WA and the Shire of Roebourne

Image Could Not Be FoundG'day all

Its no different in the inland Pilbara, the media hype regarding the big dollars that can be earnt "in the mining industry" is true ~ if you are recruited from outside the region. Many people come into the mining regions and their associated "mining towns" and fall flat on their arses, because they simply can't afford even the basics, let alone walk into a highly paid mining job !!

The people who earn the big bucks ~ Fly in to their job then Fly out to their home and possibly their family. When they are at work, they are housed in "Gated and Fenced" accommodation villages, they are fed, clothed and looked after reasonably well, a bit like being in prison I guess, but they get day release and go to work for a twelve hour shift, then do it all over again for two weeks and sometime six or eight weeks, all for the "Big Bucks".

The majority of people who actually live in these "mining towns" have done so for many years, many of these folk have worked in the industry and have long ago left it, but choose to stay in the town and region, simply because it is sitll a very spectacular part of Australia ~ there is something about the Pilbara and once it gets into your heart and mind, you become hooked on its very essence. Its just a real shame mining is allowed to seemingly go ahead at breakneck speed and all for the mighty dollar.

I doubt if the average "Fly in Fly out" employee would evey get a feel for the place he or she just goes to for work and the bucks, I for one think they deserve every thing they get.

As for the casual visitor ~ Grey Nomad - who ever, you need to learn quickly that the days of "Free Camping" are just about gone as you might well be trying to park up on someones private property or heaven forbid a bloody mining lease. As for caravan parks, they are quickly going the way of "free campimg sites" as these establishments are now "accommodation villages" for the mining industry and next to zip for the traveller, so even these van sites will become something you might have to book ahead for.

Yes I live in the Pilbara and in a "mining town" and I hate what the mining companies are allowed to do and get away with, I find it abhorrent that just a couple of very wealthy individuals and their mining interests are allowed to systematically destroy so much, all in the name of making a "Buck".

BUT

I guess I am lucky to an extent as I can still go out of town and "Free Camp" sometimes for days on end, at times at or near a waterhole, but even these are under threat as they are a source of readily available water for drilling contractors and afterall the waterhole is on some buggers mining lease anyway.

"I doubt if the average "Fly in Fly out" employee would evey get a feel for the place he or she just goes to for work and the bucks, I for one think they deserve every thing they get."

Pretty true, but do ya reckon the Perth worker at Coles or Bunnings does it for the cultural enlightenment?
Its not a crime to want to better things for your family or to be focussed on your family instead.
Karratha and PH cant cope with the people they have let alone if you forced all FI/FO people to live there.

Image Could Not Be FoundImage Could Not Be FoundImage Could Not Be FoundG'day all

I have absolutely no ill feelings towards the Fi/Fo workforce anywhere in Australia, my point is purely to show that much of what Local People who actually live in the Pilbara have lost and are loosing very rapidly and to possibly back up Rick.P. who posted the original thread about loosing "Free Camping" places and the big shift in attitude of people in the Pilbara with arrogance, ignorance and plain rudeness becoming the norm.

I surely don't think its a crime to want better things for your family or to be focussed on your family, but if you take the average worker who is at Bunnings or Coles, that job is possibly the best they may ever achieve in the City and simply by the demography of these two work places the job they have there appears to be for cultural enlightenment.

You are 100% correct with what you say about Karratha and Port Hedland, the same is true for Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Newman and every other community that is being sucked into the mining boom mentality, the mines simply can't exist at this point in history without the Fi/Fo people and its these very people who generally don't give a rats about where they spend much of their working lives ~ very little comes back into the local business community via the Fi/Fo workforce earings.

Sadly, it has been said that certain Western Australian mining magnate would be prepaired to have their work force Fly in and Fly out from CHINA and the current WA Premier thinks it is a brilliant idea.

Getting back to the real point of the Thread/Post ~ every town in the Pilbara has undergone and is possibly under going massive changes to placate the rapid rise of the mining industry and everything that local, state and federal governments believe they think is needed to be in on the action.

We should never forget the rise and fall of ~ Hopetoun/Ravensthorpe and even Port/South Hedland to a degree, as a lot of people were smashed against the so called wall trying to ride the "Mining Boom" ~ the miners only really care about one thing and that is their ~ bottom line Dollar figure.

As Ol' Bunky says, he can't wait till the "Boom Fizzles" out ~ well I can wait and when "Fizzle" comes, I'll still be free camping at a waterhole and not giving a rats about anyone who's crying over being sucked in and spat out by the "mining boom".

