"ENOUGH IS ENOUGH": EAST PILBARA RESIDENTS DEMAND ACTION ON ROAD NEGLECT
By Asad Khan and Marli Ryan
Community Frustration Reaches Boiling Point
Residents in the Shire of East Pilbara say they’ve had enough of poor road conditions, slow maintenance, and what they describe as years of inaction from local government.
This week, long-time Newman resident Lance Coppin delivered a fiery address to the council, accusing the shire of failing to maintain unsealed roads, protect public safety, and listen to community concerns.
The speech has since circulated widely online after locals claimed the YouTube livestream of the council meeting was removed.
“We’ve consulted, emailed, met with the CEO, and taken the operations team out on site. Every possible avenue has been exhausted and still, nothing’s been done,” he said.
"WE USED TO HAVE THE BEST ROADS IN AUSTRALIA"
He said the decline in road quality has been gradual but unmistakable.
He described how, in previous years, the East Pilbara maintained a highly effective grading program, keeping remote and community roads among the best in Western Australia.
“The old system worked — three graders, local crews, and a coordinator who knew the country. Every road was graded at least once a year,”
He claims that under current management, graders have been pulled from service and the focus has shifted toward costly road reconstruction projects.
“They keep saying it’s flood damage or cyclone funding issues. But this isn’t about floods, it’s about years of missed maintenance.”
COMMUNITY CALLS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
Following his council address, Mr Coppin says he’s still received no official response from shire representatives.
He said he believes the council’s reluctance to hear public concerns is part of a wider culture of avoidance.
“There was resistance to even let me speak. Only one councillor supported it,” he said.
“They basically admitted on record they don’t want to hear about the road problem.”
A community petition has since been launched, calling for a vote of no confidence in the shire’s CEO and greater accountability in local governance.
FROM PROTEST TO POLITICS
Mr Coppin has now announced he will run for council, hoping to bring change from within.
“If elected, I wouldn’t reinvent the wheel,” he said.
“I’d return to what worked, a simple, affordable grading maintenance program with local crews and a coordinator who knows the country.”
He said the goal is to restore trust between the shire and the community, ensuring ratepayers’ funds go back into core services like road maintenance and safety.
Listen to Ngaarda Media’s Marli Ryan speak with Lance Coppin: