improving people’s ability to move in and out of the city centre and contributing to a revitalised city heart.”
Karratha will also see a multitude of other projects, including the Cattrall Park redevelopment, an upgrade of the Bulgarra Sporting Precinct, a new Pam Buchanan Family Centre, The Youth Shed and the Karratha Leisure Complex.