Tenure spat mires ghost town’s regrowth plan

The revitalisation of a Western Australian ghost town is once again in limbo following a breakdown in the relationship between the state government and traditional owners.

Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation has shelved plans to turn the historic Pilbara town of Cossack into a major tourism precinct over what it described as a series of bureaucratic bungles.

The Roebourne-based traditional owner body claims the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage has failed to grant legal permissions and contracts to NYFL to stay on as operator of Cossack.

That, NYFL says, has left it unable to keep the museum, cafe, historic buildings, gallery, or campground open for tourists this year, with 10 jobs affected.

NYFL director Janelle Mowarin said the state government had misled traditional owners.

“Our community was so excited and proud to be part of this unique project,” she said.

“We are uniquely placed to generate meaningful outcomes for Bajinhurrba [Cossack] and the loss of economic and cultural opportunity for our members is devastating.”

NYFL claimed the department had changed its expectations during the firm’s four-year tenure, had left it without guarantee of payment, and had failed to support activation, which spooked funding partners.

A state government spokesperson said Planning Minister John Carey would meet with NYFL in due course to discuss the issue.

“The original EOI released by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage was very specific about low-impact tourism offerings, activation of the existing heritage precinct, and maintaining the existing caravan park in the Cossack precinct," the spokesperson said.

“The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage continues to meet regularly and work with NYFL and will continue to work collaboratively regarding land tenure and the heritage precinct.

“The state government is funding conservation works at the Cossack precinct.

“While the proposed project by NYFL at the Cossack site is outside of the existing EOI, there are a number of existing government processes, including market led proposals for proponents seeking to build, finance or operate infrastructure that demonstrates a strong alignment to the government priorities, which NYFL is encouraged to explore."

NYFL’s decision comes four years after the City of Karratha handed the keys to Cossack back to the state government in similar vein after the department quashed the city’s bid to cut red tape to kickstart tourism plans.

The city had tried to implement a special control area over Cossack to allow off-grid development of low-scale tourism and residential use, noting power and water access has long been a sticking point.

At the time then planning minister Rita Saffioti said the city’s plan failed to address flooding, bushfire risks, remote service requirements, and heritage and environmental values.

Liberal Mining and Pastoral MP Neil Thomson said the state government had failed to show leadership.

“There is no reason why some development could occur at Cossack, sympathetic development to the location, notwithstanding some of the challenges around services,” he said.

“We have seen this government not hesitate in bringing through legislation to enable ministerial decisions to be made outside of the normal processes of our planning processes.

“Why not here, this is where it is needed.”

Mr Thomson said the ghost town was at risk of demolition by neglect under the department’s management.

Four decades of failure

Cossack was founded in 1872 as a pearling town and the north-west’s first port which, at its peak, was a permanent home to about 400 people and 600 seasonal workers.

It was degazetted by 1910 when most of the pearl fleet moved north to Broome but wasn’t completely abandoned until the 1940s.

From 1983 private investors, several of whom were descendants of Cossack’s pioneers, bought up land in the old townsite after the local and state governments sold them on plans to reinvigorate the ghost town.

What ensued has become a four-decade litany of roadblocks from local, state and federal agencies on both sides of the political spectrum, which has killed businesses and left landholders out of pocket and with little hope of reprieve.

In 2005, hopes were raised when then heritage minister Fran Logan declared Cossack would become the next Broome as a brochure touting a new masterplan to “once and for all” revitalise the town was released.

Nearly 20 years on the town has not been revitalised.

At least two landholders have died waiting for the government deliver on its 40-year promise.

Once standing in the way of development, the City of Karratha has in recent years worked with landholders and traditional owners to realise the ghost town’s tourism potential.

But planning, heritage and environmental red tape remains a sticking point, as does access to power, water, and sewerage infrastructure.

Landholders and the city had hoped involvement of traditional owners would finally give the precinct the political clout needed to proceed.

NYFL in late 2020 laid out its ambitions to turn Cossack, known to the Ngarluma people as Bajinhurrba, into a cultural tourism precinct and camping with custodians site.

The group had support of the city and the long-suffering Cossack landholders to progress its vision, though some landholders remain concerned about long-term plans for NYFL to gain freehold over portions of the site.

“We are disappointed and frustrated to be leaving Cossack but our dealings with the state government have reached breaking point,” NYFL chief executive Sean-Paul Stephens said.

“NYFL has done everything it can to keep Cossack open, despite the state not coming to the party.

“NYFL’s investment is a sign of its commitment, but it is unsustainable and unfair to our members and community to continue to divert focus, pro bono networks and internal resources towards a project that the state government appears to have lost interest in.”

The ghost town is home to the Cossack Art Awards, a prominent annual event backed by Rio Tinto that features an $89,000 prize pool.

Business News understands the City of Karratha is investigating options to continue hosting the event at Cossack but is also canvassing backup venues.

NYFL has been operating as a contractor and caretaker of Cossack for the past four years.

Eventual plans would have seen it gain permanent management via a mix of long-term leases and freehold land.

The foundation said it would continue to seek a commitment from the state government to revitalise Cossack.

NYFL is not a native title body. It receives funding through an agreement with the Woodside-operated North West Shelf to invest in community and social projects.

Mr Carey was contacted for comment.