Nine groups express interest in Pilbara Cities vision

A total of nine leading Australian and international property developers have formally expressed interest in taking on a landmark project to dramatically accelerate the State’s Pilbara Cities’ vision to transform Karratha into a city of at least 50,000 people. Following an Expression of Interest (EOI) process late last year, the nine groups have applied to develop up to five parcels of prime land in Karratha’s city centre covering almost six hectares and a further 160 hectares of residential land at coastal Mulataga.

Once developed, Mulataga will be a premium coastal residential suburb of more than 2,500 dwellings, linking Karratha directly to the sea. The rush by developers follows an announcement by the Finbar Group late last year that work on the town’s first high-rise residential and commercial towers would begin in early 2011.

Regional Development and Lands Minister Brendon Grylls said the response to the Mulataga/town centre EOI demonstrated that the State Government’s Pilbara Cities’ vision to create vibrant major cities in the region had gained significant momentum. “Through Royalties for Regions we are investing an additional billion dollars in the Pilbara region over the next four years and this has sparked strong interest from the private sector,” Mr Grylls said

“Developers both here and abroad are clearly recognising the potential a town like Karratha has to become a major economic centre. In partnership with the private sector, the Western Australian Government is committed to creating more liveable, well-appointed North West centres that encourage families to settle permanently, breaking the cycle of a transient fly-in-fly-out population.”

The shortlist of developers will be announced at the end of February, with proponents then moving to a Request for Proposal (RFP) stage in the procurement process.

Further information is available at LandCorp’s website:
www.landcorp.com.au