WESTPORT TASKFORCE —
KWINANA PORT
905. Hon PETER COLLIER to the Minister for Ports:
I refer to the Westport Taskforce.
(1) Will the
minister confirm that the current intermodal terminal in Forrestfield and the
proposed rail freight facility in Kenwick will be more than double the distance
from a new port in Cockburn Sound, identified as the number one option by the
Westport Taskforce, than from Fremantle?
(2) If yes to
(1), will the minister confirm that this increased distance will result in
increased freight costs, which will more than likely be passed on to consumers?
(3) If yes to (1)
and (2), has any modelling been undertaken on the increased freight costs as a result
of the increased distance?
(4) If yes to
(3), what is the expected increased cost per twenty-foot equivalent container?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the
question.
(1)–(4) Although
the distance from the existing facilities to Kwinana may be further than to
Fremantle, it does not necessarily mean the total transportation costs would be
more. Consideration needs to be given to the efficiency of the supply chains
and the opportunities for new intermodal terminals. The multi-criteria analysis undertaken by the Westport Taskforce
included a high-level economic analysis of the total transport costs for
each option. Further detailed analysis will be undertaken on each of the five
short-listed options as part of the next phase. The analysis will also consider
opportunities for new intermodal terminals and logistic parks as the forecast
growth in the container trade suggests that our future intermodal network will
be quite different from that which currently exists in the Perth metropolitan
area.