❓ The Minister for Regional Development provides an update on the Bunbury inner harbour expansion, including a $1.5 million investment for investigation and planning, focusing on the realignment of the Preston River to facilitate increased port capacity and economic growth in the South West region.
AnsweredQoN 226Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BUNBURY PORT — INNER HARBOUR EXPANSION
226. Mr G.M. CASTRILLI to the Minister for Regional
Development:
The Bunbury Port is a key piece of infrastructure for my
electorate and for the south west as a whole. Can the minister please update
the house on the steps being taken to investigate the expansion of the Bunbury
inner harbour?
226. Mr G.M. CASTRILLI to the Minister for Regional
Development:
The Bunbury Port is a key piece of infrastructure for my
electorate and for the south west as a whole. Can the minister please update
the house on the steps being taken to investigate the expansion of the Bunbury
inner harbour?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Bunbury for the question; he is a
passionate advocate for the region and has a bit more time on his hands these
days. He has been talking to me every day about a range of projects in his
electorate. The Premier might want to bring him back into the cabinet!
The Bunbury port is a very important piece of state
infrastructure. In the financial year 2011–12 the total throughput at
the port was 14 million tonnes, but interestingly, and given some of the
negative sentiment surrounding commentary in previous days, volumes are
projected to increase significantly from 14 million tonnes in 2011–12
to 31 million tonnes by 2020—a more than doubling of throughput at the
Bunbury port, so there is a big expansion possibility there. To help cater for
this growth the state government announced today that the Bunbury Port
Authority has been awarded $1.5 million to investigate options for the inner
harbour expansion and Preston River realignment. This is the first step in a
process to lead to a design and engineering report to examine how Bunbury can
meet its future demand.
For those who do not know, the port is currently constrained
by the north–south alignment of Preston River, which splits the Bunbury
Port Authority's land holdings and obstructs the eastward extension of
the inner harbour. The river impedes access to 253 hectares of Bunbury Port
Authority's 450-hectare land holding, so the Preston River runs right
through the middle of it, making it very problematic. A short-term option would
have been to quickly build a bridge over the Preston River but we think a
better longer term option for that port and for the greater south west region
is a complete realignment of the river, and that will allow us to take full
advantage of the expansion opportunity. The realignment of the Preston River is
a key step to enabling the Bunbury Port Authority to meet its forecast growth,
which is in coal, urea, grain and alumina exports—all very important
economic drivers for the south west region. The inner harbour expansion
proposes an increase in capacity from seven to 15 berths—a major
expansion of berth space, and a much stronger utilisation of that important
port to the state.
The diversion of the Preston River is a two-stage project
over three and a half years. The design and engineering report will take 18
months to complete, followed by a two-year construction program. Royalties for
regions funding will go into this initial design and realignment study. We will
also look to royalties for regions funding to fund the upgrade to the port and
to industry to come to the table and help this important expansion to take
place.
Again, this government is planning for the future of the
state. Bunbury is our second capital, a vital economic driver, and this major
expansion of the port, which the government will kick underway, is vitally
important to the state's growth.
passionate advocate for the region and has a bit more time on his hands these
days. He has been talking to me every day about a range of projects in his
electorate. The Premier might want to bring him back into the cabinet!
The Bunbury port is a very important piece of state
infrastructure. In the financial year 2011–12 the total throughput at
the port was 14 million tonnes, but interestingly, and given some of the
negative sentiment surrounding commentary in previous days, volumes are
projected to increase significantly from 14 million tonnes in 2011–12
to 31 million tonnes by 2020—a more than doubling of throughput at the
Bunbury port, so there is a big expansion possibility there. To help cater for
this growth the state government announced today that the Bunbury Port
Authority has been awarded $1.5 million to investigate options for the inner
harbour expansion and Preston River realignment. This is the first step in a
process to lead to a design and engineering report to examine how Bunbury can
meet its future demand.
For those who do not know, the port is currently constrained
by the north–south alignment of Preston River, which splits the Bunbury
Port Authority's land holdings and obstructs the eastward extension of
the inner harbour. The river impedes access to 253 hectares of Bunbury Port
Authority's 450-hectare land holding, so the Preston River runs right
through the middle of it, making it very problematic. A short-term option would
have been to quickly build a bridge over the Preston River but we think a
better longer term option for that port and for the greater south west region
is a complete realignment of the river, and that will allow us to take full
advantage of the expansion opportunity. The realignment of the Preston River is
a key step to enabling the Bunbury Port Authority to meet its forecast growth,
which is in coal, urea, grain and alumina exports—all very important
economic drivers for the south west region. The inner harbour expansion
proposes an increase in capacity from seven to 15 berths—a major
expansion of berth space, and a much stronger utilisation of that important
port to the state.
The diversion of the Preston River is a two-stage project
over three and a half years. The design and engineering report will take 18
months to complete, followed by a two-year construction program. Royalties for
regions funding will go into this initial design and realignment study. We will
also look to royalties for regions funding to fund the upgrade to the port and
to industry to come to the table and help this important expansion to take
place.
Again, this government is planning for the future of the
state. Bunbury is our second capital, a vital economic driver, and this major
expansion of the port, which the government will kick underway, is vitally
important to the state's growth.
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