State govt moves forward with Anketell port project

The state government has begun acquiring land for the development of a deepwater port at Anketell Point near Karratha, which could potentially be the last major port to be built in the Pilbara.

“Last year, the government signed a $20 million native title agreement with the Ngarluma people over 4,300 hectares of land covering the planned Anketell site,” Premier Colin Barnett said.

“Now, the state government is ready to proceed with the next step of the agreement by acquiring this land, providing further certainty to port proponents and interested parties.”

A consortium of companies including Aurizon, private investment group AMCI, China’s Baosteel and South Korea’s POSCO announced their intentions to conduct a feasibility study for a port and rail development at Anketell with an initial capacity of 40 million tonnes, in September last year.

“Conditions are very challenging in the iron ore market at the moment, but Aurizon and its partners remain committed to progressing the initial planning and study phases for this important project,” Mr Barnett said.

The state government is currently working with Aurizon and its partners on an agreement for the 280-kilometre rail component of the project.

Lands Minister Terry Redman said the development of Anketell Port would significantly strengthen the state’s position in the global energy and resource markets by providing project-ready infrastructure and serviced land with capacity to meet demand from various markets.

“Acquiring the land for Anketell Port is a significant step for the government’s plans to provide valuable port space for small and mid-sized mining companies,” Mr Redman said.