Environmental Studies | City of Karratha

City of Karratha Environmental Sustainability Strategy

The Environmental Sustainability Strategy defines our values and guides how environmental sustainability is considered in the City’s reporting frameworks, policies and plans.

The Strategy reports on our work in five focus areas: energy and climate change, waste, water, natural environment, and sustainable development, planning, and infrastructure.

It also details the City’s medium and long-term goals around energy, water, and waste management efficiency, as well as our plans to lead positive environmental behaviours within the community, across our facilities and in our services.

Aspiring to a thriving and sustainable natural and built environment is one of the core strategic themes in the City’s Strategic Community Plan.

Email citygrowth@karratha.wa.gov.au to learn more about ways to be involved in protecting our natural environment.

Renewable Hydrogen Study

Hydrogen offers diverse applications as an energy carrier and chemical feedstock and has great potential to support decarbonisation of the world’s energy, transport and industrial sectors. Because of this, there is a growing global demand for renewable and low-emissions hydrogen.

The City of Karratha Renewable Hydrogen Industry Hub Report sets out:

The Australian context for the renewable hydrogen industry;
Karratha’s competitive advantages in developing the hydrogen industry; and
Potential strategies that the City could employ to enable the development of the hydrogen industry.

Download the Karratha Renewable Hydrogen Report here (PDF 7 MB)

Local Biodiversity Strategy

The City’s Local Biodiversity Strategy is almost complete. The Local Biodiversity Strategy aims to identify significant natural areas and determine methods to conserve them for the long term. The project has involved an extensive community consolation process, a desktop study and natural area training for Aboriginal Rangers.

Desk top surveying revealed that there are approximately 3338 biological species in the Karratha municipality, with 88 of those are found nowhere else in the world!

These results, combined with community values identified during public consultation, revealed that approximately 71 sites need on ground assessment. These sites will be assessed for disturbance factors such as weeds, rubbish dumping, feral animals and illegal off-road vehicle tracks.

Download the Local Biodiversity Strategy Report here (PDF 15.1MB)

Solar and Wind Farm Site Suitability Report

The City of Karratha commissioned a study to determine the suitability of the land through a multi-criteria analysis of land constraints and the necessary conditions and locations for potential future development. The report identified more than 119,000 hectares as being highly suitable for commercial scale electricity generation through solar and 7,245 hectares as being highly suitable for wind energy generation systems. The Report demonstrates the Council’s commitment to the development of renewable energy industries and projects within the City.

Download the Solar and Wind Farm Site Suitability Report here (PDF 21.3 MB)

Coastal Management Strategy

This Coastal Management Strategy is the City's overarching coastal management document. Its purpose is to ensure the City has a consistent and transparent approach toward existing and planned coastal management policies, plans and strategies.

Download the Coastal Management Strategy (PDF 8.12MB)

City of Karratha Water Management Strategy

The City of Karratha Water Management Strategy highlights important values associated with the critical water resources of the City which include drinking water, surface water, groundwater and wastewater. It proposes objectives, strategies and actions for the City in regards to the management of these water resources.

Download the Water Management Strategy (PDF 11MB)

Coastal Hazard Risk Management Adaption Plan (CHRMAP)

The coastal communities located within the City of Karratha (the City) are at risk from coastal processes such as coastal erosion and storm surge. Projected sea level rise will increase the risk from coastal hazards and therefore it is important that the City adopts a risk management and adaption strategy to manage growth and development pressure in a sustainable way that responds to these known coastal hazards.

Download the Coastal Hazard Risk Management Adaption Plan (PDF 3.7MB)

State of the Environment Report

Visit the RDA Pilbara site to view the State of the Environmnent report. Alternatively the documents below.
Part 1 (7MB PDF) | Part 2 (6MB PDF)