World-first plan for Oakajee and Geraldton Kmart

SPECIAL APRIL 1 REPORT

Concerned citizens took matters into their own hands this week with the launch of one of the world’s largest crowdfunding campaigns.

Geraldton has had its woes with the on-again, off-again industrial Oakajee project, situated 24km north of Geraldton.

Over the years, community excitement at the project has tapered off and large investors have yet to be secured for the $6 billion needed to make it viable.

This is soon to change with the recent formation of local group “Justifying Oakajee Kickstarter Experiment” (J.O.K.E), which aims to break records worldwide by creating the largest crowdfunding campaign ever created.

Group founder Cole Burner said the project created an opportunity for the community to get involved.

“For too long have we left the responsibility of large-scale infrastructure to the larger players in government and industry,” he said.

“It’s about time we try a new approach and allow the community to really invest directly into this project.”

Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture for large numbers of people, typically via the internet, and has seen a shift in the way new ideas and ventures are launched, by spreading the investment across a large group of people contributing a small amount each, much like the lesser known practice of income tax.

As is the custom in most crowdfunding campaigns, for different amounts pledged you will receive different rewards.

The lowest pledge of $10 will earn you a catchy bumper sticker with the slogan, “I crowdfunded a port and all I got was this bumper sticker”.

Other pledge amounts entitle the donor to such one-off experiences as using the jetty for fishing purposes ($100), unlimited access to the Oakajee site during construction for jet-skis and other motorised water sports vessels ($2000), and a high-speed sandbank mounting experience in a tug boat ($100,000 + costs of new tug boat).

With the expected success of the campaign, the deepwater port will cater for the world’s largest ore carriers as well as local people in small dinghies wishing to take poor quality iPhone videos of sharks.

The 570km rail network will service operating and emerging mining projects across the region, and will, upon its closure three months after opening, be a prime location for the new Kmart site.

“This is why we need to act now to secure Geraldton’s future. If this project was to get off the ground, we have it on a good authority that corporations such as Wesfarmers would then view Geraldton as a viable Kmart location,” Mr Burner said.

For more information on the project head to www.itsaprilfoolsday.com.