Living in style
Bay Village in Karratha has officially opened, with input to the design of the new accommodation facility from a number of stakeholders including the City of Karratha.
A new accommodation facility for Woodside’s Karratha fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workforce has officially been opened – only 13 months after building commenced.
Bay Village, on the edge of Karratha and some 25km south of Karratha Gas Plant (KGP) and Pluto LNG, can accommodate 604 residents.
Its first residents moved in during August.
“A lot of work has gone into completing this impressive facility – on budget and on time,” said KGP Asset Manager Breyden Lonnie at the official opening in July.
“It’s an achievement made all the more impressive considering the challenges posed by both Tropical Cyclone Damien in February and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is an achievement that everyone who has worked on this project over the past 13 months should be proud of.”
Breyden said congratulations and thanks were due to Woodside’s contractors for the project – DIF, Multiplex and Compass Group – as well as the Woodside team led by Project Manager Tom O’Neill.
“They all worked together to overcome the challenges to deliver a high-quality product – a very impressive modern facility,” Breyden said
Tom said: “For those of you who stayed in the old Bay Village, which was constructed in the early 2000s on this same site, I am sure you’ll agree that this facility is a huge improvement.”
Over the next 15 years, Bay Village represents an investment of more than $500 million and will provide accommodation critical to Woodside’s operations at KGP and Pluto LNG Plant, as well as the company’s future growth projects.
A second proposed accommodation village is required for the construction phase of the proposed Pluto Train 2 project, for which Bechtel is the preferred contractor.
Bay Village gives residents easy access to a number of amenities including a 24/7 gym, several recreational areas, indoor and outdoor dining, BBQ areas, multi-use sports courts, a swimming pool and high-speed internet.
“It will bring together most of our FIFO workforce in Karratha under one roof,” says Pluto Asset Manager Yvette Manolas.
“This is important as we move towards becoming a single team and it also provides more options to support health and wellbeing of our people.”
Importantly, it’s been designed with input from our workforce and other key stakeholders including the City of Karratha.
“Informed by feedback from these stakeholders, mental health, wellbeing and community integration were a particular focus during design,” Yvette explains.
As well as a Community Services Coordinator, services such as the town shuttle bus are being trialled to encourage our workforce to engage in cultural and sporting activities and support local shops and service providers during their down time.
“Ensuring our investment benefits local businesses and local people has been a key focus during the construction phase and will continue to be a key focus as we commence operations,” says Senior Vice President Operations Fiona Hick.
Over the course of construction, more than 90% of Bay Village procurement spend was with local Western Australian businesses, exceeding our initial targets.
Furthermore, construction of Bay Village has provided a strong source of employment for local people, with more than 600 Karratha residents employed over the duration of construction.
“The result is a facility we expect to promote the health, productivity and performance of our workforce for many years to come,” Fiona says.
Read the full Q3 2020 issue of Trunkline here.
