A number of delegates attending the 9th National General Assembly of Local Government staged in Alice Springs in early November opted for a novel way to get there. Organised by the Western Australian Local Government Association, and led by immediate past President, Councillor Ian Mickel, they travelled by bus from Kalgoorlie to Alice Springs along the Outback Highway.
A number of Councils including Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Laverton, Alice Springs and Longreach in Queensland, together with their respective Local Government Associations, have been lobbying the Federal, relevant States and Territory Governments, to have the Outback Highway sealed.
Some 16 Councils were represented in the tour party, including four delegates from Corowa Council in NSW who flew to Perth to take part in this Outback experience. A representative from Queensland Main Roads and another from Western Australia Main Roads also travelled with the group.
Departing Thursday 31 October, and to save a day’s travel, the group flew to Kalgoorlie from Perth at 6:30am. Four very enlightening and eventful days later, they arrived in Alice Springs for the commencement of the National General Assembly.
In a round table discussion with Local Government FOCUS representatives, members of the tour group made the following observations.
- If the road was sealed, more tourist buses would use it. There is so much history that deserves to be shown to the rest of the world, creating enormous opportunities for tour buses and self drive adventurers.
- It provides a greater understanding of just how big Australia really is.
- Only seven vehicles, mainly four wheel drive, were passed on the Highway during the first day. It needs to be sealed to open it up for conventional vehicles.
- The Outback Highway would save 1,600 kilometres travelling from Western Australia to Queensland.
- Sealing the Highway would also assist local people to get supplies in and out of their communities, as well as create new opportunities for tourism and employment.
- The tour group made a pledge that when bitumen touches east to west, they are going to have a reunion. Hopefully not all on walking sticks!
Along the way, the tour group was hosted by various Councils and their communities, providing a great opportunity to network and learn more about specific issues in providing services for remote and isolated areas.
A Civic welcome and tour of Kalgoorlie-Boulder included an overview of key current projects in the two towns; an underground mine tour; and a visit to The Mining Hall of Fame.
Travelling 30 kilometres to Broad Arrow Tavern, this is the only building left of the town that was established in the heady days of the 1970s, following the mining boom with the Nickel Queen and Poseidon mines.
The next stop was the Shire of Leonora, some 200 kilometres from Kalgoorlie. This is the site of Sons of Gwalia Mine, established in the 1890s and the deepest open cut gold mine in the State. Since the 1980s, Gwalia’s population has decreased from 800 to a current population of 40 people. Maintained as a gold town for tourism, the tour group said that the pride of the people who live in Gwalia was very evident. They see a future for the town and have a very positive outlook. Arriving at dusk at the Shire of Laverton (1,500 population), this was the first overnight stop. The group was welcomed by Shire representatives who had organised the evening meal, comprising kangaroo sausages, camel steaks, baked goat and emu kebabs. They learnt that the main industries of the Shire are gold and nickel mining and pastoral holdings. The issue of fly-in fly-out workers does not help the town to develop. Herds of kangaroos were also observed in the town.
The next day was an early start, with a 4:30am breakfast and the beginning of the Outback Highway of which Laverton is very proud. The general consensus was that this was ‘the start of a long and terrible dirt road’. The section from Laverton to the Northern Territory border, which Laverton Shire is contracted to grade, was not as bad as further on. The bus drove past three or four bushfires and several sandstorms, but there was no rain for the whole trip. Stopping for lunch, the Warburton Community welcomed tour participants and showed them their art gallery. Law and order problems, particularly domestic violence, are a major issue for this very remote community located almost 1,000 kilometres north east of Kalgoorlie.
With no permanent police presence, $25,000 is spent each year on transport costs to bring police in when required. Offenders are taken to court in Kalgoorlie and then brought back to Warburton, all at a cost to the community. It costs $3,000 for the Council to charter a plane to fly to Perth. As this is an alcohol free zone, there is a $5,000 fine for offenders which also applies to vehicles travelling through, including the tour bus.
At the Tjukula Road House (community store) a section of the road is sealed for the Flying Doctor to land. A permit is required from traditional owners to pass through this area. Abandoned cars are scattered along the Highway, with the state of the road having taken its toll on many vehicles.
Stopping at the Giles Weather Station, the tour group was shown the control room and operations of the weather station. This is one of 52 stations located throughout Australia. Moving on the next day, the group stopped at the WA/NT border to take photos underneath the Outback Highway sign. A visit to Docker River Aboriginal community had been organised with the Council elders. With a population of around 1,000, younger children go to school in the community, while older students board at school in Alice Springs.
The next stop was Lasseter’s Cave for lunch. Lasseter had spent 25 days here before he lost his life somewhere in this harsh terrain, taking the location of his famous reef to the grave with him.
The road has now deteriorated badly with bull dust and deep corrugations. At this stage of the trip many camels could also be seen. Near the Olgas, and back on the bitumen roads, everyone cheers. At Uluru, and joining the tour Sounds of Silence, the group sipped champagne as the sun went down on the Rock. There were around 120 people there from all over the world, taking part in this popular tourist attraction.
The tour was wholeheartedly acclaimed as a fantastic experience. Moree Plains Shire Council in New South Wales is now keen to do a reverse trip to the 2003 Roads Congress to be staged in Kalgoorlie. It has been suggested that delegates would fly to Alice Springs and do the trip to Kalgoorlie. The same coach company is keen run the tour again.
