Frequently Asked Questions
Westport is the State Government’s planning program to move container trade from Fremantle to Kwinana, to future proof our economy for the next century. This includes planning new port facilities in the Kwinana Industrial Area, supported by an upgraded road, rail and logistics network.
Westport is now moving into its final stage of planning.
Westport has received $273 million in funding for ‘definition’ of the program, including completion of designs, securing approvals, resolving risks and uncertainties, land acquisition and refining costs and construction strategies ahead of final decisions and procurement of capital works contracts.
The Federal Government has underscored Westport as a nationally critical project, having committed $33.5 million towards the next phase of planning, with additional funding to be sought as the program progresses towards construction.
The definition and delivery phase for Westport – including the enabling road and rail infrastructure – is expected to run from the mid-2020s until the late 2030s.
Construction will not start until the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process is complete and Ministerial approvals are received.
The location of the proposed port facilities is between the end of Barter Road and the end of Mason Road in Kwinana.
A freight corridor along Anketell Road will connect the port with Kwinana Freeway, and in the longer-term Anketell Road will be upgraded through to Tonkin Highway.
In November 2024, the WA State Government announced a $273 million investment to progress Westport to project definition planning. This investment will support design completion, approvals, land acquisition and construction strategies ahead of final decisions and procurement of capital works contracts.
The Federal Government has underscored Westport as a nationally critical project, having committed $33.5 million towards the next phase of planning, with additional funding to be sought as the program progresses towards construction.
In 2020, the Westport Independent Taskforce identified Kwinana as the preferred location for the new port after considering other location options. Kwinana is already WA's primary heavy industrial area which hosts significant commercial port operations and has capacity for a modern and fit-for-purpose port and supply chain.
Relocating container trade to Kwinana will support increased container trade volumes, and larger ships expected in the future, improve supply chain efficiencies and catalyse the existing industrial area, creating new job and business opportunities.
It will also reduce the number of trucks within densely populated residential areas and free up around 260 hectares of port land at Fremantle.
Further information about why Kwinana was chosen is available here.
Westport has committed to plan, build and operate the most sustainable port in Australia, which means supporting the long-term health of Cockburn Sound.
Westport has partnered with the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) to deliver a comprehensive $13.5 million research program that is providing us the best understanding of Cockburn Sound’s ecosystem and marine life that we’ve ever had.
This science has directly influenced the design, including shifting the port 1km to the south to avoid mapped seagrass meadows, and will inform our mitigation and environmental strategies during development and when the port is operational.
The proposal is undergoing rigorous and independent environmental impact assessments by the State and Federal regulators. Further information on these assessments is available here.
Over the coming years, Fremantle Port faces significant constraints that will impact costs, efficiencies and the community, making it an impractical choice for WA’s long-term container port. The key constraints at Fremantle include:
- There is limited land in the port precinct and surrounding the port to support trade growth.
- Due to its width and depth, Fremantle's harbour can only accept vessels carrying up to 12,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) containers. Container ships with a capacity of up to 14,000 TEU containers are expected to be introduced on routes from around 2030 onwards.
- Fremantle’s infrastructure is ageing and would need major, disruptive upgrades costing $2.2 billion to extend Fremantle Port’s life for an additional 10 years, at which point a shift to Kwinana would still be required due to ongoing constraints.
- Community and safety in Fremantle would become increasingly impacted, as Fremantle Port would need to accommodate more than double the current truck movements by 2051.
- Fremantle Port is located on prime land not suited for industrial use. Removing container trade would provide an opportunity to re-use this land for residential, commercial and tourism purposes.
Further information about these constraints is available here.
Construction is not expected to commence until the late 2020s, with the full port and supply chain development likely to take around a decade to complete.
The new port facilities are expected to be completed by the late 2030s, ready for a transition for container trade from Fremantle to Kwinana in the early 2040s.
The WA Government will own the new port at Kwinana under a traditional landlord model, similar to the current operation of Fremantle Port, giving the Government control over the port’s development and operation.
Further information is available here.
Westport is focused only on moving container trade from Fremantle to Kwinana.
The potential relocation of non-container trades, including roll-on, roll-off vehicles and breakbulk, are being considered by the Freight, Ports, Aviation and Reform Directorate (FPAR) of the Department of Transport.
To find out more, visit the Department of Transport website here.
Fremantle Port will continue to welcome pleasure craft, including cruise ships and recreational users.
The Future of Fremantle is the long-term vision for the redevelopment of Fremantle Port, based on the relocation of all freight related trades from Fremantle.
Around 260 hectares of prime inner urban land in Fremantle, adding capacity for up to 55,000 residents and 45,000 new jobs, according to the Future of Fremantle Planning Committee.
For more information, please visit the Future of Fremantle website.
The identified freight route for containers travelling from the proposed port facilities in Kwinana to the freight and logistics hubs in Perth’s north-east will be via Anketell Road, Kwinana Freeway and Roe Highway.
Ultimately, the future Anketell-Thomas Road Freight Corridor will connect the new port facilities in Kwinana with Tonkin Highway in Oakford.
For further information please visit our Road Network webpage.
The Kwinana Freeway is proposed to be upgraded between Thomas Road and Roe Highway. Freeway widening is proposed on some sections both northbound and southbound to alleviate existing congestion for commuters and industry, and improve connectivity to freight and logistic hubs in Perth’s north-east.
For more information, please visit the Main Roads webpage.
The planned rail upgrades required for the opening of the new port facilities include:
- Duplicating approximately 8km of the freight rail line between Westport and the Cockburn Triangle.
- Level crossing removals between Kwinana and Cockburn, including the grade separation of North Lake Road and the freight rail line.
- A new freight rail spur line connecting to the new port facility and on dock rail to the existing network east of Rockingham Road in Kwinana.
Further information is available on our Rail Network webpage.
The Public Transport Authority are investigating future opportunities to repurpose the current freight rail corridor between Fremantle and Cockburn for public transport purposes.
Current Fremantle Port operations use the Success Channel. With larger ships needed, a new wider and deeper shipping channel which would allow larger vessels to access the new port facilities in the Kwinana Industrial Area, is required.
The channel has been designed to avoid seagrass beds where possible and follow previous dredge scars.
Kwinana is already home to the Outer Harbour, where working port facilities that handle grain, petroleum, alumina, mineral sands among other bulk commodities co-exist with recreational use.
Currently, about 850 ships and carriers visit the Outer Harbour in Cockburn Sound annually. From the late 2030s, Westport will add around 365 ships annually, or 1 per day.
Removal of the old Kwinana Bulk Terminal jetty is expected to be aligned to Westport's development activities. The old jetty, which is owned and managed by Fremantle Ports and located within Port waters, has been assessed as unsafe, and diving activities at this jetty are prohibited due to safety concerns.
Westport has worked closely with our Noongar Advisory Group which includes local Noongar community leaders and Elders, and representatives from the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, and the Gnaala Karla Booja and Whadjuk Regional Corporations.
More information about the work we have done together, including cultural and values mapping is available on our Noongar Opportunities webpage.
In the coming stages, we will continue to work closely with the Noongar community to identify cultural, employment and business opportunities as the port develops.