Western Australia - Esperance Port’s $120m access upgrade officially opens
Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister for infrastructure and regional development Warren Truss has announced that Esperance Port is now positioned to be a competitive player in the import/export market as the $120m port access upgrade has been officially opened.
The Federal and Western Australian governments each contributed $60m to the Esperance Port Access Project. Mr Truss said that not only will the port access upgrade help WA's economy continue to thrive, but it had also transformed the Esperance landscape.
“The upgrade redefined access to the port by removing level crossings and building new access roads to safely separate heavy vehicles and rail freight,” Mr Truss said.
WA minister for transport Dean Nalder said at its peak the project saw up to 130 people working on site. “This has been great for the local economy and local employment,” Mr Nalder said. “By the end of the project, contractor John Holland expects to have completed almost 815,000 man hours and spent nearly $25m locally – about four times the original local spending target.”
Federal member for O'Connor Rick Wilson said Esperance Port was now ready to support the expanding mining and agricultural industries of the region.
“This is just one example of the Australian government delivering on our $3.8bn commitment to WA as part of the Infrastructure Investment Program,” Mr Wilson said. “From Esperance up to the north of the state we are upgrading our vital freight networks, and delivering on our promise to put the WA economy in the fast lane.”