South Hedland set for $23m facelift

South Hedland is set for a revamp after the government announced it has allocated $23 million from the royalties for regions fund for a redevelopment plan.

The announcement is below:

The State Government has announced $23million of Royalties for Regions funding would help rejuvenate and change the face of South Hedland.

Regional Development and Lands Minister Brendon Grylls said the South Hedland town centre would experience a massive facelift under the plan to rejuvenate the area into a residential, retail and commercial hub.

"The mineral wealth of the Pilbara has driven growth and prosperity in key regional centres such as Port Hedland," Mr Grylls said.

"Many have considered the town a temporary location for mining and business to operate on a fly-in, fly-out basis, and the development of accommodation, amenities and social infrastructure has not kept pace with demand.

"This Royalties for Regions project will bring South Hedland into the modern era, and provide much-needed land for a wide variety of homes and businesses, and lift the social amenity of the town."

The Minister said LandCorp and the Town of Port Hedland had worked closely on the $23million redevelopment plan, which included the creation of a new main street; new roads; upgrading existing roads to make them more pedestrian-friendly and creating land parcels for up to 600 townhouses and apartments, and additional commercial and retail space.

"The works will improve the public spaces and the general amenity of the town and link in with the new hospital. The project will create many opportunities for development, boost local businesses and social infrastructure, and stimulate a new economy for the town," he said.

"This will help provide a better lifestyle and much-improved infrastructure for the growing number of families settling permanently in the region."

LandCorp is expected to start work on streetscaping and road improvements in mid-2009, with the first englobo* lots to be offered to developers through a design tender process in early 2010.

* englobo land is undeveloped land with potential for further subdivision.