AN inflow of taxpayer funding is already making a difference in the state's far north as the Ord-East Kimberly expansion project gathers steam.
AN inflow of taxpayer funding is already making a difference in the state’s far north as the Ord-East Kimberly expansion project gathers steam.
In July, the federal government pledged $195 million for community infrastructure and services to complement $220 million in promised state funding for Stage 2 of the Ord River irrigation scheme.
Stage 2 will almost double the area under irrigation from 14,000 hectares to 22,000ha in the Weaber Plains region.
The project took a further step forward this week when the Department of Water invited submissions from potential irrigation water providers in a bid to select a preferred and reserve proponent by March next year.
The move comes two weeks after four major consortia were shortlisted for the lead-contracting role, ahead of the final bid deadline in mid January next year.
The expansion will provide sufficient water from Lake Argyle to supply up to 22 new farms producing a range of crops including sorghum, seed, cotton and perennial trees.
Wyndham-East Kimberley shire president Fred Mills said the approaching start of work on Stage 2 of the Ord irrigation scheme had underpinned a significant bounce in community confidence.
“The pessimism that we’ve had over the years has certainly turned to optimism,” he said. “People are optimistic at the moment because they can see things happening, and there’s some really good feedback from the government.”
The first big ticket item is completing a 300-bed accommodation camp in Kununurra for the workers who will work on the Ord expansion project.
Mr Mills said the shire was required to have the camp ready by the start of May, with initial room to house around 150 workers and ultimately 300 plus.
However, there had been a temporary holdup because LandCorp’s original temporary mine-camp style facility did not conform to the shire’s town planning policy.
LandCorp has since submitted a revised proposal, due to be voted on by council this week, that will allow the camp to become a caravan park once construction work is complete.
Mr Mills said the shire would also vote shortly on a separate LandCorp proposal to build more than 100 homes under the federal development program, which requires that the $50 million initiative be complete within two years.
While that would push the capacity of local contractors to the limit, it would also create additional spin-offs such as indigenous employment opportunities.
“So it’s going to have a flow on effect that is quite significant,” Mr Mills said.
