Shire of Ashburton calls for State Government investment for total solar eclipse as Exmouth receives $21m

With the Pilbara and Gascoyne regions preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse, one Shire will be supported by about $21 million in State Government funds while another has been left in the dust. The hybrid solar eclipse visible from select locations across WA on April 20 next year including Onslow and Exmouth, and will be the first time in more than 1000 years a hybrid eclipse had been visible from Australia. Exmouth and the Ningaloo Cape will have 100 per cent of the sun covered while Onslow is expected to have coverage of more than 99 per cent. Tourism WA estimated more than 10,000 visitors will travel to the Gascoyne region alone and on April 20 the State Government announced it would invest $21m in planning and infrastructure upgrades for Exmouth in the lead-up to the total solar eclipse. Meanwhile, total visitors expected between the Shire of Ashburton and Exmouth could be as high as 50,000 according to Astrotourism WA. As part of the State Government investment, Exmouth will receive $8.2m in road infrastructure upgrades and traffic management, $5.4m to increase the region’s telecommunications infrastructure and $470,000 for upgrades at Exmouth Town Beach. Region-wide upgrades include $1.2m for rest area upgrades on the North West Coast Highway and $5.4m to increase the capacity of the Gascoyne’s telecommunications infrastructure. Last year the Ashburton Shire joined the astrotourism community when Onslow was listed as an astrotourism town, with observing points at ANZAC Memorial Park and Onslow Termite Mound viewing area as well as the Resilience Sculpture outside Paraburdoo. Since then, the local government has launched a series of events to promote the total solar eclipse locally, as well as positioning the Shire of Ashburton as an astrotourism destination. Plans for the eclipse include providing overflow accommodation to meet visitor demand and hosting a range of events which may include dark sky tourism stargazing talks, an open-air cinema under the stars, street festival and live music events. Shire president Kerry White said visitors to Onslow will experience over 99 per cent of the sun covered by the moon during the eclipse and other locations within the Shire of Ashburton are positioned to take advantage of this phenomena. “The Shire of Ashburton has been working closely with our State Government partners, including the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation and Tourism Western Australia, as an active member of the State’s Total Solar Eclipse Working Group,” she said. “We have requested State Government support on a number of opportunities to maximise the visitor experience for the Solar Eclipse.” Ms White said the Shire was working with the State Government to get a funding agreement to assist with the preparation of visitors to the region. “While we understand that visitation to Exmouth for the eclipse is expected to peak at a greater number than Onslow, we are also requesting investment into Onslow and the Shire of Ashburton that will support our plans for the 2023 eclipse and investment that will also provide for the community and tourism opportunities after the event,” she said. A government spokesperson confirmed the State Government is currently in negotiations with the Shire of Ashburton. “Upgrades funded as part of total solar eclipse preparation will benefit the Ashburton, Carnarvon and Exmouth shires,” they said. “For example, the $5.4m investment to increase the capacity of the region’s telecommunications infrastructure will extend to Onslow, Carnarvon and Coral Bay.”