Throughout Western Australia, households receive municipal services such as rubbish collection and local road maintenance from their local government authority. However these arrangements generally do not apply to 138 Aboriginal communities located within the boundaries of approximately 20 local government authorities (Shires) in the Kimberley, Pilbara, Mid-West and Goldfields regions.
These 138 communities generally do not receive services from the Shire in which they are located. Instead the Western Australian Government, through the Department of Communities, funds a limited form of municipal services. Some of these services were formerly funded by the Australian Government, but Commonwealth funding was terminated during 2015, leaving the State Government to make up the shortfall.
Generally these services involve basic maintenance of a community’s internal roads, airstrip, fire breaks and landfills, and a solid waste rubbish collection.
Municipal services providers
Show moreThe Department directly funds 17 Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), through Grantee Agreements, to deliver municipal services to 34 communities.
Additionally, the Department funds three regional ACCOs to deliver municipal services to 104 communities, as follows:
- Kimberley region: 79 communities, services provided by Kimberley Regional Service Providers
(Kimberley) Ph: 1800 635 641 - Pilbara and Mid-West Regions: 19 communities, services provided by Pilbara Meta Maya Regional Aboriginal Corporation
(Pilbara-Mid West) Ph: 1800 062 503 - Goldfields region: 6 communities, services provided by Ngaanyatjarra Council Aboriginal Corporation
Ph: 0409 008 836
Municipal services guidelines
Show moreThese municipal services operate under guidelines based on these three values:
- sustainability – balancing social, environmental and financial considerations
- simplicity – reducing complexity
- local focus – best practice management for the benefit of the community.
The guidelines are:
Remote community swimming pools
Show moreIn most Western Australian districts, towns or cities, the local government authority provides a public swimming pool. These arrangements do not apply for public swimming pools in the town of Fitzroy Crossing and 10 Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley, Pilbara, Mid-West and Goldfields regions. Instead, the Western Australian Government funds the operation of the local pool.
Eight pools in the Kimberley, Pilbara, Mid-West are managed on behalf of the Department of Communities by Royal Life Saving WA. These pools were built by the Western Australian Government during the last three decades.
In the Goldfields regions the Department of Communities funds the Ngaanyatjarra Council Aboriginal Corporation to operate the public swimming pool in Warburton, Blackstone and Warakurna. These pools are community-owned, built with funds raised by each community.
Former power, water and/or wastewater services
Show moreFrom the late 1990s until 30 June 2023, the Department of Communities was responsible for power, water and wastewater services in 141 remote Aboriginal communities.
The Western Australia Government transferred responsibility for these unlicensed services to the State-owned utilities Horizon Power and the Water Corporation on 1 April 2023, with the transfer completed on 1 July 2023.
For more information about current services, including how to report a service fault, please contact Horizon Power and the Water Corporation.
Horizon Power
Webpage: www.horizonpower.com.au/resp
Water Corporation
Water Corporation webpage link
Information about the water services formerly operated by the Department of Communities, including results of its water quality testing program, is available on the Remote Essential and Municipal Services water quality testing results webpage.
Announcements
Transfer of remote services a licence for success
Transfer of remote power and water a licence for success
