Council to vote on workers' camp rules

Rules for setting up workers' camps in Port Hedland could change, with Town councillors voting on whether to endorse a new transient workers accommodation strategy tonight.

The strategy, released for public consultation in July for the third time, has received mixed reviews from resource companies and the hotel industry.

As with the Federal Government's recent Pivot North report, the Town of Port Hedland aims to encourage operational workers to live in the town rather than in purpose-built camps.

Major changes to the strategy, which would only apply to new camps, include increasing minimum stays at workers' camps from one week to two weeks and making only construction workers eligible to stay there.

With mental health in the spotlight after a spate of fly-in, fly-out worker suicides, the Town has also removed a requirement to restrict camps from building gyms and pools because the town already has these facilities.

BHP Billiton corporate affairs vice-president Julius Matthys wrote in a submission to the Town in August the company did not support the strategy.

"If the … strategy is progressed in its current form, BHP Billiton will be forced to consider alternatives in how we operate and accommodate our workforce in Port Hedland," he said.

"We maintain any minimum stay requirement is arbitrary, unreasonably restricts our ability to accommodate our workforce and will, over time, result in significant increases in short-term accommodation prices."

But Australian Hotels Association chief executive Bradley Woods said the new draft strategy was "a good first step" and recognised workers' camps should not compete with the local hotel industry.

It is not yet clear how much weight the new strategy, if passed, would have on assessing workers' camps. The State Government could override the strategy if it thought it placed unreasonable conditions on a company.

Most development applications with an estimated value of $7 million or more would also need to be assessed by the Pilbara Joint Development Assessment Panel, on which the Town sits, but does not hold a majority vote.

If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, phone Lifeline on 13 11 14.