Introducing the Author, Karratha & the Book's Aim ...

The Author - Brent McKenna - Arrives in Karratha & the Book Takes Shape ...

Like others, with similar motivations to the Prospectors of the past arriving during the Gold Rush in the second half of the 19^th Century, Brent McKenna arrived at Karratha airport on a Friday afternoon in late June 2011 with a suit pack (unaware that suits aren’t worn in the Pilbrara), carry-on bag, lap top, back-pack enclosing a tent for accommodation and some cooking utensils plus a willingness to take on almost any job that was available in or near Karratha. After a conversation with a medical student who had flown home to visit his parents he was offered a ride into town, because there were no Taxis at the airport and was dropped off at the Caravan Park in Rosemary Road that mostly accommodated FIFOs (fly in and out workers) in comfortable units covering the very great majority of the park area. The tent was pitched in a small area beside the swimming pool set aside mostly for Backpackers. He would normally have been allowed to stay for “3 days only” but this was mercifully extended by a further three days when the caravan park Manager found out he had accepted a job on the Monday morning after the first interview and was seeking accommodation in a town with a housing crisis. After visiting a few local agencies and being referred to a public servant, who had some empathy with the predicament, a spare bedroom in a “four by two” house was offered because the public servant had three spare bedrooms and was happy to provide the room at below the “going rate” rent. A few months later Brent moved into a “Donga” because the Defence Department, who owned the house, had guidelines that were being strictly interpreted by management to disallow the arrangement. The modern Donga was a small single bedroom with an en-suite in a then unapproved Construction Camp built for 200 people.

Karratha is a Boom Town developed on the back of the resources industry that challenges new arrivals seeking to stay because it has limited room for them and occupancy rates are often above the maximum; it also challenges them to make a contribution in some useful capacity if they do stay. Brent’s work history included extensive experience in Victorian local government, mostly as a community planner, with a research fellowship undertaken in Canberra for the Commonwealth Minister for Local Government; after this he set-up and ran his own consultancy specializing in social and leisure planning with clients in Victoria and Tasmania. He also did part time lecturing on public policy (RMIT) and research methods (VUT) as well as project work in the non government sector, for example, as Coordinator of the National Citizenship Project. He then set up a print business in North Fitzroy (VIC) so he could be close to home and bringing up a family. His practical experience was in renovating and restoring homes and he was willing to tackle almost anything that provided an income. All of these previous jobs presented challenges which finally led to Business Development consultancies that Brent was undertaking for small to large client companies in Melbourne before finally deciding to come to Karratha after planning the move for 2 years. 

The first job he gained in Karratha officially started on 1^st July 2011, as CEO for the KDCCI, a membership based organization to promote business networking and run events to assist commerce and industry prosper in Karratha and surrounding areas.  During his time with the KDCCI he helped organize a wide range of networking events in collaboration with peak bodies and local businesses, as well as organizing, with staff assistance, the Business Excellence Awards. As CEO he also met the Governor General of Australia, visiting parliamentarians as well as giving a guided tour to the Israeli Minister for Infrastructures at the request of the WACCI. He then worked as the Site Administrator for Hanssen Construction Pty Ltd., the largest construction company in WA that was building Pelago Apartments, the first high rise building to be erected in Karratha that officially opened in 2012 with 114 apartments and several commercial areas for purchase or lease. After this job he was placed by Manpower, a local labour hire company, to be the Administrator for MI-Swaco that services the off-shore oil and gas extraction industry on the NW Shelf. After an overseas trip taken in September / October 2012 to introduce his 17 year old son to Nepal and then visit Ukraine, he started the book on 19 October 2012. In addition to the book, Brent is undertaking contracts to assist local companies move to higher levels in their operations or to improve their policies and assist in strategic initiatives consistent with the work he was doing in Melbourne. Getting a foot in the door with a major mining company is still one of his goals, especially if it takes advantage of previous professional experience. 

Whilst former work experience had armed Brent with an array of skills, Karratha was a different challenge altogether. The town was at the epicentre of a multi-billion dollar investment phase to create growth in production outputs and in the population needed to support increased gas, oil and iron ore exports from the region. Infrastructure projects were being undertaken to support the larger resident and FIFO population.  The relationship between private enterprise and government was mediated through inter-departmental committees, reference groups, peak bodies and financial arrangements that, in the author's opinion, tended to minimize public debate that might contribute to the bottom up incrementalism he felt was needed to ensure a sound future community that could some day assume the status of city. The author felt that the local council was largely an agency (and often a "rubber stamp") for the State Government (despite the best intentions of the locally elected Councillors). As well - the big companies have considerable local influence through “community programs” that sponsor peak bodies and fund local agencies so they can run services and events for the community above and beyond what is provided by government and the non government agencies (like the Salvos).

Brent’s various experiences in Karratha-based positions provide a valuable source of information and a different perspective on Karratha. Complementary to the videos and documents he reviewed and the statistics he cites in the book, were also the different perspectives of people who Brent met, the roles they played, their decisions, as well as their work activities, the social events and the various jobs and businesses in which they participated. Their input has helped to inform the author and assist in undertaking a critical analysis to develop the story about a youthful town on the geographic frontier of Australia contributing significantly to economic activity in and beyond Australia, in particular to China and Japan.

The book aims to critically analyze the documented aspirations of Karratha becoming a city in the NW of Australia by identifying and collating key data and information on Karratha and Boom--Bust Towns in the Pilbara. The author’s experience of and discussions with key players who influence policy and decisions forms a central part of the story. The book is not biased by the continual failure of Pilbara towns to prosper after a boom or by the mistakes made in the past as if they will all be repeated; rather, the books tells the story about Karratha and provides reasoned opinion that might influence decision makers and communities of interest who wish to openly debate issues and possibly avoid mistakes by accepting the real challenges ahead and the value of participatory policy making processes. The author argues that there is a greater possibility of creating a sustainable, self sufficient, self reliant and independent city if open and transparent debate takes place similar to experience throughout a nation where established cities have typically evolved over extended periods of time with input from many communities of interest to then become contributors to national well being and rightfully gain the status of being a city. The very different challenge for Karratha is the short timeframe and minimal input into making sound decisions about the future so the maturity, wisdom and willpower of local decision makers and interested people – as well as new workers, investors, board members, shareholders and tax payers - is encouraged by the book which suggests a failure to act will probably mean Karratha will Boom then Bust yet again like many boom towns around the world who based their survival very largely on mining finite non-renewable resources - on and off shore.