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MAKING booming towns more sustainable is Ben Pritchard’s (pictured) top priority for 2013 and beyond.
The recently appointed town planning manager at surveying and planning firm Norris Clarke and O’Brien vows to tackle inequities caused by the resource boom.
“Large amounts of infrastructure supporting mining projects are the most extreme demonstrations of the boom nature of these projects,” says Pritchard.
“The legacy of large amounts of infrastructure is totally disproportionate to the small settlements that are left behind – both in terms of physical size and in terms of the financial burden the maintenance of these facilities impose on small communities.”
He also advises against single-use structures, particularly those used in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Football World Cup tournament in South Africa.
“These modern day examples of ghost towns must serve as a warning to anyone whose life, home, town, state and country is faced with the prospect of short-term good times,” he says.
Pritchard recommends taking a more measured approach by using more temporary infrastructure and short-term structures.
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