- State Budget to fund a range of Westport-related initiatives
- Initiatives will include artificial reefs, seagrass restoration and establishment of new horse beach
- Work to be undertaken to investigate alternative materials for project delivery
- Further investment to be provided for planning the new container port
Today's State Budget includes $17.4 million of new investment across a range of initiatives that will support project delivery, community groups and the local environment, ahead of the transition of container shipping to Kwinana in the late 2030s.
The initiatives have been developed in consultation with key stakeholders, while also drawing on the evidence and findings of the $13.5 million Westport Marine Science Program.
Projects being funded in the State Budget include:
- new artificial reefs in and around Cockburn Sound;
- funding to industrialise seagrass replanting; and
- development and infrastructure to support a new horse beach.
The funding will also support investigations into alternative materials for project delivery, including recycled materials.
The initiatives funded out of the $17.4 million package will be above and beyond the formal environmental offset program, which will be announced as part of Westport's environmental impact assessment.
The State Government also confirmed it would provide a further $61.3 million of new spending for the next stage of detailed planning for a new Western Australian container port in Kwinana.
The funding will support design for critical infrastructure, and development of the commercial and inland supply chain management framework.
Today's announcement follows the completion of the Westport Business Case late last year which found inaction to address constraints on trade could cost the Western Australian economy $244 billion over coming decades - an average of $5 billion per year - driving significant increases in the costs of everyday household goods and for WA businesses.
Under a moderate growth scenario, Fremantle Port is expected to reach its capacity of 1.4 million containers per year by 2040, or as early as the mid-2030s if higher volumes of trade eventuate, with the surrounding road and rail network becoming significantly constrained - meaning a new port needs to be built by the late 2030s, to enable a smooth transition.
On the back of strong population growth, container trade through Fremantle Port grew by nearly 6 per cent last financial year, representing an increase of nearly 50,000 containers compared to the year before.
Western Australia's population is expected to grow to 3.6 million people by 2036, which will fuel further growth in demand for container trade.
For more information, visit https://www.ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Allowing our only container port to hit capacity would be absolutely devastating to our State's economy.
"If we allow Fremantle to reach capacity with no alternative, we'll be forced to pay more for household goods, the cost of doing business will go up, and job losses would be inevitable.
"Planning and delivering critical infrastructure of this size takes more than a decade, which is why our government is getting on with the job of planning for a new container port now.
"We understand the importance of Cockburn Sound to generations of Western Australians, and the initiatives we are funding in this State Budget will be just the start.
"This funding demonstrates our long-term commitment to both supporting the Cockburn Sound ecosystem and ensuring recreation continues."
