Kimberley Economic Forum Broome the city of the Kimberley: What could or should it look like? Marion Fulker, CEO May 2012.

Objectives Bring into focus modern day ‘Boomtowns’ The role of the Committee for Perth in a ‘Boomtown’ Create some conversation starters Handover to Mayor Carpenter to present on the Greater Geraldton Region

Rapid Resource Development and Regional Cities There are few examples internationally of places like Broome –relatively remote, high natural amenity, tourist economy and resource to exploit that have experienced the levels of growth anticipated This means looking for examples of ‘best practice’ from elsewhere is difficult – you need to plot your own course Learn from others – What to do and What not to do

History of US Energy Boomtowns General lessons from Boomtowns elsewhere, especially the US 1970s Energy Boom = 100s of boomtowns across Western US Initially labeled “Gillette Syndrome” after a pioneering study in Gillette, Wyoming The social and economic impacts became a source of considerable policy and planning debate – including Congressional hearings, numerous popular articles etc. National Geographic, Feb, 1981

Boomtown Social Disruption Rapid Population Growth Housing Shortages - Hotels - Apartments - ‘Man-camps’ - Affordable rentals - Key workers excluded Stress on Local Governments - Increased crime - Increased emergencies - Social Services - Planning and Zoning National Geographic, Feb. 1981

Social and Economic Issues Economic prosperity is not evenly distributed Conflict between “newcomers and established residents” Conflict over role of local government to fix problems Money to mitigate impacts is not available or is late to arrive Police Magazine, 1981

The Social Disruption Boomtown Model Limitations to the formation of Public Policy and Mitigation (Markussen 1978) Jurisdictional unevenness. The impacted communities can’t actually control the development Insufficient control of land use: the local government can’t use zoning or siting arrangements to ease adjustment. New Comers vs. Old Timers. New residents demand services not traditionally needed. Established residents not part of new labour market. Radical social change Severity of growth. Sheer numbers of people overwhelm public services and community life. Volatile production patterns. The boom-bust cycle forces local government to weigh immediate needs with unknown future. Monopoly of information: The industry holds nearly all information, and an incentive to misinform exists. Risk. Uncertainty of future development causes hesitation in private/state/federal/local loans, grants, and support.

Warning from the US experience The Faster the pace, the higher the cumulative costs The literature on US “boomtowns” indicates that communities can adapt to a 5% increase in service demand but that governance and services break down if a 15% increase is required over a short period.

Basic preparation steps found in resilient US Boom towns 1.Created Intra-Governmental Task Force: –Share information –Communication 2.Create Baseline Socioeconomic Profile. –Know basic information to gauge impact 3.Closely Track Project Development and Alterations –Know details of industry activity trends 4.Create Impact Projections

4 stages of Boomtown Attitudes 1.Enthusiasm 2.Uncertainty 3.Near Panic 4.Adaptation

Create Impact Projections Given the development scenarios – what will the employment and population impacts be? What will the demand be on local services? How much will it cost to mitigate these demands? How can planning/development process be adapted to new pressures? What changes will take place in economy? What can be done to take advantage of the positives and lessen the negatives? How to attract long-term workers?

Role of Committee for Perth Act as a unifying voice for the Perth of the future Inform the debate as Perth grows from a city of 1.7m people to 3.5m Catalyse ideas, generate solutions Improve Perth’s liveability by reshaping : reforming : revitalising

What have we achieved New and deeper insights through an evidence base New model of collaboration which is cross sector A greater focus on the longer term 3.5m people Independent Review into metropolitan governance Light rail in the draft 20 Year Transport Plan Vision keepers – do we get what we were promised?

Some conversation starters What could Broome be? Another Boom town full of opportunity but breaking down under the pressure of growth. What should Broome be? A Boom town of international renown that is quintessentially Broome that has seized the opportunities and met the challenges head on by thinking and acting in new ways Is a Committee for Broome right for you?