Western Australia would build a new deep-
water port at Anketell to boost iron-ore exports from the Pilbara region, Premier Colin Barnett announced last week.

The multiuser deep-water port and industrial precinct would complement the Hedland and Dampier ports, also in Pilbara.

Barnett said the Australia government would spend A$3,5-million during the next three years to plan and prepare an industrial precinct development agreement for the project, including commercial, legal and engineering advice to negotiate the agreement.


The precinct, which would 
ultimately include a port with a more than 50-million-ton-a-year export capacity, an industrial area of more than 1 400 ha and a corridor for transport and services, would be developed to accommodate a range of users and different mineral commodities.

The port would have a cap placed on it in future to ensure the viability of existing ports, Barnett said.

Private investors would build the multiuser port under an agreement.

Three significant iron-ore projects are potential foundation investors in the new precinct, namely API Management’s 30-million-ton-a-year to 40-million-ton-a-year West Pilbara project, Fortescue Metals’ 30-million-ton-a-year to 60-million-ton-a-year Solomon project, and China Metallurgical Group Corporation’s 15-million-ton-a-year Cape Lambert iron-ore project.

“The government will work with these companies, or an infrastructure provider, to develop the project, [and there are] plans to commence operations by 2015,” the Premier said.

Barnett noted that the strength of Western Australia’s iron-ore exports and the growth plans of its current users were testing the capacity of the existing Pilbara ports. 


In 2008/9, the Pilbara 
exported more than 326-million tons of bulk commodities, 
mainly iron-ore. 
This is forecast to reach more than 530-million tons a year by 2015 and as much as 750-million tons a year by 2020.


“The Anketell port and indus-
trial precinct will provide opportunities for new exports and [for the] processing of iro-ore and other minerals.”


The Department of State Development would lead negotiations on behalf of the government, the Dampier Port Authority would manage the new port and infrastructure corridors and LandCorp would develop the 
industrial precinct.

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