Giving a face to our regions

The travel opened the door to valuable dialog between the Shire of Derby West Kimberley, Mowanjum Aboriginal Corporation, Looma Aboriginal Community, the Shire of Halls Creek, Warmun Aboriginal Corporation and the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley.

These face-to-face interactions are key to fostering stronger working relationships, exploring insights into current issues and emerging trends and witnessing firsthand the impact of our regional investments.

Travel highlights included touring several key infrastructure projects funded by the WA Government:

• Mowanjum Football Oval changerooms — expected to be ready by the new year. 
• Looma Town Oval — nearing completion and estimated to be ready for the 2026 season, funded through our Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund.
• Fitzroy Crossing Town Oval and Youth Precinct — set to be completed to early 2026.
• Warmun Town Oval and undercover courts — expected to be ready for the 2026 East Kimberley Football League season — funded through a 2021 election commitment.
• Kununurra Leisure Centre — construction underway on a 50m outdoor pool, set to be the first of its kind in the Kimberley region.

The team also visited sites prioritised by local governments for future development, including the Derby Town Oval, Kununurra Town Oval and further planned upgrades at the Kununurra Leisure Centre.

While the week was marked by early starts, late finishes and thousands of kilometres, the value of in-person engagement with our regional stakeholders cannot be overstated.

Photo: Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley — Manager of Community Development Marlene Renton showing Troy and Jaygan a proposed site for the Kununurra Leisure Centre expansion — a key priority for the local government.

Photo: site clearing underway at the Halls Creek Town Oval.

Photo: the vehicle odometer at the conclusion of the week showing 2,387km clocked up in just 4 days.