Relocating container trade to Kwinana will resolve a number of constraints facing Fremantle Port, and support the growth of Western Australian trade for another 100+ years.
As far back as 1955, Kwinana has been considered an alternative location to resolve future container trade constraints in Western Australia. Since then, further studies into possible new port locations consistently found Kwinana was the optimal long-term solution.
In 2020 after an extensive assessment of Western Australia’s container supply chain, Westport identified Kwinana as the most suitable location to future proof our State's container trade.
Why Kwinana is the answer
The Kwinana Industrial Area provides the opportunity to design and plan a modern, sustainable and fit-for-purpose port and supply chain that can grow with Western Australia’s population and container trade for another 100 years.
Kwinana is home to the Outer Harbour – working port facilities which already receive 2-3 ships daily. Moving container trade to Kwinana would add about one ship per day.
A new container port in Kwinana will catalyse growth of the Kwinana Industrial Area and broader Western Trade Coast, improving road connections, efficiency and collaboration across Western Australia’s major industries in the region.
Existing road and freight rail connections in the area can be upgraded to create a more efficient and modern supply chain that will also increase the number of containers on rail.
Kwinana has access to ten times more industrial land than Fremantle, and there is new industrial land under investigation in the Western Trade Coast. New industrial land surrounding Kwinana will enable co-location of port services and heavy industrial uses, with ease of access to critical supply chain infrastructure.
Over 90% of containers are destined for metropolitan Perth, making Kwinana - located within the Perth region - a cost-effective hub for container distribution.
Moving container trade to Kwinana aligns with a range of State and Federal Government strategic objectives and programs, including development of the Global Advanced Industries Hub, redevelopment of the Kwinana Bulk Terminal, the growth of the Western Trade Coast, and the Future of Fremantle.
Why not Bunbury or Geraldton?
Both Bunbury and Geraldton were extensively considered as options for a container port in the early stages of Westport. Studies found a number of reasons why these are not viable solutions, particularly the land transport costs of moving containers to and from Perth.
Transporting containers by truck from Geraldton or Bunbury to Perth would also create significant additional carbon emissions, along with the associated safety risks of high truck volumes on the roads.
