Shire of Carnamah expresses concerns over community impact of semi-permanent worker camps for refinery

The Shire of Carnamah has expressed concerns over the development of a staff camp by a local mining company, which could stunt the growth of the community if staff are located away from the town site. Iluka Resources is constructing a $1.2 billion rare earths refinery at Eneabba, 300km north of Perth, and has plans to build a 300-bed camp to accommodate operational staff. Carnamah shire CEO Robert Paull said: “We strongly encourage Iluka to investigate and progress to residential accommodation in the town in Eneabba.” The reason behind the push to house workers in town is to ensure Eneabba will see much-needed housing development and a population injection for the community, a reliever for the current housing shortage. Mr Paull believed the camp would continue to house staff once the refinery was operational. “We just don’t want to see their workers missing out on having a community if they were all to be located 2km out of town. Building some more permanent long-term housing in town is what we want to see.” Communities around the State have become increasingly frustrated with the way mining companies are choosing to house their workers. The semi-permanent nature of demountables and dongas means staff are geographically removed from existing residents and not afforded the opportunity to immerse themselves in the community. A spokesperson for Iluka Resources said the company had been operating at Eneabba since the 1970s and its current focus was progressing the design of the refinery, which was expected to be finished by the end of the year. The company is in the early stages of planning for the refinery to be operative. “The development of a workforce and accommodation strategy is a key component of this,” the spokesperson said. The company said its primary objective was to have as many employees residing locally as possible, referring to Leeman, Green Head and Eneabba — its three main “residential opportunities”. The spokesperson said the refinery was a multi-generational asset, unlike a mine, adding the company had been in Eneabba for decades and were an established part of the community. “We’re confident that it will deliver significant, long lasting benefits to Eneabba and the broader Mid West community,” the spokesperson said.