Roebourne Shire to be renamed Karratha City

Emotions were running high at last year's final council meeting as councillors voted in favour of changing the name of the district from the Shire of Roebourne to Karratha City Council.

More than 50 concerned residents from the region's five towns attended the meeting and engaged in passionate debate both for and against the proposal.

A petition bearing more than 100 signatures protesting against the change was presented to the council. Local indigenous elders also attended the meeting to voice their opposition.

The motion was carried seven in favour, with four against.

In supporting the decision, Dampier councillor John Lally said the decision would provide great marketing opportunities for the area.

"As community leaders, we have to move forward, put our hands up and say we are open for business," he said.

"A city gives vision and hope… we need to think of the future."

In fierce opposition, former Shire president Fiona White-Hartig called for a referendum to allow residents to have the final say.

"We got to the international stage being the Shire of Roebourne," she said.

"To lose 150 years of history as the Shire of Roebourne is disgusting, and I don't want my name attached to it."

Suzanne Philpot now lives in Karratha, but lived in Roebourne for more than nine years.

She said she was unhappy with both the decision and the way it was handled by the council.

"There were three parts of the recommendation, and it was wrong to lump it all together and push it through," she said.

"If it's purely for a marketing point of view, the Shire logo already markets Karratha... the thing that draws your eye in the logo says Karratha, Powerhouse of the Pilbara.

"I just think it was rushed … there was no due diligence in terms of public submissions, and that become obvious from the misunderstanding that was coming through from the public when people were asking questions."

"I didn't feel that a lot of the questions that the public asked were actually answered sufficiently."

An application for a change of name and status will now be sent to the Minister for Local Government and considered by the Local Government Advisory Board, who will then decide the final outcome.

The process is expected to take up to six months.