source: the west australian

Port sale tied to outer harbour bid

Privatisation moves: Fremantle Port is marked down to be sold off.

The City of Kwinana has made an ambitious pitch for the construction of the outer harbour at Cockburn Sound to be brought forward by tying the project to the privatisation of Fremantle Port.

The Kwinana council yesterday unveiled a proposal badged “Indian Ocean Gateway” — a pitch for the metropolitan freight task to shift south by upgrading road and rail links and creating a protection zone around the Kwinana industrial area to prevent urban encroachment.

The proposal has been timed to capitalise on debate around the future of Fremantle Port sparked by the Barnett Government’s Perth Freight Link project. Both sides of State politics say that an outer harbour needs to be developed at some stage in the future though Kwinana is calling for an accelerated timetable.

With Fremantle Port up for privatisation through a long-term lease, Kwinana wants the tender to include a requirement that the outer harbour be built within 10 years.

“The time to act is now,” Kwinana mayor Carole Adams said. “We urge debate on the Indian Ocean Gateway before key decisions are locked away.”

Kwinana’s proposal would also cap container movements through Fremantle Harbour at 500,000 per year by 2025 — 200,000 fewer than current levels — with all container freight to transition to the outer harbour by 2030. Fremantle Port would then be freed for urban redevelopment, under Kwinana’s plan.

The story can be seen by click HERE