Rio Tinto’s A$100m boost for essential service worker housing in the Pilbara

(Posted on 29/04/26)

Rio Tinto will invest A$100 million to support the Western Australian Government’s building of more than 500 homes for regional frontline workers, as part of its new Seven Cities Vision for regional WA.

The state’s Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH) program will deliver new homes to Karratha, where many Rio Tinto employees live and work, as well as the company’s regional fly-in fly-out hubs of Broome, Geraldton and Albany.

As the biggest private sector contribution to the programme, Rio Tinto’s funding will also deliver new homes across the heartland of its Pilbara operations - Wickham, Tom Price, Paraburdoo and Roebourne - providing accommodation for government employees who serve these regional communities.

The Western Australian Government will lead the construction of these new Pilbara homes to meet GROH needs to 2030.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive Matthew Holcz said: “Rio Tinto has a long and deep connection to regional WA, directly supporting six towns across the Pilbara and, through our fly-in fly-out programme, providing employment and economic activity to a further six communities from the Kimberley to the Great Southern.

“Being a good partner to those communities means investing in the things that make them work; the teachers, police and frontline workers who keep them safe and thriving. And for those people to be there, the right housing needs to be in place.

“This $100 million investment does exactly that, delivering more homes in Karratha, Wickham, Tom Price, Paraburdoo and Roebourne and supporting the many people who live and work in these communities.”

Western Australian Premier Roger Cook said: “Regional cities like Karratha and Port Hedland have been central to Western Australia becoming the strongest economy in the nation and will be critical to our future economic success.

“While traditional industries like mining will continue to thrive, Karratha and Port Hedland will be front-and-centre to my government’s vision and becoming a renewable energy powerhouse and making more things here.”

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