The new Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia, Scott
Ludlam is visiting Karratha to meet with community leaders from 17-18
July.

“Enormous wealth is being taken out of the Pilbara. Much more needs
to stay here in the form of housing and zone tax rebates, and
protecting our globally significant heritage values. The social
infrastructure is crumbling because people just can’t afford to live
here, and the Burrup is being subject to continued vandalism because we
still can’t get basic planning policies right.

“I am astounded at the premeditated neglect of housing needs and
intend to push for collaboration between industry and Local, State and
Federal agencies to address what could be a huge opportunity.  The
recent Senate inquiry into housing affordability recommended a ‘high
level emergency taskforce to consult with Pilbara communities and
industry’ .

The Greens will also continue to push for an increase to the zone tax rebate, which has not increased since 1993.

“This rebate should be urgently reviewed and it should not be given
to those on fly-in fly-out contracts,” said Senator Ludlam. “If the
housing crisis was addressed more people would invest in the region as
their principle place of residence.”

In addition to urgent temporary housing, the Karratha area would be
an ideal site for a new generation of ‘solar suburbs’ making the most
of advanced renewable energy technologies, locally appropriate building
design and more enlightened community planning policies.

“There is so much more to do to ensure that the benefits of the boom
are shared more fairly, particularly given the catastrophic levels of
poverty in Aboriginal communities in the region which the housing
crisis has only exacerbated.

“Someone needs to help guide the future of the Pilbara after the
boom. The Greens are ready to help regional communities make their
voice heard in State and Federal Parliaments.