THE WESTERN Australian government has allocated $373 million in new funding in the 2024-25 State Budget for projects at the state’s ports, involving significant maintenance and upgrades.

The government says the additional funds for the state’s major ports between Broome and Esperance will provide ongoing capacity for forecast growth in imports and exports.

New projects to be delivered with funding in the 2024-25 State Budget (some of which have been previously announced) include:

  • $117 million for major rebuilding and upgrade of berths and mooring equipment at Fremantle, Kwinana and Esperance;
  • $101 million contribution to a major new cargo wharf project at the Port of Dampier;
  • $84 million for sustaining capital works across all ports;
  • $17 million for essential roadworks at Utah Point in the Port of Port Hedland;
  • $16 million for recladding of bulk export sheds at Geraldton and Bunbury;
  • $14 million in funding for an industry-supported Seafarers Centre at Port Hedland;
  • $8 million for heritage renovation of historic Albany port buildings;
  • $6 million for infrastructure to support first point of entry designation for Broome Port;
  • $5 million for B Shed upgrade to improve the visitor experience and further activate the Victoria Quay precinct; and
  • $4 million for planning for proposed new facilities in Esperance and Albany.

Ports minister David Michael said that as a geographically isolated state, WA’s entire economy depended on efficient port infrastructure and associated land transport connections to support critical import and export supply chains.

“These latest investments across all our ports represent the Cook Government’s commitment to not only our export industries, but to the infrastructure we need to maintain the supply chains of critical industrial and agricultural inputs,” he said.

“All of these projects are investments in WA’s economic infrastructure, to cater for existing trades as well as new and emerging ones.

“The funding in our 2024-25 Budget is a strong vote of confidence in the State’s future growth potential.”

WA’s port authorities are all 100% owned by the state and operate as Government Trading Entities. All of the investment projects are designed to ensure ongoing support for local employment and regional economic development, the government said.

Elsewhere in the Budget, over the next four years a total of $11.8 billion has been allocated for new road, rail and transport infrastructure projects across WA, part of the Cook Government’s overall $42.4 billion investment in new infrastructure across the state.