The Prime Minister, Premier, and Minister for Ports visited Port Hedland last month to announce the start of work on a new multi-user facility and logistics hub at Lumsden Point in the Port of Port Hedland.
The Lumsden Point development will facilitate the export of battery metals such as lithium and copper concentrates, the import of renewable energy infrastructure, including wind turbines and blades, and support the rapid growth of direct shipping services to the Pilbara.
The Commonwealth Government is investing $565 million to support common user port upgrades in the Pilbara, part of which will enable the expansion of Lumsden Point.
This is in partnership with the WA Government, which is contributing $96.6 million to the project on top of the $140 million already invested by PPA and industry.
This port expansion will help to position Port Hedland at the forefront of future green industries, helping drive WA’s transition to renewables, unlocking trade and investment opportunities and creating hundreds of new jobs.
The first stage of the development is the construction of the seawalls, which is an important first step to enable future work at Lumsden Point to progress.
MGN Civil was awarded a contract to complete the first of two seawalls. Pilbara-based businesses are set to benefit from this contract, with 90 per cent of materials and suppliers to be sourced within the region, and additional sub-contracting and labour opportunities on offer.
MGN Civil is in the process of hauling over 200,000 tonnes of rock to site, with construction of the east seawall set to officially begin in March.
Work on the east seawall is expected to be complete by August 2023. The second (west) seawall is out for tender, with construction expected to start in August 2023.