The City of Karratha has today proudly announced they have squandered more than $300,000 coming up with an Indigenous name for the vacant shit heap across the road from the Red Earth Arts Precinct.
Notoriously known as Lot 7020 Sharpe Avenue – the unoccupied land was meant to solve the city’s housing crisis with 97 new furnished apartments – but will now remain home to little shits doing nangs, a stolen bike dumping ground and a sick place to do burnouts.
It was previously reported the City’s 2021-22 Annual Budget included $250k to commence the design element of the development.
And then a few months later, the council endorsed a motion to move the $305,000 allocated for design to the budget for the next financial year, with design works scheduled to be completed in the 2022-23 financial year.
Yet, the eyesore remains.
That said, after more than six years in the pipeline, a spokesperson for the CoK said at least they came up with a name for it.
“Look what I can say is the appropriated manpower wasn’t in vain.
“Since 2019 we have been deliberating over this… the amount of Tim Tams and Nescafe blend 43 sachets shed over the last six years… fuck me…
“But we’ve got something to show for it, we were able to come up with trendy Aboriginal name ‘Walgu’.
“I can’t remember for the life of me what it actually means, but yes money well spent.”
The project was estimated to cost about $55 million, with funds to come from city reserves and borrowings from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility or WA Treasury Corporation.
However, it is rumoured talks broke down when Mayor Daniel Scott presented the board with a power point presentation that pitched ideas including a bowling alley, an ice skating rink, and a Q-ZAR accompanied by a Fast Eddies burger joint.
“It’s fair to say things didn’t go according to plan,” Mayor Scott said.
“Those blokes have rocks in their heads.
“I said ‘we are the economic powerhouse of this country, this is an opportunity to bring world leaders here – you know like – ‘hey Albo, come and join us for a $200 round of AMF bowling, we’ll even throw in the shoes for free… imagine that.
“In the end, the councillors got together and we decided we did such a great job with that undeveloped empty wasteful manicured lawn in front of Lo’s that we thought it was just best not fix what wasn’t broken.”
