WSP Australia has been granted a $22 million contract to deliver geotechnical investigations for Westport, Western Australia’s future container port at Kwinana.
Western Australian Transport minister Rita Saffioti says the start of the geotechnical investigations marks a critical milestone in the final design for Westport.
“Westport is one of the largest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the State, and the geotechnical investigations are absolutely essential to getting the design and planning right,” Saffioti says.
“Delivering a new container port is critical to the long-term strength of our economy and keeping costs down for households, which is why we’re undertaking the thorough planning now.”
The information and data gathered from the geotechnical investigations will be essential to further refine design of the marine infrastructure for future construction.
The investigations will be carried out from two barges, which will move progressively around the future port footprint in Cockburn Sound and new shipping channel to the north.
The Westport Business Case released last year showed significant risk to the Western Australian economy from future constraints on container trade if Westport is not built by the time Fremantle Port reaches capacity.
The business case found inaction to address constraints on trade could cost WA’s economy $244 billion over coming decades – an average of $5 billion per year – driving significant increases in the costs of everyday household goods and for the State’s businesses.
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