Western Australia’s regional ports experienced significant growth last financial year on the back of the ongoing resources boom.
Western Australia’s regional ports experienced significant growth last financial year on the back of the ongoing resources boom.
In terms of total port trade, Geraldton experienced the largest growth of the WA ports with a 26.1 per cent increase last financial year to 5.5 million tonnes, while trade at Port Hedland was up 20.9 per cent to 108.5 million tonnes.
Esperance also performed well in 2004-05, with total trade at 7.8mt, a 6.5 per cent increase on the previous year’s record of 7.3mt. Trade in both grain and iron ore set new records.
Albany’s total port trade last financial year was 3mt, up 5.2 per cent from 2003-04 record of 2.8mt, while total trade at Bunbury was at 12.3mt, up 4.6 per cent from 2003-04.
Going against the growth trend, Fremantle port experienced a fall in total port trade of 1.5 per cent from record figure set in 2003-04 to 25.5mt last financial year.
Bulk cargo, consisting of the port’s principal export commodities of grain, alumina and refined petroleum, contributing 77.1 per cent (or 19.7mt) of total port trade in 2004-05.
Exports from Geraldton increased 30.1 per cent for the 2004-05 year to 5.1mt, with iron ore up 382 per cent to 1.9mt. Wheat exports fell slightly, however, by 1 per cent to 1.7mt.
Port Hedland’s total exports increased 20.5 per cent to 108mt. Iron ore was the principal export at 103.3mt, up 23 per cent from the previous year, while salt exports increased 47.7 per cent to 3.6mt.
Total exports fell by 0.1mt to 14.1mt at Fremantle, with wheat exports increasing to 4.3mt from 4mt in 2003-04 and alumina exports falling to 2.7mt from 2.8mt.
Total exports from Bunbury increased 4.3 per cent to 11.1mt. Alumina and woodchips were its principal export commodities with 8.5mt and 1.2mt respectively passing through the port last financial year.
Iron ore made up 72.7 per cent of total exports from Esperance with 5.4mt of iron ore exported, representing a 5.2 per cent increase over the record set in 2003-04, while grain exports were also on the up with a 15.1 per cent increase to 1.8mt.
Total exports at Albany increased 5.6 per cent to 2.8mt last financial year, with wheat (1.2mt) and barley (857,018 tonnes) the principal export commodities.
Fuel oils were the major import commodity at Port Hedland, with 389,700t imported in 2004-05, up 18.5 per cent from the previous year.
Total imports at Fremantle decreased by 0.3mt or 2.5 per cent for this period to 11.4mt, with the ports principal import commodity, crude petroleum, falling 7.9 per cent to 5mt in 2004-05.
Bunbury’s total imports increased 7.2 per cent to 1.2mt with caustic soda the principal import commodity, increasing 12.7 per cent to 1.1mt.
Total imports lifted by 3.4 per cent to 379,968t at Esperance.
