There’s a long way to go for Niminjarra Highway

Development of the proposed road to provide a closer transport link between the Punmu and Parngurr communities would involve substantial political will on the part of the applicants, said Alex Douglas, Director Technical Services with the East Pilbara Shire. Alex, who was among a party of ten who set out last May to trek the terrain between Parngurr (also known as Cotton Creek) and Punmu, said the creation of the new route involved expenditure of several million dollars to see it constructed to a suitable standard. “The sources of funds are limited to the State and Federal Government agencies,” Alex said.

“The East Pilbara Shire will assist where requested and to the extent of our ability to lobby on behalf of the communities.” Parngurr community leader Teddy Biljabu has since written to the authorities, with the support of the East Pilbara Shire, and is currently waiting a response. The survey conducted last May was intended to follow as closely as possible a new road alignment that would see a substantial reduction in the distance and time taken to travel between the two communities. “Our intention to follow the new proposed route did not eventuate,” said Alex. “We had to make a substantial deviation as a result of having to negotiate the many sandhills.”

Sandhills indeed. The trekkers encountered 66 of them, each up to 15 metres high, as they sought the quickest route between the two destinations. It was enough for Teddy Biljabu to suggest a name for the new route: “We should call this road Niminjarra,” he said. “Very difficult, hard to get on with!” Identifying, planning and grading a new way between the communities would be safer, economically and environmentally sound and sensible. When, hopefully rather than if, the Niminjarra Highway is developed, it is expected the current travelling time and distance between the two communities (which currently necessitate driving a very long way around the area encompassing the Telfer mine site) would be cut from 7.5 hours to about 2.5 hours, and from about 325km to just over 120km. Alex Douglas said it was hoped the eventual route would pass near sites of significance to the communities with a view to conducting guided tours to some of those locations. “This project is an opportunity to benefit the communities by tapping into tourism growth, as well as managing access into areas that should not be visited by wandering tourists,” he said. For Teddy Biljabu and his friends, the three-day trek provided an opportunity to re-visit lands, water holes and Sacred Places they knew only as children and which had since been left vacant for decades.