Skimpy barmaids have returned to Dampier in latest sign the boom is back in Pilbara

A pub in the mining heart of the nation bringing back skimpy barmaids for the first time in seven years is the latest sign the boom has returned to the Pilbara. Karratha and Dampier residents are used to the riches of booms and devastation of busts, but a plethora of construction projects in the pipeline have sparked another period of rapid growth for the region. And there is no clearer sign of money in the region than the return of skimpy barmaids to the Dampier Mermaid. Earlier this year the popular watering hole, which used to be frequented by Red Dog, began hosting skimpy barmaids for the first time since 2015. Dampier publican Nick Bond, whose family has run the Mermaid for nearly two decades, said the hospitality industry was dependent on mining investment. He said the bar had to stop having skimpy barmaids in 2015 on the back of the Peninsula Palms and Kangaroo Hill camps being shut down. “When that happened very quickly, we saw that the skimpies we were employing weren’t making enough tips to justify coming up here,” he said. “Then it’s a downward trend; if they’re not doing well you’re not getting as well-qualified, well-trained staff. And then the clients and patrons that come into the venue don’t appreciate them as much and it just goes downhill from there.” Mr Bond said the key reason the Mermaid began employing skimpies again was the re-opening of the Peninsula Palms camp. “It’s given us better security in Dampier as a hospitality business with the population rising, more workforce around and more people around to draw into your venue,” he said. “So that was just one of the one of the things that we’re doing now and we’re really glad to have them back. “They’re professional. They’re well-trained, they’re thoughtful.” Resources projects in the region continue to show no signs of slowing down, with Woodside announcing in April it had received an offer from the Commonwealth-Western Australian Joint Authority for the pipeline licence to construct and operate the Scarborough pipeline in Commonwealth waters. The Scarborough field about 375km off the Pilbara coast is estimated to contain 11.1 trillion cubic feet of dry gas, with a first LNG target of 2026. The North West Shelf expansion project was given a green light by the EPA earlier this month under the condition it becomes carbon neutral by 2050. Australia’s biggest solar evaporation project, BCI’s Mardie salt and potash project, began construction in March and is expected to produce more than 4 million tonnes of high-purity salt and 100,000 tonnes of potash fertiliser a year for at least 60 years. Mardie aims to start salt harvesting and processing in 2024, with harvesting and processing to follow in 2025. Mr Bond said it was a welcome time for the hospitality industry, which had suffered through seven years of the bust cycle. “As everyone knows in business up here, especially hospitality, we’re so dependent on the investment and in the mining,” he said. “So when they’re going through phases of construction and maintenance, we get busier. “When they’re not and when they’re not spending, when they’re pulling back and they’re dropping staff, we really feel the pinch.” A spokesperson for Woodside said the development of Scarborough and Pluto Train 2 would provide a significant boost to WA, providing long-term investment in education and training, growing jobs and bringing work through the supply chain. “Woodside is working closely with our key contractors to maximise opportunities for local, regional and WA businesses,” they said. “The majority of direct opportunities for Pluto Train 2, including Indigenous participation opportunities, will be realised in WA. We have firm commitments to support skills development and training for Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents in the Pilbara and Gascoyne regions to meet employment and supplier opportunities arising from the development.” The spokesperson said a peak workforce of more than 3200 people was expected to be generated during the construction of Scarborough and Pluto Train 2. “Almost 600 direct jobs are expected to be created or sustained during operations. This includes the creation of around 300 direct jobs in WA,” they said. “Of the jobs created, approximately 70 are expected to be frontline residential roles based in Karratha.” The opportunity for new energy sources and clean energy sources is also a source of optimism for the region, with the spokesperson saying Woodside viewed the Pilbara favourably for its new energy potential. “The Pilbara has access to low-cost gas, existing infrastructure and a skilled workforce,” they said. It has exceptional renewable energy potential, including solar and wind, and is close to well-understood, depleted reservoirs with high potential for carbon capture and storage. “The Pilbara holds potential for scale by servicing both export markets and growing local demand, with a focus on de-carbonising other mining and energy activities in the region,” they said. The spokesperson said the company was targeting a final investment decision on its proposed solar farm in Maitland Estate by the end of 2022. The proposed development would generate electricity from a large-scale solar photovoltaic farm, complemented by a battery energy storage system. The facility would have the capacity to supply up to 100MW of solar energy to Pluto LNG and other customers near Karratha, with potential expansion to a maximum of 500MW.