THE government of Western Australia has endorsed the Westport Taskforce’s recommended location and design for a future container port at Kwinana.
The report has recommended a land-backed port be built within the Kwinana Industrial Area, connected by a freight corridor via Anketell Road and Tonkin Highway.
Work is to begin on the timetable of transitioning freight from Fremantle Port to Kwinana.
According to the government, the transition is occur either in one step by 2032 or over a phased period that will see both ports share the freight task for around a further 15 years.
Last year the Westport Taskforce found that even with major road upgrades, the transport network supporting the Fremantle Inner Harbour would reach capacity by the mid-2030s.
The recommended container port at Kwinana would include upgrading Anketell Road into a freight route that would connect the port directly to the Tonkin Highway and the logistics precincts in outer Perth.
New road and rail links are expected to help ease congestion.
Premier Mark McGowan said it was imperative to plan beyond the capacity limits of Fremantle.
“Fremantle Port has served our State for the last one hundred years, it’s now time to plan and build the next big piece of economic infrastructure that sets our State up for the next century,” the Premier said.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime project, it’s time to get on with it and unlock WA’s future.”
Ports minister Alannah MacTiernan said Kwinana had been recognised as “the logical location for a new container port for decades”.
“Western Australia’s new port will be a 21st Century facility, embracing the latest in port design to create the capability to take the world’s largest ships, and new technology to increase efficiency and reduce environmental impacts,” Ms MacTiernan said.
Transport minister Rita Saffioti said the Westport plan was crucial for WA’s future economic prosperity.
Westport chair Nicole Lockwood said the Taskforce’s recommendations were reached after more than two years of work.
“Westport’s work to date has been very detailed, thorough and rigorous – and that will continue as we start to work with industry and the community to develop the case for investment over the next four years,” Ms Lockwood said.
“After more than two years of intensive analysis, we know the Kwinana Industrial Area makes sense as the location for Perth’s future port and will accommodate rail and road links to move heavy container traffic around the city away from the suburbs.”
