Work is now underway on a major project that will expand the export and import capacity at the Port of Port Hedland, according to the WA Government and the Commonwealth Government.
The Commonwealth Government is investing $565 million to support common user port upgrades in the Pilbara. Part of this funding will enable the expansion of Lumsden Point in the Port of Port Hedland, in partnership with the Western Australian Government – which is contributing $96.5 million to the project.
The project will deliver new multi-user facilities and berths that will help diversify trade in the Pilbara and support the growth of renewable industries in Australia and overseas.
This includes increasing the capacity to export battery metals such as lithium and copper concentrates, as well as import renewable energy infrastructure including wind turbines and blades. It will also support the rapid growth of direct shipping services to the Pilbara.
Growing the capacity of Pilbara Ports has been identified by Infrastructure Australia as a national infrastructure priority.
Lumsden Point forms part of the Port of Port Hedland Development Plan Review, which was undertaken to maximise export capacity at the port.
The first stage of works on the project will construct two seawalls and a new causeway, which will connect the wharf to the proposed logistics hub.
MGN Civil was awarded the contract to complete the first of the seawalls, with a tender to soon be released for the delivery of the second.
Commenting on the development, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during a press conference that: “in Port Hedland… we see something like four per cent of our GDP go through this port. It is a great wealth creator here in the Pilbara, and that’s why my Government is committing $565 million for upgrades to port infrastructure in the Pilbara. This will make an enormous difference. Common-user facilities will be important for making sure that there is access across the board to the export and import facilities” here at the port”.
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