A new website, ‘Spotlight on the Pilbara’, will be launched today by Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls in Perth.

The ‘Spotlight’ project was initiated in 2006 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to create a series of web-based reports to assist in the planning and delivery of services in the nine regional areas of Western Australia.  Each ‘Spotlight’ will provide the most up-to-date data on issues such as population, health, education and training, community and the environment, local government areas and information particular to each region.

Mr Grylls said that because of its unique status, the Pilbara region was selected as the pilot for the series.

“Certainly with the growth of the Pilbara and the future development in the region it was an obvious choice for the pilot program,” he said

“The Pilbara Development Commission has been working with the ABS to finalise the Pilbara website and the commission had a sneak preview of the site and how it works in Karratha last week.

“The ‘Spotlight on the Pilbara’ contains triple bottom line measures which were identified by the people living and working there as those that are crucial for building a sustainable future for regional WA.

“The ‘Spotlight on the Pilbara’ website offers a unique model in statistical data and commentary that will be of tremendous value in supporting good planning to secure the future of the region.” 

The Minister said this was the first of a plan to launch other spotlights throughout regional Western Australia.

“The ABS will work in partnership with other development commissions and the Department of Regional Development and Lands to create spotlights which will eventually cover the entire State,” Mr Grylls said.

“Armed with the information in this ‘Spotlight’ and the others to come, governments and the community alike will be able to plan for a vibrant future and measure the success or otherwise of the journey along the way.”

The next spotlights to be released in the New Year will be for the Peel and for the Mid-West regions.

‘Spotlight on the Pilbara’ is available at http://www.regionalspotlights.com.au