As Esperance gets ready for an unprecedented phase of development, the Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission and the Shire of Esperance have been looking at likely impacts on the town's tourism accommodation during the project development.
With the $300 million Esperance Port Expansion, $120 million Port Access Corridor, $45 million Foreshore Protection and Enhancement and the Esperance Hospital Upgrade leading the charge of projects due to commence in the next one to two years, accommodation for project workers will be at a premium.
To mitigate the risks to tourism associated with the major developments and to maximise advantage from the Super Towns initiative, The GEDC and the Shire sought preliminary advice from consultants, Brighthouse, on the potential to increase the availability of temporary accommodation in Esperance to meet demand.
To gain an insight into the potenial issues, key stakeholders and community representatives were invited to a one day strategic planning and risk management workshop, conducted in Esperance on 12 December 2011. The workshop was conducted by Brighthouse Principal Strategist, David Holland and Senior Consultant, Michael Sidebottom and was facilitated by Curtin University's Project and Risk Management Guru, David Baccarini.
The outcomes of the workshop were recorded and will be considered by the group for further action early in the New Year.