It’s always a great thrill when a project you are involved in wins a national award.
Certainly, the whole team at RDA Pilbara – alongside our partners at the PDC and the WA Government – was chuffed when the Pilbara Hydrogen Hub was announced as the winner of the Investing in Industries and Local Economies category at the inaugural RDA Awards.
But the real reason we are so excited about the Hydrogen Hub is less about the award itself (as proud as we all are !) and more to do with what the project will mean for our region’s future.
Getting the Hydrogen Hub up and running is going to take a huge amount of work from a wide range of stakeholders. There will be hundreds more hours invested behind the scenes than spent in the spotlight.
But the Hub concept offers a great glimpse into what the Pilbara could look like in decades to come.
It truly has the potential to be a game changer, opening up fresh export opportunities, diversifying economies, creating new jobs and helping to build industries that would have seemed like science fiction 30 years ago. The benefits for local communities will be enormous.
The RDA Awards capped a very busy month for RDA Pilbara that included participation at the National Economic Development Conference and the WA Local Government Association Convention. Closer to home, we were delighted to attend the KDCCI’s Annual Business Excellence Awards and to see the Northwest Multicultural Association host another very successful Festival and Forum.
As I’ve mentioned previously in this column, engaging closely with both local and out-of-region stakeholders is a key part of the work we do at RDA Pilbara. Life in the Pilbara is shaped by so many factors, and it’s essential that stakeholders near and far are aware of the opportunities and challenges we are encountering.
Next up on our agenda on November 13 is the Hedland Economic Resource Forum, organised by the Port Hedland Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
As a global epicentre of iron ore exports, Port Hedland has played an enormous role in the Pilbara’s story over the past 50-plus years and it will be central to our region’s ever-evolving future.
Major projects will be a sizeable part of that.
The Australian Renewable Energy Hub – which BP recently provided a very informative community briefing about – will not only contribute to decarbonisation across the Pilbara but unlock new export streams out of Port Hedland.
POSCO’s interest in producing green iron at Boodarie Strategic Industrial Area would add another string to Hedland’s industrial bow, one that would have been difficult to think was possible 20 years ago.
Port Hedland will be an active participant in the Hydrogen Hub, as an arrival point for massive renewable energy infrastructure. And mineral exports out of Port Hedland will remain a lifeblood of the region’s economy, through iron ore and other commodities like battery metals and gold.
There are also emerging and exciting opportunities around sustainability that should be embraced.
The operational phase of a mine is only one small chapter of a site’s land use, with closure offering the chance to partner with Traditional Owners and other community stakeholders on rehabilitation, repurposing and future development.
Working out how all the various pieces fit together for Port Hedland is a complex but crucial task. There are many questions that will need to be addressed – around labour, housing supply and affordability, liveability, and how to ensure project benefits flow through to all parts of the community.
Events like the Hedland Economic Forum provide an important forum for discussing these types of issues.
Executed correctly, the next phase of Port Hedland’s development will lead to positive outcomes for not only people and businesses within the town but right around the Pilbara.
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