It may seem to some that I am against mining and what mining is bringing as beifits to the Pilbara ~ far from it, mining is the only thing keeping Australia from sliding into the financial sewer of many current "World" economies, I just simply can't take in the "Rip tear bust" mentality behind the mining "Boom".

crikeys and her was me thinking you were talking about the farming industry with the rip tear bust

knock down every tree from Kabarri to southern cross eat of espernace

then when the money gets tight the comunities wither and die footy teams without players, no banks to service the few remaining people and no where to spend the money when the one shop left closes. the residents might not be FIFO but theyd much rather do their shopping in perth than locally

unfortunatly everyones quick to point a finger at mining forgetting its no different to any other primary industry

G'day ~ get outmore.

Oddly enough the Australian economy relied heavily on and rode on the "Sheeps back"
and plenty of graziers made lots of money and eventually slithered into politics to run the country, it all fell in a big heap and now the resource industry is having a go, we could be in for interesting times.

and as for the keep out drilling sign these cover very small areas.

on any drive say just as an example from yalgoo to Karanjini there are 000s of kms with every single road and track and just along the road with signs like this

G'day all

An interesting sign indeed, I can't see any real reference to Exploration Drilling but I get the "Gist" of the symbols.

I read it as ~ This is private property ~ no dogs ~ no shooting ~ no four wheel drives ~ no fires ~ no people !! it implies the land owner has had a gut full of people doing the wrong thing on his/her land. BUT if you care to seek permission you might just get to "Free Camp" on private property.

I wish you luck in dealing with the council, as a general rule the true local ratepayers don't get very far with them so as an "outsider"...... No offence meant.

All we want up here is our libruary opened again! Another story.

Hi Sue

That's why we are having such a one sided conversation :O

You don't happen to know any Shire Councillors do you? I just need a few email addresses for Councillors, as they don't even have them on their website (at least our Council does).

Mh

The dialogue with the Shire has at last become two sided :). Expect some improvements (more news later), but Karratha is still a mining not a tourist town, so don't expect miracles overnight. Sue, if you do know any Shire Councillors, i would still like to make contact.

Mh

Hi Motherhen - Indeed I do happen to know a shire councillor, in fact she has only just been elected and wants to make a change. I have known her for years and believe she will make an effort.

At the moment I am in Geraldton and will not be back in Karratha until Dec 27 - when I do get home I will see if I can find you some councillors emails etc, shouldnt be too hard and I will get them to you.

Sue

(Red Rubi on the caravan forum)

Great, thanks Sue; I'll look forward to that :) Send me a PM when you can. You can tell me the story of the library too if you like. Wasn't the library in the TAFE centre?

Mh

Totallly agree with you but still dont't see why the Shire of Roebourne and I will pick on them as I know first hand how they deal with tourists, can't at the very least be polite when saying there's no room at the inn.

For those who do come through next Grey Nomad season - the golf club does offer overflow camping in town sorry not sure of the cost. Some at the tourist info centre are not very forthcoming with this information.

Sue
Karratha WA

Have to agree whole nheartedly with you Rick. I've lived in Newman since 1985 and have seen it change from a cosy, small town to an absolute rabble of blow ins here for the "boom". Being here so long, I've found some good secluded spots, but the drilling and sampling is creeping up slowly. I still enjoy living here, but I can see how a tourist would be utterly disappointed. Our "caravan parks" are glorified miner's camps, our shops are stretched to the limit and if you're not one of the big boys, nobody wants to know you. Personally, I can't wait for this "boom" to fizzle out, and everybodyy goes back to where they came from, giving us back our town and our somewhat scarred bush.
Cheers.

Hi Rick,

Like you we have done a bit of travelling in WA and Qld, the 2 big mining states. Yes there is a lot of mining going on, but we didn't feel quite so negative towards the miners. (Though I can understand how long term Pilbara residents may feel given the rate and pace of change there in the last decade to 2) Certainly the Pilbara is dominated by mining but we had no trouble finding either bush camps, or suitable caravan park sites when we were last there a couple of years ago. And we have enjoyed seeing the mining technology on display too. As Motherhen advises, get away from the highway and there are amazing places to see and explore.

A couple of points for a different perspective:

Just about anyone who is getting income from super will be drawing some of their income from mining, because of the way super funds are structured; and

Get hold of and read Geoffrey Blainey's book "The Rush that Never Ended" that describes the earlier days of mining in Australia - the booms and busts, stock market crashes, frauds and so on. Then decide whether today we have made progress about how we collectively manage the mining industry...

Cheers,

Val

Not just the the off-highway routes Val, just leave the North West Coastal Highway and take the Great Northern Highway south from Port Hedland (or conversely if travelling north). Even better go via Marble Bar and Nullagine if you don't mind a bit of dirt road.

Mh

I agree with you 100% Mh, The Dept. of Finance and I very seldom go on the coastal highway any more. Naturally there are exceptions and that being when the only way to a spot inland is via the NWCH.

Tony