The Bunbury Port Authority has announced a $40 million plan to relocate its outer harbour shiploader to the port’s inner harbour, to create a second multi-user berth in the area and increase capacity.
The shiploader, which currently resides in berth one of the outer harbour, would be moved to berth five of the inner harbour, as part of a strategy to improve efficiency at the port.
Bunbury Port Authority chairman Jim Brosnan said the main purpose of the relocation was to establish an alternative multi-user berth in the inner harbour.
“It gives us room for growth in new trade and enables us to separate any future incompatible products,” he said.
Mr Brosnan said the new arrangement would also prevent a bottleneck of users in the inner berth, and was the most cost-effective way of ensuring any demand pressures were relieved.
The shiploader’s capacity of 1,000 tonnes per hour would complement the capacity of an existing shiploader at berth eight, near the Worsley Alumina site, which can load 2,000t/h.
The relocation will also facilitate a planned harbour development by the state government, which would include residential, retail and commercial areas.
The government’s three-stage redevelopment would require port users to move from the outer harbour.
Existing leases for users at the port are due to expire in 2017, although some users may move to the inner harbour earlier.
Pending government approval, the relocation will take place in 2009 and be funded in the 2009-10 budget.
The inner harbour’s berth five is a 12.2 metre deep-water berth, located opposite the Worsley Alumina and Alcoa ship-loading berths, and is 3.2 metres deeper than the berth where the shiploader is currently located.
The new arrangement is expected to improve loading efficiency by providing an alternative deep-water loading site.
