Western Australia: Fremantle Ports has embarked on its biggest infrastructure project for decades with the deepening of the Inner Harbour to cater for bigger ships.
The deepening and associated works, costing about A$250million (US$212 million), will enable the port to accommodate the larger generation of freight ships beginning to call and continue the efficient handling of Western Australia's container trade.
Western Australian Transport Minister Simon O'Brien said the deepening was essential to ensure Fremantle inner harbour had sufficient depth to enable the bigger ships to access the port at full cargo capacity.
"There has been a huge increase in the average size of container ships visiting Fremantle over the past 15 years," said Mr O'Brien.
"Some of the bigger ships… are currently unable to come in fully laden," he said.
The port's container trade, although impacted by the world economic downturn, has grown by an average of about 9.5 percent per year since the early 1990s, Mr O'Brien said.
The maximum draught capability of the inner harbour will be deepened from 12.8 metres to 14 metres. The minister said associated with the deepening of the inner harbour and approach channels was the reconstruction of Berth 10, currently well underway on North Quay.
"This reconstruction will create an additional 180 metres of quay length for container shipping," he said.
The works also involve strengthening the existing container berths on North Quay, and construction of a seawall at Rous Head to contain dredged material from the harbour.
"As well as providing for deeper draft ships and extending container handling capacity, the project will create an additional 27 hectares of land at Rous Head for port-related purposes."
"Managing the deepening and associated works in an environmentally careful way is a top priority."
Work on the new seawall will begin this month in preparation for the harbour and channel deepening. All works associated with the deepening, reclamation and berth works are expected to be completed by the end of 2010.
