Westport is the Western Australian Government’s plan to design and deliver a modern container port in Kwinana and integrated freight network that keeps our economy strong and our communities supplied for generations.
Western Australia (WA) depends on containerised trade more than most other states. The majority of goods households and businesses depend on - everyday essentials, construction materials and industrial supplies - arrive by sea. A well-functioning container supply chain helps keep prices stable, supports business continuity and underpins the smooth running of daily life across our communities.
As WA’s population grows and the economy continues to diversify, our freight and supply systems need to evolve to keep pace. Future planning needs to ensure they remain reliable and able to support both everyday life and long-term economic opportunity.
How container trade is changing in WA
As WA’s population grows, so does our demand for imported goods.
However, due to the trend of increasing containerisation of imports and exports, WA’s container trade is growing faster than our population.
By 2036, our population is projected to reach 3.6 million. This growth will place increasing pressure on our supply chain.
Container trade is closely tied to population and economic growth.
Today, Fremantle Port services around 857,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) a year.
By 2060, WA’s container trade will rise to 2.3 million TEU per year.
However, Fremantle’s capacity for trade peaks at around 1.4 million TEU. WA needs a container supply chain with larger capacity to ensure trade efficiency.
Why WA must relocate its container port
With more than 99 per cent of WA’s container trade arriving through Fremantle, the port has served the State well for over a century and continues to play a central role today. However, long-term forecasts show the scale of future container demand will exceed what Fremantle can manage within its urban footprint. Container volumes have increased significantly over the past three decades and are forecast to nearly double again over the next 30 years.
Without investment, Fremantle Port is forecast to reach capacity by the late 2030s. Its location, surrounding development and limited space for the expansion of freight infrastructure mean it will face significant bottlenecks that will become harder and more expensive to fix over time.
Constraints of Fremantle Port
Fremantle Port needs industrial land to support operations.
As container trade grows, more land is needed but isn’t available given the port’s location within a busy commercial, residential and tourist centre.
In contrast, the Kwinana Industrial Area offers over 10 times more land to support the next 100 years of growth.
By 2051, freight-related traffic is expected to double.
Around 4,500 trucks per day would require access to and from Fremantle Port, passing hundreds of homes and businesses on the way.
Heavy trucks in these residential areas reduces safety for the community and contributes to congestion.
The port is serviced by one freight rail line that passes through the historic area of Fremantle.
As freight volumes grow, the line will reach capacity, and the rail corridor cannot be expanded.
This will force more containers on to trucks, adding to road congestion.
Fremantle harbour can only accept vessels carrying up to 12,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).
From 2030, Australia is expecting shipping routes to use vessels carrying 14,000 TEU and upwards, which exceed Fremantle Port’s operational limits.
Port infrastructure requires ongoing upgrades.
Upgrading Fremantle Port’s infrastructure to get it past 2040 would be costly – in excess of $2billion – highly disruptive to businesses and residents and would not resolve the long-term issues.
Even with this upgrade, container trade would need to move to Kwinana by 2050.
Fremantle Port occupies 180 hectares of inner urban land, including 10km of oceanfront, reserved for port operations.
As WA’s population grows, this valuable land could be repurposed for residential and commercial development - allowing up to 55,000 people to live, work and commute from the vibrant Fremantle area.
Because WA is geographically isolated, there is no nearby container port capable of absorbing future container volumes. The closest alternative port is in South Australia, approximately 2,700km away by road. When Fremantle reaches capacity, container ships may need to be diverted to interstate ports, with goods then transported long distances back to WA by road or rail. Relying on a single constrained port for imports and exports would increase costs over time and limit the ability for trade-related industries to expand and invest.
Ports and freight networks take many years to assess, design and deliver. Waiting until Fremantle is at capacity would reduce available options and increase disruption for industry and local communities.
Space to grow
If you consider a 7.5km radius around the future Kwinana port, and the same for Fremantle Port, Kwinana has more than 10 times the industrial land.Kwinana, the preferred location for the new port
Kwinana has been identified as the most suitable long‑term location for WA’s future container port. Considerations for a new container port in the Kwinana Industrial Area date back as far as the 1950s, partly because it already is home to an industrial harbour, shipping channel and established trade operations. This location also provides significantly more space to design a modern port with efficient road, rail and logistics links.
Kwinana is part of the Western Trade Coast, one of WA’s most important industrial precincts. A container port in this area also supports long term opportunities in logistics, advanced manufacturing and related industries.
The benefits of Kwinana
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?
Bunbury and Geraldton were assessed/examined as possible locations for a container port during Westport’s earlier planning stages. Both are important ports in their own right, but neither is suitable to meet WA’s future container needs. Most containers move to and from Perth metropolitan area and placing the port further away would require long road journeys, significantly increasing transport costs, emissions and safety risks on regional highways.
For these reasons, Kwinana remains the most suitable long-term location.
Designing an efficient and safer freight network
A key part of this work is designing an integrated freight network that works as one coordinated system rather than relying on separate fixes or add-ons later. This includes early planning for a dedicated freight corridor along Anketell Road, rail duplication and upgrades between Kwinana and inland terminals and examining opportunities for freight movement optimisation.
Considering these elements together allows WA to improve safety and reduce pressure on local roads while ensuring the port is designed with the needs of future operators and industry in mind.
Planning now to support WA's long-term trade future
Early planning allows the State to complete the detailed work needed before any final investment decision is made, while remaining on track for a potential transition in the late 2030s.
Now in detailed definition planning, Westport is refining designs, addressing key risks, engaging with industry, progressing approvals work and preparing the construction and delivery approach. Planning early enables sustainability to be embedded from the outset and allows the program to explore non‑business‑as‑usual approaches, building the capability and capacity needed to plan a modern container port and integrated freight network for WA.