Newman and Port Headland Other mines at the centre of this resource boom are yet more fantastic in scale. For example, the company town of Newman, population 4,000, is located in the Pilbara region of north- western Australia. Newman exists to serve the Mount Whaleback iron ore mine that by time it is exhausted is projected to be some 5km long, 1.5km wide and 500 metres deep. Established in the 1960s after the discovery of large quantities of iron ore, the town is characterised by its low slung suburban houses that sit in a sea of water-dependent green grass, a stark contrast to the arid climate and desert landscape that abounds outside the confines of the town borders. It’s quasi-sister town, Port Headland is home to some 15,000 residents and hosts Australia’s largest port facility in terms of export tonnage. It is also the railhead of a privately-owned rail network that stretches a thousand kilometres across the Pilbara, connecting much of Australia’s rich iron ore belt. Locomotives ply the 426km distance from Newman to Port Headland, shunting multi-kilometre long ore trains from mine to international port. BHP - Billiton, the global resource company employs more than 13,000 people in the area. The significant and rapid scale of economic growth in the region has come at some cost. In Port Headland for example, there is a severe housing and land shortage that local government believes is making it increasingly difficult to attract and retain staff. In turn, this negatively affects the government’s ability to maintain key city infrastructure and to deliver community services. 6 ‘While this period of rapid expansion and development has brought many positive changes to the region, it also carries the challenge of balancing economic and commercial development with the needs of the local community.’ — Town of Port Hedland CEO, Mal Osborne in the local paper, The Pilbara Echo
One issue of common concern, is the fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) working culture that is used to attract people to work on remote mining sites. Many small towns see this as having a negative effect on their community and a parliamentary inquiry into the use of FIFO workforce practices in regional Australia has begun. Broken Hill Perhaps the longest surviving outback mining town in Australia, Broken Hill also lends its name to the multinational mining company, BHP - Broken Hill Proprietary Company whose origins can be traced back to 1885 and a silver, lead and zinc mine in the town. Located more than 1000km west of Sydney and around 500 km north of Adelaide, the isolated town is an important regional centre and home to 19,000 people. In urban terms, it is distinguished by two distinct grids that are divided centrally by mining operations and a surreal lunar mullock heap. Formed after many years of underground mining, the tailings have grown into an enormous man-made hill that towers over the city. The hill hosts the town’s visitor centre and is a vantage point from which to view the urban and natural landscape beyond. Broken Hill’s historic built environment is renowned for its starring role in the Australian cult film, ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ and, equally, Broken Hill’s surrounding natural landscapes continue to attract many artists and visitors alike. Unlike other mining towns, there are local film studios and numerous galleries that play an important role in the local government’s attempts to diversify the mining-dominated local economy.
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