Chairs in place for port reforms

Transport Minister Troy Buswell has announced the chairs-elect tasked with managing the state's newly amalgamated port authorities.

Mr Buswell last month introduced legislation to consolidate seven regional port authorities into four overarching authorities, with Fremantle continuing on its own.

The staged amalgamations are set to be implemented from July 1 2014.

The Southern Ports Authority will be chaired by Bunbury Port Authority chair Neema Premji.

Geraldton Port Authority chair Ian King will head up the Mid West Ports Authority, while Port Hedland Port Authority chair Kenneth Pettit will chair the Pilbara Ports Authority.

The Kimberley Ports Authority will be chaired by Broome Port Authority chair Laurie Shervington.

 "The chairs-elect have two decades' experience in running ports and will play a key role in steering the transition to more efficient regional ports," Mr Buswell said.

 The four new regional port authorities will eventually include:

• a Kimberley Ports Authority comprising the port of Broome, the proposed port at James Price Point, and the non-port authority ports at Derby, Wyndham, Cockatoo Island and Koolan Island;

• a Pilbara Ports Authority comprising the ports of Port Hedland and Dampier, proposed ports at Anketell and Ashburton North, and the non-port authority port facilities at Port Walcott, Cape Preston, Varanus Island, Barrow Island, Airlie Island, Thevenard Island and Onslow;

• a Mid West Ports Authority comprising the port of Geraldton, the proposed port of Oakajee, and the non-port authority port facilities at Cape Cuvier and Useless Loop; and

• a Southern Ports Authority comprising the ports of Bunbury, Albany and Esperance.