A local Karratha builder in Australia's north-west will soon commence construction of new housing for rangers managing one of Australia's most culturally significant landscapes.
Karratha-based Timik Developments will construct four new homes for Indigenous rangers working at Murujuga National Park, supported by a $1.78 million grant awarded to Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC).
The four dwellings will provide secure, long-term accommodation for park rangers responsible for managing and protecting the Murujuga Cultural Landscape, which was formally added to the UNESCO World Heritage List last July.
The funding formed part of the WA government's Aboriginal Employee Housing Grants Program, delivered through the state's North-West Aboriginal Housing Fund and part of $10.4m allocated across seven projects in the Pilbara and Kimberley.
The allocation will fund two MAC projects, including the ranger housing development, which was now in the delivery phase.
Each of the four homes would be built as four-bedroom, two-bathroom dwellings, and designed to support rangers and operational staff working in the national park.
They will accommodate the MAC Ranger operations manager and other rangers, reducing reliance on short-term or insecure housing in a region with severe accommodation pressures, with construction expected to commence next month.
Murujuga National Park sits within the broader Murujuga Cultural Landscape, an area recognised globally for its extraordinary concentration of ancient rock art and cultural heritage. The UNESCO listing marked a major milestone for Traditional Custodians in the West Pilbara, and elevated the importance of ongoing land management and protection.
For MAC, which represents more than 1,000 members from five Traditional Custodial groups across the West Pilbara, stable housing for Rangers was not just a workforce issue, but a practical enabler of cultural and environmental stewardship.
Pilbara MLA Kevin Michel said the new housing project delivered multiple benefits for the region.
"This is great news for the UNESCO World Heritage listed Murujuga National Park and a boost to local jobs and housing," Mr Michel said.
