The beginning of a new era in Karratha

Managing Director's Brief

From Zoran Bebic

Celebrations are in order as Monadelphous is now established at our much-anticipated new Karratha facility, with our Mining and Minerals North West region, Heavy Lift and Group Assets operations support teams and workshop crews all now relocated under one (giant) roof.  

The new hub in the Gap Ridge industrial estate, Karratha, Western Australia, represents a significant milestone for Monadelphous in the region by replacing our previous workshop in the Karratha Light Industrial Area, where we have been based since the 1980s.  

In 2012, we acquired the 6.8 hectare site with the intention of establishing a new operational base in Karratha, supporting our ongoing expansion in the Pilbara. This investment reflects our sustained commitment to the region, where our team have lived and worked over many decades. 

The relocation also supports our expansion in the north-west, and ensures we continue delivering high quality services to customers local to Karratha, including Rio Tinto and Woodside. 

The team behind the project 

The significance of the required investment and the number of stakeholder groups involved meant the design and business case associated with the facility had multiple iterations. Lorna Rechichi (General Manager, Heavy Lift) and John Collings (Property Manager) led this process, working closely with John Rubino, our former Chairman, who had a clear vision for the Gap Ridge facility. Their perseverance to continue to drive this project and demonstrate the value add for the future of Monadelphous in the region has resulted in the facility that we can now celebrate.  

The success of the project is a result of the efforts of many people, including some individuals who have been integral to the completion of the facility, notably Jade Low (Property Administrator) and Nathan Gough (Construction Manager, M&IS MMNW), who have supported John Collings and managed the project seamlessly. Darren Homann (Plant and Equipment Superintendent, Group Assets) and Peter Eddy (Operations Manager, M&IS MMNW) have also provided essential local support and coordination, helping the project from end to end. The structural steel for the project was procured and supplied by Inteforge, while the Heavy Lift team provided the cranes and operators during the construction period.    

The Gap Ridge project steering committee provided essential governance over the process and representation of their teams throughout.   

What’s next? 

We will be celebrating the official opening of the facility in August 2024, and we look forward to sharing more from the milestone event in due course.