Projects

Project: Karratha City of the North Partnering Opportunity

Client: LandCorp

Procurement: Government Master Developer (GMD) Model 

Stage: Partner Procurement

In mid 2010 Appian Group was engaged to provide Project Management Services to support LandCorp in the delivery of the Karratha City of the North Partnering Opportunity. Services being provided include project definition, development feasibility and business case preparation, planning, contract development, governance, project controls, budget, client and stakeholder liaison, consultant management, and partnering procurement.

Located in the Pilbara region of North West Western Australia, Karratha is on Nickol Bay 1,557 kilometres north of Perth and 850 kilometres south of Broome. Karratha is the primary service and administrative centre of the Shire of Roebourne. In November 2009 the State Government launched its “Pilbara Cities” vision to revitalise Pilbara towns and to develop Karratha into a “city of the north”. In response to this vision the SoR in partnership with LandCorp produced the Karratha City of the North Plan (KCN Plan). The KCN Plan offers a “roadmap” for the transformation of Karratha from a resource town to a regional city of the north.  

This project, expected to be in excess of $500 million is seeking a development partner that can coordinate planning, design and sustainable development initiatives across key development sites within the Karratha City Centre to create a new “City Core” as well as a 168.4 hectare broadacre land development at Mulataga (a future residential estate to accommodate over 2,500 dwellings) to the east of the City Centre. It is the State Government’s intention to facilitate the development of mixed-use, retail, commercial and residential product of the highest quality in design, built form, materiality and sustainability that will address the unique requirements of an arid location.

LandCorp has adopted a Government Master Developer (GMD) model for delivery of this city building project. Under the GMD model, the State Government (through LandCorp) will procure the private sector development partner to deliver the built form outcomes within the City Centre and the broadacre land development at Mulataga and simultaneously the State Government and the Shire (again through LandCorp) will assume the responsibility for the planning and delivery of the public infrastructure (Karratha City Centre Infrastructure Works) for which Appian Group is also providing project management services.

The partner procurement is currently in progress and a preferred development partner is expected to be announced in the latter part of 2011. Following an exclusive working period where by the preferred development partner (working in partnership with the State Government) to complete its development strategies and designs, obtain planning and authority approvals and secure the necessary pre-commitments in order to commence development, construction is anticipated to start in early 2013.