The Town of Port Hedland has put the brakes on a BHP Billiton Iron Ore proposal to build a 6,000-bed transient workers camp, saying it will renegotiate with the miner to reduce the size of the facility following a groundswell of criticism.
A total of 20 submissions were received during the project’s public comment period, with both positive and negative comments received regarding BHP’s proposal.
The Town of Port Hedland resolved at a special council meeting late last week to renegotiate with BHP based on the submissions.
Port Hedland Mayor Kelly Howlett said items up for further discussion included significantly reducing the number of workers to be accommodated at the camp, a reduction in lease terms for the facility to a ten-year initial term with one five year option, as opposed to three, and investigating the possibility of including key worker housing in the plan.
Ms Howlett also said the town would seek more detail on what would happen to the land and infrastructure once lease term ends.
The original plan would have seen BHP lease 60 hectares of land between Port and South Hedland to construct the camp, in a proposal that the miner said would bring in more than $200 million of benefits to the town and provide the funding required to redevelop the town’s airport.
The plan called for BHP to pay more than $80 million to develop the land.
Pilbara MP Tom Stephens slammed the proposal last week, saying such a large influx of workers would place undue pressure on healthcare services, roads and the wider community.
Town of Port Hedland chief executive Paul Martin said detailed assessments associated with subdividing the land were now underway.
“This will allows us to obtain detailed costing of subdividing the land for the use of developing big box commercial opportunities and in gaining a better understanding of any conditions the WA Planning Commision may impose,” Mr Martin said.
“The revised proposal will take into consideration all the concerns raised in the submissions and the Town of Port Hedland will make sure the outcome provides the benefits the community seeks.”