The City of Kwinana, Western Australia (WA), has welcomed Infrastructure Australia’s 2019 Infrastructure Priority List, released 14 February, which continues to recognise the need to improve Port facilities to support the State’s container trade.
Infrastructure Australia (IA) identified that the current container port in Fremantle will be limited by urban development that constrains the road and rail connections into the Port.
It said projected growth could see Fremantle reaching capacity in around 15 years and recognises the importance of addressing these constraints if WA is to be serviced by an efficient supply chain.
City of Kwinana Mayor, Carol Adams, said she was buoyed by Infrastructure Australia’s report which further demonstrated the importance of the Outer Harbour in alleviating some of these pressures being realised in Fremantle.
“The Infrastructure Australia report recognises State Government’s commitment to the Westport Project and the City hopes to see the timely development of a container terminal at the Outer Harbour in Kwinana, which would be the catalyst for much needed economic growth and more importantly, local jobs to the region.
“The importance of a congestion free and safe rail and road network supporting the State’s container port is critical and the Outer Harbour offers a solution to the highly congested road and rail in Fremantle.
“A relocation of these activities to Kwinana will ensure that the port’s operations are appropriately supported by the Kwinana Industrial Area and Latitude 32, which will provide capacity for growth and long term certainty that the State’s major port operations will not be further constrained by ongoing urban encroachment.
“A new port in Kwinana will position the state to take full advantage of the battery metal boom and the City is excited to see these ideas progress and hopes the Westport taskforce will contribute to the body of work undertaken by IA when the Westport Strategy is released later in the year.”
