Karratha is located 1,522km north of Perth and is known as the City of the North. Initially built to service and accommodate iron-ore miners after the tremendous growth of the iron-ore industry, Karratha has continued to grow over the years and is now often chosen as a destination to live.

With popular attractions including Deep Gorge and Hearson's Cove, these natural gems offer part of the country you usually only see in pictures, photos and paintings. And the economy is thriving - with iron-ore mining, sea-salt mining, ammonia export operations and the North West Shelf natural gas project offering lots of jobs to the people of Karratha.

Karratha is undergoing a radical transformation, evolving from a mining town with an estimated population of 18,000 into a significant regional city of 50,000 people.

Karratha is a strong, family-orientated community with numerous improvements including City Centre enhancements, upgrades to health, leisure and educational facilities, new transport and service infrastructure and the development of diverse housing options are just the beginning.

Karratha, the heart of the Pilbara region is renowned for its multibillon dollar resource investments. The region accounts for 93per cent of WA's iron ore sales, and has been singled out as the future ‘Powerhouse of the Nation.’ Growth has been unprecedented - nearly 765,000 people passed through the Karratha Airport in 2014 compared to just 90,000 people in 2003.

Karratha’s vision is to become a liveable, compact regional city of 50,000+ people, with a diversified economy and a healthy local community which demonstrates demographic balance. A city that offers high quality amenity, and infrastructure. It is set to be a place of choice, to work, visit, grow up, raise families and age in comfort.

The Karratha City of the North Plan (KCN) provides the robust planning framework that aims to:

• Enhance the quality of life for existing residents and to attract and retain future residents;
• Respond to the environment and achieve a sense of place;
• Achieve sustainable growth and development over the long term;
• Support economic activity and promote diversification;
• Deliver a vibrant and activated town centre; and
• Identify and establish a partnership approach to deliver the projects.