Coral Bay workers’ accommodation to support tourism industry boom after border reopening

As housing shortages continue to plague the Mid West and Gascoyne, plans to develop workforce accommodation in Coral Bay have this week received local government approval.

The Shire of Carnarvon has signed off on the $8 million RAC Workers Accommodation project, which will house up to 60 people across the Gascoyne.

Consisting of 42 single-bedroom units, the housing will be 1.2km from the Ningaloo Reef Resort to allow for an easy commute for workers.

Shire president Eddie Smith said the new accommodation would provide significant support to the tourism industry in Coral Bay.

“With the borders opening in March, we’ll soon be getting more interstate and international travellers visiting us in this stunning part of WA,” he said.

“This means we’ll also have an increased number of casual workers coming in. The workforce accommodation will help us prepare for that,” he said.

“The region will be able to accommodate for more workers thus enhancing the capacity to service the increased number of travellers we’ll soon be having.

“As people get used to travelling again and tourism activity increases in a post-COVID world, we’ll be better placed to cater for the necessary hospitality workers to meet the growing demand.”

Construction will start this year, with the project expected to be completed by 2023.