Investment to boost engine room of Western Australia’s economy

Work is underway on a major project that will expand the export and import capacity at the Port of Port Hedland - unlocking trade and investment opportunities, creating hundreds of new jobs and helping drive Australia's Net Zero future.

The Commonwealth Government is investing $565 million to support common user port upgrades in the Pilbara.

Part of this funding will enable the expansion of Lumsden Point in the Port of Port Hedland, in partnership with the Western Australian Government - which is contributing $96.5 million to the project.

The project will deliver new multi-user facilities and berths that will help diversify trade in the Pilbara and support the growth of renewable industries in Australia and overseas.

This includes increasing the capacity to export battery metals such as lithium and copper concentrates, as well as import renewable energy infrastructure including wind turbines and blades. It will also support the rapid growth of direct shipping services to the Pilbara.

Growing the capacity of Pilbara Ports has been identified by Infrastructure Australia as a national infrastructure priority.

Lumsden Point forms part of the Port of Port Hedland Development Plan Review, the truck driver.

Ok, let’s walk you through the experience. Enter trailer and participants are encouraged to go to one of the 10 wall mounted tablets and complete the iNSTRUCKTA! interactive quiz.

Next they sit on one of the 10 real truck seats inside iNSTRUCKTA!’s trailer secure themselves in with a seatbelt and don a virtual reality headset.

They then become immersed into the cabin of iNSTRUCKTA! - where they get to learn about the trucks blind spots, the dangers of cutting in front of trucks, the importance of giving trucks more room to turn at intersections, not overtaking turning trucks and how to safely overtake trucks.

The VR immersion shows the truck drivers point of view from the cabin and the same scenario from a birds eye view so that participants gain more spatial awareness.

To end, for those interested an opportunity to sit in the actual cab of iNSTRUCKTA! so they can add the physical experience of getting into the cab. Then short road safety video clips on the rear projection wall before making a pledge to do their part in making interactions with which was undertaken to maximise export capacity at the port.

The first stage of works on the project will construct two seawalls and a new causeway, which will connect the wharf to the proposed logistics hub.

MGN Civil was awarded the contract to complete the first of the seawalls, with a tender to soon be released for the delivery of the second.

Pilbara-based businesses will benefit from the first seawall contract, with 90 per cent of materials and suppliers to be sourced within the region, and additional sub-contracting and labour opportunities trucks and heavy vehicle safer.

What a brilliant road safety initiative that will change people’s behaviour. iNSTRUCKTA! is travelling throughout WA to schools, communities and to events and if the feedback is anything to go on from its first event, the Eaton Foreshore Festival it is also planting the seed to become a truck driver in our young and giving opportunity to ‘think about it’ for current road users.

Rob Sharpe- Executive Officer of TRANSAFE WA said, “We are really happy with the number of participants who got the chance to experience the learnings offered by our dedicated WA road transport safety truck. We had a continuous queue of people of all ages lining up and it was pleasing to hear the mums and dads with our future road users talking about what they had learnt.

“Our event sponsor Qube Bulk provided one of their driver trainers Mick Italiano as a helper for the day and he was kept busy chatting to passers-by about truck driving as a career and imparting his tips on safely interacting with trucks on the roads.

“TRANSAFE WA are a not for profit organisation funded by the generous support of our sponsors. Qube Bulk provided the funding to enable iNSTRUCKTA! to attend the Eaton Foreshore Festival and we are always looking for additional funding so that we can continue to deliver this great road safety initiative at future events”.

Rob Sharpe - Executive Officer, TRANSAFE WA

on offer. This will include partnerships with First Nations businesses and economic opportunities for communities across the north-west.

Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said, "Investment in good infrastructure opens doors and opportunities for businesses and communities, and that's exactly what this project is all about.

"By making use of local expertise and materials for the first seawall, this project will drive a real short-term employment and economic boost while delivering lasting infrastructure that will continue to benefit the region well into the future."

WA Minister for Transport Rita Saffioti said, "The Pilbara is the engine room of both the Western Australian and Australian economies, and it's so important we have both levels of government working together to expand our export and import capacity.

"We have a lot of natural advantages in Western Australia, but we must keep investing in the infrastructure that will drive our future growth, and ensure our State and country capitalises on the opportunities that come from the transition to renewables."

Rio Tinto increased it’s spend with Australian suppliers to more than A$15.3 billion in 2022, as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to support communities where it operates.