Shire of Roebourne Local Planning Strategy

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Shire of Roebourne Local Planning StrategyTechnical Report A1: Economic Development StrategyFostering incubation projects and support services, including small business incentives;Fostering small business networking, clustering and skills development.8.3 Responding to opportunities – diversification of the economic baseSituation summary:A number of opportunities for diversification have been identified. Principal ones are: Specialised agri-business; Tourism; Regional services; Education services; Health services; Administration (private sector and public sector); and Knowledge industries, including research on regional specialties.The highest proportion of services employment in the Pilbara is located in the Shire. However, a highproportion is imported from outside of the region. There is opportunity to increase the range and scaleof services offered locally in all categories.A recent study for the Small Business Centre West Pilbara 21 identifies the provision of affordableaccommodation as the most significant barrier to entry to the small business sector. It found that the lackof affordable residential accommodation is the single biggest obstacle to normalising the local economy.As a means of partially addressing this barrier, it proposes that subsidised business incubator premisesmatched with affordable residential accommodation be provided across the West Pilbara to encouragebusiness growth and diversity.Its recommended incubator model for Karratha is: 18 commercial/retail/incubator units in the Town Centre; 10 light industry incubator units in either the Karratha or the Gap Ridge light industry estates; 28 accommodation units of one, two and three bedroom configurations.The report notes that the recommended incubator development model for the Karratha Business Park isunlikely to succeed without the 1:1 provision of residential accommodation matched to the subsidisedbusiness accommodation, and success for the businesses installed in the incubator will be largelydependent upon the level of support and expertise provided to the tenants. Adequate resources toempower the SBCWP in this regard are essential including skilled personnel and access to appropriateand affordable training and meeting spaces.Communications:Karratha is due to be connected to the Australian Government’s National Broadband Network via opticfibre cable, with most work to commence from March 2015. The rollout will include Karratha, KarrathaIndustrial Estate, Gap Ridge, Dampier and Roebourne. Construction in new developments in some ofthese areas has commenced. Horizon Power has an agreement with the NBN Co help install NBNconduits in Karratha in conjunction with its power undergrounding program.21CCS Strategic, Business Case for the Establishment of Karratha Business Park and Transferability of modelto Tom Price and Onslow, Report prepared for SBCEP, August 201263
Shire of Roebourne Local Planning StrategyTechnical Report A1: Economic Development StrategyVery high quality tele-conferencing facilities, with general availability through digital hubs 22 or a resourcecentre is essential to the further expansion of general administration and regional services from Karratha.The NBN is crucial to the growth of this industry (and very beneficial to the growth of other industries)and it will be important for the Shire to be NBN ready.A digital strategy should identify the opportunities for the local workforce, home based and smallbusinesses and students, training, up-skilling requirements and collaborative workspace or businessincubator space options.Consequences for Shire EDS:The growth of diversification projects can be facilitated by: Ensuring the needs of agri-business enterprises are accounted for in strategic planning.This is particularly important for the algae farm which potentially is a very large land user; Fostering the development of SMEs in agri-business support services; Fostering incubation projects and support services; Health: further expansion of the health campus and incorporation of areas ofspecialisation; Education: actively promoting the establishment of full-service tertiary education facilitiesand services in the Shire; Promoting the expansion of aged care services and facilities in the Shire; Formulating a digital strategy for the Shire to enable:o Remote and tele-workingo Improved viability of basing regional services and administration in Karrathao Further progress on the Smart Cities initiative. Tourism: Formulate a comprehensive tourism strategy addressing:o Product – attractions and activitieso Amenityo Accesso Accommodationo Marketing8.4 The Pilbara CitiesThere is a danger of some duplication of roles between the two large Pilbara settlements of Karratha andPort Hedland. Each is planned to reach a population of 50,000. At this scale each would warrantsubstantial and high level education, cultural and health services to support its population. However theessence of the economic task to support this population is to for the communities to encompass activities22 A Digital Hub is a community-based computer training and internet access point containing a number of internetready computers. Each Digital Hub is run by staff that provide training and assistance to explain the benefits ofparticipating online, to drive greater digital literacy skills and to demonstrate the possibilities of using the NBN.64
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Shire of Roebourne Local Planning Strategy

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