The time and the opportunity to do this is NOW.

Building international trade with a balance between exports over imports is crucial to our state’s economic future. At present, WA’s container trade mainly involves the import of goods manufactured overseas. Most containers are shipped out empty or filled with waste paper, scrap metal or hay. Becoming part of the new world economy requires WA to progress to supplying products developed from our primary goods: to engage in secondary processing rather than exporting raw products for others to process and profit from.

The world has moved on from the days of stand-alone ports that operate solely as a pick up and drop off point for shipping containers and bulk goods. Emerging industries require ease of access to a port that provides a range of facilities and services for their chain-of-supply to be ‘fast’, ‘efficient’, and ‘connected’. Deep water channels and berthing facilities for super-tanker shipping, automated handling, refrigerated warehouses, quay-side rail services and intermodal hubs that make for easy connection between ships and distribution warehouses, adjoining industrial lands that facilitate industry growth and easy transport – these are essential features of the port our state needs to build and future-proof its economy.

It is a crucial time to get planning and implementation happening.

We may never get this chance again. If the vital transport corridors and industry land reserves that make Kwinana such an ideal location for our new port are not secured now they can be lost forever. The international trade opportunities available in our region now will not wait. Other countries will seize the advantage.

Housing and infill projects are on stand-by and pressing for approval. These developments would seriously affect, even de-rail the Kwinana port project.

The time for a modern, competitive port at Kwinana is now.

WA must rise to the ‘challenge of urgency’ this project demands.