Southern Ports is reshaping regional WA’s trade future with a capital works blitz.
Backed by $225 million in State Government funding and the authority’s largest capital works program to date, Southern Ports is scaling up long-term infrastructure planning across its regional WA operations.
Chief Executive Officer Keith Wilks said the strategy reflects a shift towards adaptable, multi-user assets capable of supporting diversified trade.
“We are mapping the port infrastructure needed for the next 30-plus years,” he said.
“As demand grows and trade diversifies, the emphasis is shifting.”
The Port of Bunbury is central to this effort, with trade forecasts factoring in energy transition, growth in bulk commodities, and increased demand driven by expanded state manufacturing.
As the world’s largest lithium export hub, Bunbury saw record break bulk imports in 2024, including infrastructure for onshore wind farms and 800 battery units destined for Collie, contributing to grid capacity for 785,000 homes.
To support growth, Southern Ports has begun building a $34 million road and bridge to Turkey Point, designed to separate heavy vehicle movements from public access routes.
Commencing in March 2024, the project unlocks new port development zones and enhances public safety.
In Esperance, a $20 million overhaul of the Hughes Road freight corridor is underway. The 40-year-old route – crucial for agricultural and mineral exports – handles roughly half of the port’s 13.2 million tonnes of annual throughput.
Upgrades will accommodate over 300,000 truck movements each year, primarily servicing grain, fertiliser, spodumene, nickel and sulphur trade. Works are designed to enhance port efficiency while reducing the safety risks to adjacent residential areas.
Further south, an $8.5 million revitalisation project in Albany will see the state’s oldest port precinct transformed.
The heritage-listed pilot station is being redeveloped into a community and tourism asset, with completion targeted for 2027. The project aims to integrate local cultural heritage into port infrastructure renewal.
Across all sites, Southern Ports says it is balancing asset utility with regional development impact.
“We’re planning a future that takes into account not only the infrastructure requirements within our port, but considers how we can also leverage it to deliver value to our regions,” Wilks said.
