Western Australia invests on port infra enhancements

According to Western Australia, a new key Industries Fund will assist in preparing land for industrial usage in key industrial areas (SIAs), such as vital mineral processing and green hydrogen production.

The $500 million fund will be used to build common-user and other supporting infrastructure at 13 SIAs around Western Australia, including Browse, Boodarie, Burrup, Maitland, Anketell, Ashburton North, Oakajee, Kwinana, Rockingham, Kemerton, Shotts, Mungari, and Mirambeena.

The fund is in addition to the industrial leasing incentive programme, which was announced in late 2023.

A new Critical Minerals Advanced Processing Common User Facility has been given $200 million, subject to Commonwealth shared financing.

With continuing investment in energy transition, $324 million will be set aside for long-term planning and purchase of transmission infrastructure.

An additional $148 million will go towards common-use power network infrastructure in the North West Interconnected System. A $373 million investment in ports includes rebuilding and upgrading berths and mooring equipment at Fremantle, Kwinana and Esperance ports, as well as building a new freight wharf in Dampier and roadworks at Utah Point in Port Hedland.

Regional and remote airstrips around the state will get $29.3 million in much-needed renovations, with $21.3 million guaranteed for Eucla, Carnarvon, Onslow, Albany, and the East Kimberley. An Aboriginal Community Airstrip Renewal Programme will get $8 million.

In March, Singapore and Australia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to legally create the Singapore-Australia Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC).