Panel approves Kambalda Village upgrade

A development assessment panel has approved a $30 million expansion to an accommodation village in Kambalda East, which has reached capacity.

The Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel has unanimously approved a plan to upgrade the Kambalda Village workers' accommodation, on Durkin Road, at its meeting today.

Applicant CLE Town Planning + Design, on behalf of global service Compass Group, is proposing to demolish 56 rooms and construct 264 new rooms, adding 208 units to the existing facility which currently has 574 rooms.

The new dining hall and kitchen facility, to accommodate 250 people, would replace the existing cafeteria.

The application said the village could accommodate up to 700 people with 450 of them away on site during a workday.

Tim Brewer, of Compass Group, said the company had been operating the Kambalda accommodation for the past 20 years.

He said there was a strong demand for nickel production in the local area.

"We generally are running at an absolute occupancy, we are full, and there is a strong demand coming through for a foreseeable future," Mr Brewer said.

"This demand gives us an opportunity to expand some units but also remove some end of life units... (and) upgrades to the dining and tavern facility there."

JDAP member and Shire of Coolgardie deputy president Tracey Rathbone said she still had concerns about traffic movements in and out of the proposed development but was assured by the applicant's willingness to collaborate with the shire.

Ms Rathbone said there was an ongoing accommodation crisis in the region.

The Kambalda Village expansion is the most recent application to cater for the housing shortage in regional areas in the past several months.

"The issue of workers accommodation has come to this JDAP a few times recently," JDAP deputy presiding member Kanella Hope said at the meeting.

The Regional JDAP approved a FIFO accommodation facility in the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder last month.

A $73.4 million application for a 500-person accommodation village in Binningup was deferred by the JDAP in August and is undergoing a public consultation process via the Shire of Harvey's website.