Housing the masses/Close to 1 billion dollars will be spent by major miners to try to address the housing shortage in a major iron ore province

摘要

If you happen to be among the 45,000 or so who call the Pilbara home, you'd better hope your hot water system or air conditioner does not pack it in anytime soon. And if you're a homeowner musing about adding an extra bedroom or revamping the pergola, you might want to think again. The reason? The Pilbara is about to experience a residential building boom of unprecedented proportions. For the next couple of years, tracking down a chippie, sparkie or plumber will be nigh on impossible. Three of Western Australia's biggest mining companies recently revealed details of what is likely to be close to a 1 billion dollars commitment to tackle the acute shortage of housing across the Pilbara. BHP Billiton, Fortescue Metals and Rio Tinto plan to build or refurbish more than 700 homes in Port Hedland, Karratha and Newman. Where possible, local tradesmen will be used. The projects, to be completed by 2010, will help alleviate an accommodation crisis that threatens to stifle development throughout the resource-rich region.