“Delaying action on Westport is a risk to our economy. Without Westport, the cost of everything will go up, and we will be reliant on road and rail from the eastern states – hurting households, businesses and the economy. (Cook)
“A world-class container port in Kwinana is critical for our State to remain a global economic and industrial powerhouse, and for the future prosperity of all Western Australians. (Premier WA).
It’s clear that Cook will follow through with McGowans plan for a new outer harbor. On Nov 11 last year the Premier all but confirmed the project will go ahead, the only question is how much will the feds stump up and how much influence will the unions have on the final design.
Globally there are 71 container terminals that are fully or partially automated, ports such as Singapore’s next generation Tuas Port which when fully complete in 2040 will have the ability to move 65 million TEUs twenty-foot containers without a union worker on the dock.
Fremantle on the other hand moved around a million TEUs last year with the slow unionised help of the 300 members of the Maritime Union members. On average Fremantle moves between 25 – 32 containers an hour, while Singapore averaged 66 moves back in 2014 in their pre automated days. In 2023 at one of their automated berths one vessel recorded 50000 container movements within a 15-hour period equating to a berth productivity rate of 333 moves per hour.
Bring on the new port at the outer harbour but leave the unionised wharf workers behind.
