Big-Box Retail Might Be Coming to Karratha, But at What Cost?

We’ve been hearing whispers for years, and now it seems closer than ever: a Homemaker Centre at Gap Ridge, with BCF, Bunnings, and other big-name chains allegedly in talks as future tenants.

Plenty of people have asked me what I think. So here it is.

The short version? Karratha already has what they’re offering.

But here’s the real difference:
When you support local, your money stays here. You’re backing real service, local jobs, junior footy clubs, school raffles, and neighbours who actually live in town.

And yeah of course Karratha Adventure Sports doesn’t want a BCF opening next door. Can you blame us?
But this isn’t just about one store. It’s about what kind of local economy we want, long-term.

At Karratha Adventure Sports, we price with integrity. No fake sales. No gimmicks. Just honest, fair pricing every day. The overwhelming feedback on our Facebook post in May?That KAS pricing and range is already spot on.

Will I survive this? Probably.
But not everyone will.

What about the garden centres, flooring stores, hardware shops, pool shops, and auto retailers? What happens when they can’t pay rent, when their staff are poached, when they lose foot traffic? How can we expect them to stay open?

So they close.

These are the same businesses that survived the boom and bust cycles.
Where’s the long-term planning?
Are we comfortable with empty tenancies in the heart of our town?

We’ve seen what happens when the big chains move in:

• The Athlete’s Foot opened, nearly wiped out our sporting department and then shut down without notice.

• Target closed when head office decided the numbers weren’t good enough.

Small business is hard. I live it every day.
And while a shiny new Bunnings or BCF might sound great to some, let’s be honest, when the raffle needs a prize or the local comp needs a hand, it’s not head office in Sydney showing up. The investors arent approving that.
It’s your local small business showing up, just go down and watch your locals sports team. whos logos are down there?

The real cost of big-box retail isn’t cheaper prices.

It’s what we lose when local businesses disappear:

• Jobs

• Sponsorships

• Community support

And once they’re gone? They don’t come back.

If stores like Repco relocate to Gap Ridge, we risk gutting Karratha’s town centre hurting foot traffic, surrounding businesses, and long-term plans like the Tambrey Neighbourhood Centre. What happened to walkable shops? Local convenience?

A retail hub out of town might look slick but it could come at the cost of community, accessibility, and vibrancy.

And even if this new centre goes ahead who’s going to staff it? We’re in a housing crisis. Unemployment is low. Retailers are already struggling to find staff. Are we seriously talking FIFO retail?

This isn’t about being scared of competition.
It’s about protecting what makes this town strong.

And if this does go ahead, we need to be real about the impact. 
Local businesses will need mental health and financial support.
Because we don’t have million-dollar marketing budgets and national buying power. We have grit, service, and community. And we’ll need every bit of it.

Thanks for reading and if you care about Karratha’s future, now’s the time to speak up.

👉 Have your say to the City of Karratha

Natasha Ambroziak
CEO, Karratha Adventure Sports