KARRATHA CITY TO BUILD APARTMENT BLOCK.

The City of Karratha has given planning approval to its own application to build 81 apartments near the CBD. Photo: Urbis on behalf of City of Karratha.

GEOFF VIVIANI

Not content to wait for private developers or Government to provide more housing, a Pilbara Council has voted to go ahead and build 82 apartments near its own offices.

Mayor Peter Long said the development would also include an office and a “public purposes” space that could be used as an art gallery, visitor centre or library.

“They are not cheap, they are not service worker accommodation, they are going to be $300 a week,” he said. “We are going to rent them out for a 10-year period and three quarters of them are being rented to various government departments. The Police , Health, Education Departments and others are going to take some of them. So we are really building it for the State Government. We are doing a 10-year lease with various conditions on the lease and at the end of the 10 years we will have a significant amount of the building paid for.”

Mr Long said the City was now working on a detailed design before seeking cost estimates and calling a tender.

The development is to fill the block between Welcome Road, Sharpe Ave, Dampier Hwy and Balmoral Road.