Environment

Cockburn Sound is an important environmental ecosystem and place of recreation for Western Australians. We acknowledge that building a port will have short-term environmental impacts, however our commitment is to support the long-term health of Cockburn Sound.

Westport is committed to supporting and improving the long-term environmental health of Cockburn Sound, using comprehensive science to inform our design.

To deliver on this commitment, it is critical that Westport’s marine infrastructure design decisions and construction management planning are informed by the latest marine science. This is why Westport established a $13.5 million partnership with the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) to deliver the WAMSI-Westport Marine Science Program, to provide us an unparalleled understanding of the Cockburn Sound marine environment.

This investment in contemporary marine science is providing the fundamental scientific data and research inputs to our environmental impact assessment, ensuring the project’s environmental approvals will be based on robust, independent science.

The WAMSI-Westport Marine Science Program is also informing the design of our environmental program, including substantial seagrass restoration in and around Cockburn Sound.

With careful port design informed by science, Westport has avoided or reduced environmental impacts to the greatest extent possible.