Alcoa’s million-dollar boost for Waroona
Waroona residents, local to the Alcoa Wagerup Alumina Refinery in southwest WA, can look forward to a more vibrant and revitalised town centre after Alcoa contributed a total of $1m to help create a central hub for the community.
Planned features include a fenced toddler play area, junior playground, all-ages skate park and pump track, shaded picnic area with barbecues, grassed open space, events and pop- up area, Noongar six seasons garden, accessible toilets, pathways, shelters and seating, as well as RV facilities including rest areas and overnight parking.
Earthworks are currently underway, with most construction estimated for completion by the end of this year.
Shire of Waroona president Cr Mike Walmsley says the extra funding support will enable the shire to keep momentum moving on the transformational Waroona Community Precinct project.
“The extra funding will enable works to push ahead on site, while we continue discussions with other funding bodies and navigate cost escalations affecting the construction industry, which have pushed the total project completion cost to over $6m,” he said.
Alcoa Wagerup refinery manager Mark Hodgson confirmed the funding allocation was by far the largest contribution made to any project under the Alcoa Waroona Sustainability Fund.
“Set to make a positive contribution to Waroona’s economic, social, recreational and environmental sustainability, the Precinct project is a prime example of the type of community development project the fund was created to support,” he said.
The Alcoa Waroona Sustainability Fund supports initiatives, facilities and projects that result in sustainable and positive change for the communities in which Alcoa operates.
It is administered by the Shire of Waroona in partnership with Alcoa, with the amount of contributions made annually to the fund based on Wagerup Refinery’s previous year’s production.
The Precinct has been jointly funded by the Federal Government, the WA Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Lotterywest, as well as the Shire of Waroona, Alcoa Waroona Sustainability Fund and the Lions Club of Waroona.
For further project information, visit waroona.wa.gov.au/consultations/general/waroona- community-precinct-project-updates.
