Woodside has awarded contracts to build another 30 homes in Karratha for its residential workforce.
Woodside has awarded contracts to build another 30 homes in Karratha for its residential workforce.
The oil and gas giant this week awarded contracts to Thomas Building and Yurra Building for the construction of 20 and 10 homes respectively.
Yurra is a Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation-owned business and Perth-based Thomas has been active in Karratha for the past decade.
The project is likely to cost about $20 million based on the average build cost for 3x2 and 4x2s in the Pilbara, on top of the $5 million Woodside spent acquiring the lots.
Woodside Pluto asset manager Kate Bardill said the new contracts would provide quality housing options for employees while balancing the needs of the local housing market.
“Woodside’s approach to housing includes investment in new builds, the sale of older housing stock on the open market and support for local housing affordability initiatives such as the City of Karratha’s Service Worker Accommodation program,” she said.
That policy is one the City of Karratha has been urging the state government to follow to ease the town’s housing crisis.
Woodside is the largest non-government homeowner in the City of Karratha, with 401 houses on its books, according to Cotality.
That accounts for about 4 per cent of the city’s total housing stock.
Yara Pilbara owns 86 homes in town, according to Cotality, and Perdaman is spending $122m building 100 homes, with Thomas Building and local firm Timik developments delivering that project.
Woodside’s new houses are expected to be completed next year and follow the construction of another 20 homes by Yurra Building subsidiary Karratha Housing, which Woodside is leasing for 15 years.
Yurra Building general manager Tim Clune said the contract would boost training opportunities for locals.
“We are proud to continue building not just homes but opportunities for our local community,” he said.
Thomas Building regional operations manager Jason Strange said local trades and supplies would be prioritised during the build.
About 75 per cent of workers at Woodside’s Karratha operations live locally.
