Port Hedland Residents Allege WA Goverment Prioritizes Industry Over Water Security
PORT HEDLAND,โ WA – โAโ Karriyarra elder is accusing the western Australian government of treating Port Hedland’s dwindling water supply like a โ”lolly shop,” prioritizing economic interestsโข over the needs of residents. The claims come as theโ town faces a deepening water crisis, prompting renewed calls for major miners operating โคin the region to accelerate desalination projects.
Ms. Mason’s concerns reflect a long-standing pattern of โขissues impacting theโ town, including dustโ suppression problems and a government buyback โขscheme that led to โขthe voluntary disappearanceโ of entire Port Hedland โsuburbs. She alleges the state government is favouring โคthe economy โฃandโ neglecting the people who elected them. โค”The state government are favouring the โeconomy โฆ not thinking about the peopleโค [who] elected them,” โshe said.
Portโ Hedland, a crucial hub for iron โore exports, relies heavilyโ on groundwater. Residents fear increasing industrial โdemand is exacerbating the water shortage, threatening the town’s long-term viability. โMs. Mason is echoingโข calls forโข the โregion’s major โmining companies to expedite their own desalination plans, arguing theyโ should not be permitted to draw fromโ the groundwater supply, whichโค isโ essential for the community.
“We โคneed to survive – โขwithout water, we can’t survive,” Ms. Mason stated. โขThe situation highlightsโฃ a growing tension between industrial development and the sustainability of resourcesโ in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.