The vote is on! The local election for four seats on the Town of Port Hedland Council is underway with voting closing at 6pm Saturday. It means that this weekend you, our community, will have decided who you want making decisions on your behalf.

You can drop your voting papers into the Civic Centre next to Gratwick Pool in Port Hedland any day up until 6pm Saturday. If you didn't get voting papers in the mail, replacement ballots can also be issued at the Civic Centre. Find out about the 18 candidates vying for your votes on the Town of Port Hedland website. 

Earlier this month, the Town launched the new Disaster Dashboard that will assist our community as a 'one-stop-shop' online portal of important information relating to weather warnings, road closures, utility outages, emergency contact numbers, cyclone warnings - and so much more. 

Finally, I am pleased to share news that we have entered into a multi-million-dollar partnership with De Grey Mining. The partnership will help us deliver on our vision to build a thriving, resilient and inclusive future for our diverse community.

Hedland, make your voice heard!

The Local Council Election is on! This weekend four members of the Town of Port Hedland Council will be decided.

Make your vote count and have your say by 6pm this Saturday, 21 October.

Didn't receive voting papers? No worries. Come down to the Civic Centre on McGregor Street in Port Hedland and we will sort you out.

Want to know more about the candidates? Check them out here.

Milpaku Kuma - Port Hedland Community Centre Open Day

We're excited to open the doors to Hedland's new community centre with an open day next Saturday!

Come together, explore and experience all that Hedland's newest facility has to offer! With lots of free activities to keep the kids busy, mark this one down in your calendar.

Saturday 28 October, 10am - 2pm

• Participate in a class - Yoga, mixed martial arts or the kids can join in on the circus!

• Take a guided tour

• Be inspired by the Function Expo

• Enquire about hiring the facility

Let your friends know you're coming along by RSVP'ing on the Facebook event.

Traineeships with the Town

The Town's Shape Your Future initiative is being offered again in 2024 with a variety of full-time traineeships available.

Gain a nationally recognised qualification and enjoy a competitive salary and career opportunities, with training costs paid by the Town.

Traineeship applications close this Sunday, 22 October. For more information and to apply, please click here.

Ranger Review

The Port Hedland turtle nesting season is starting and beaches will soon be very active with turtle nests.

This means we all need to be extra vigilant about protecting flatback turtles.

It's critical that people remember to keep their dogs on leash when at the beach as they can pose a significant threat to laying turtles, nests and hatching eggs.

Community members are reminded that all dogs must be kept on a leash at all times in public, unless a sign specifically states off leash area.

Dogs can only be run off leash at the Town's approved off leash areas – Marie Marland Reserve off leash area, McGregor St Reserve off leash area, and the Spoilbank off leash area.

Spoilbank Marina - major milestones achieved

The Spoilbank Marina project is progressing well. Recent milestones include:

• The marina basin has been excavated to full depth and connected to the ocean.

• Dredging is complete. A new navigation channel will enable boats to safely enter and exit the marina.

• The public jetty, marina pen pontoons, gangways and boat ramp panels have all been installed.

• Approximately 82 per cent of all breakwaters and revetments are complete.

Please note, the Spoilbank Marina is still an active construction site and not yet ready for public use.

The $187.5 million Spoilbank Marina is being managed by Pilbara Ports, and is funded by the State Government, Town of Port Hedland and BHP

Grants Program 

Expanded grant program - now open!

• Has your business, community group or sporting association got an idea or an upcoming project that could use a funding boost?

• The Town's Grants Program has been expanded to offer opportunities for businesses, not-for-profit organisations and community groups. 

• Visit here to check eligibility and find out if your idea meets the grant program criteria.

Childcare grants - closing soon!

• Is your organisation or business planning a childcare project aimed at attracting and retaining regional childcare workers that may require support?

• The Town's Annual Community Childcare Grant supports childcare organisations with up to $5,000 to design, implement and complete projects that respond to local childcare issues in Port Hedland.

• Applications open until 31 October 2023.

• For more information, please visit here

Projects Propelling Hedland

South Hedland Aquatic Centre

It's busy behind the scenes at the South Hedland Aquatic Centre as we work to fix issues that are part and parcel of an older swimming pool.

The pool will celebrate its 45th birthday in February next year. Pools are normally expected to have a life of around 50 years, meaning continual maintenance is a matter of course when a pool nears the end of its expected life.

More than 210 metres of trenching has been dug surrounding the pool to address issues with the piping system. 

Read more about our project to build a new aquatic facility as part of the Hedland Sports and Arts Precinct here. 

The shared bike and pedestrian path that will connect Port and South Hedland is nearing completion. 

The final segment of the path stretches around six kilometres from McGregor Street to the Redbank Bridge. It completes the final connection between South and Porth Hedland with the shared path now stretching more than 12 kilometres in total.

The final piece of work is completing line marketing, which will be carried out over the next couple of weeks. 

Read the Town's draft Active Transport Strategy. 

Stage 3 - JD Adventure Park progressing

Stage 3 of the project will involve redeveloping the vacant block next to the outdoor basketball courts into the JD Adventure Park.

The Adventure Park will bring the wider Hedland Playspace Precinct - which includes redevelopment of nearby Marquee Park - closer to fruition.

A BMX pump track, skills track parkour course for 12-17 year-olds, turfed area for passive recreation, bike racks, repair station and shade structures are all part of the initial concept designs for the Adventure Park.

The Town has allocated $4 million from its Long Term Financial Plan to the JD Adventure Park.

In early 2023, the Town sought community feedback to the initial concept designs, with feedback including:

• Hedland is passionate about BMX riding and scooting, with almost half of respondents considering themselves “advanced”
• Most people saying they would visit the JD Adventure Park multiple times a week
• A BMX pump track suitable for all skill levels was the most popular activity people wanted, followed by an intermediate BMX jump track and a parkour course. Riders want feature jumps, tabletop jumps and race infrastructure like starting ramps and spectator areas.

Read more about the community engagement results here.

Read more about the JD Hardie Adventure Park development here.

The Circus comes to town!

YUCK Circus is coming to town with a one-night-only show at the Matt Dann Theatre and Cinema.

Expect larrikin humour, high-flying acrobatics, and a ripper night of comedy and circus. 

WINNERS of the Fringe World top-tier Martin Sims Award, Best Circus at both Melbourne and Sydney Fringe, and Best Emerging Artist at Adelaide Fringe, get ready to witness a powerhouse of female circus performers kick art in the face.