Subscribe to Pilbara Ports Authority's quarterly e-newsletter, the Pilbara Portal, for the latest corporate, operational & community news from the ports of Ashburton, Dampier and Port Hedland.
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I am pleased to advise that Pilbara Ports Authority finished the financial year on a high, securing a new annual throughput record. The 2019/20 financial year saw 717.2 million tonnes pass through our ports, a three per cent increase on the previous year. I would like to thank our valued port users, service providers and community and government stakeholders for their ongoing support to deliver this result.
Pilbara Ports Authority is pleased be playing a part in powering our economy during the current pandemic. This is expected to continue in 2020/21.
Our highest priority continues to be the safety and health of all personnel across our operations. With the COVID-19 threat continuing, we are working with relevant government agencies and our shipping community to ensure stringent measures are in place to minimise the risk of the virus entering through our ports.
The pandemic continues to support a renewed focus on care, compliance and reporting of safety incidents. We finished the financial year with four lost time injuries, (equating to a Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) of 1.88), against a target of no more than three (LTIFR of 1.54). We are committed to working closely with our staff, port users, contractors and visitors to maintain a relentless focus on safety performance in the new financial year.
This edition features the Spoilbank Marina, a project breaking ground early next year which will create local jobs and business opportunities in the Pilbara. You can also learn more about the Port Hedland Voluntary Buy-Back Scheme (PHVBS) that will be administered by a subsidiary of the Pilbara Ports Authority, as well as the Dampier Cargo Wharf extension. An Australian first for LNG bunkering is also highlighted for your interest.
Please enjoy this edition of the Pilbara Portal and we look forward to sharing more updates in the next edition.
Stay safe
Pilbara Ports Authority has welcomed recent announcements by the State Government on the $121.5 million Port Hedland Spoilbank Marina project, aimed at transforming Port Hedland’s waterfront into an attractive and popular destination for locals and visitors.
The project is being led by an inter-agency taskforce comprised of Pilbara Ports Authority, Pilbara Development Commission, Department of Transport, Town of Port Hedland and DevelopmentWA. The final design has been completed following extensive consultation with the local community and Marapikurrinya Kariyarra Traditional Owners, with features including a four-lane boat ramp and 21 boat-pen marina with capacity to expand to 80 pens in the future.
On 12 June, the Minister for Ports hosted a Local Contractors’ Forum in Port Hedland and launched a Pilbara business register to allow local businesses to register their interest for the project.
The project will be completed in two stages. Pilbara Ports Authority has issued early tender advice for the Stage 2 Marina build scope, which includes dredging, reclamation, revetment and breakwaters.
Stage 1 works, involving construction of access roads for the Marina, are scheduled for October 2020 and an estimated 221 direct jobs are expected to be created during the Marina build.
On 12 June the State Government provided in-principle support for the Port Hedland Voluntary Buy-Back Scheme (PHVBS) to progress. Participation in the PHVBS is open to eligible residential dwelling owners (both single and multi-residential) within the land area between Taplin Street and the port in the West End of Port Hedland.
The PHVBS was developed in response to requests from local community members to address the potential impact on property values caused by the rezoning being undertaken by the State Government in response to the Port Hedland Dust Management Taskforce report. Participation is voluntary, and property owners will have the option of securing a guaranteed settlement price or retaining their current residential dwelling.
The objectives of the PHVBS are to:
Pilbara Ports Authority will administer the PHVBS and is currently in the process of securing the required approvals to establish and administer a subsidiary to undertake this work. Ms Karlene Bylund has been appointed as Acting General Manager Port Hedland Maritime Precinct and is responsible for the PHVBS and leading the planning, development and activation of the West End into a Maritime Precinct.
The PHVBS will be funded by industry and is expected to open in the second half of 2020 and remain open for three years. It does not lessen State Government and industry responsibilities for dust mitigation in the West End. Further updates will be provided as the PHVBS progresses.
Pilbara Ports Authority recently awarded a $2.3 million contract for geotechnical investigation works associated with a new land-backed wharf proposed for the southern end of the Dampier Cargo Wharf. This proposed wharf extension is designed to strategically support other Pilbara projects identified in the State Government’s Burrup Strategic Industrial Area and provides the opportunity to establish new shipping services at the Port of Dampier.
With significantly improved functionality, the proposed new wharf will offer a multi user, multi-product facility capable of accommodating bulk carriers, a liner service including roll-on/roll-off cargo vessels, an additional laydown area and heavy-load handling.
The geotechnical investigation is well underway, with the initial geophysical survey of the area completed in June. Core drilling to confirm the survey data is expected to be completed by the end of July, with detailed designs delivered in August.
Pilbara Ports Authority’s COVID-19 Community Relief Fund was announced in May 2020 to provide additional support to our local Pilbara communities.
The Fund has enabled a range of local not-for-profit organisations to continue operating through challenging financial times and deliver much needed community programs during the pandemic.
Congratulations to the following recipients:
Pilbara Ports Authority would like to thank these organisations and the people behind them - who are often volunteers - for their effort in making the Pilbara a great place to live.
If you would like to find out more about our ongoing sponsorship opportunities, please visit our Community Support Initiative page.
Pilbara Ports Authority is pleased to support the State Government’s push for an LNG fueling hub in the Pilbara. It follows the International Maritime Organisation’s new global regulations for lower fuel emissions, which came into effect in January 2020. LNG is the only alternative fuel available for reducing greenhouse gas emissions on bulk carriers shipping from Pilbara ports, and is increasingly seen as a transition marine fuel towards decarbonizing international shipping.
Recently, the WA Government announced a 50 per cent discount in port dues for bulk vessels bunkering with LNG at Pilbara ports, saving each vessel around $20,000. The discount came into effect on 1 July 2020 and will remain in place for five years. The move to LNG-fuelled vessels from heavy oil-fuelled vessels shipping iron ore exports from the Pilbara is projected to drive significant emission reduction, industry and jobs growth.
Pilbara Ports Authority is pleased to support this move to reduce emissions by executing Australia's first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering services licenses to Woodside Energy at Port Hedland and Dampier, building on the Pilbara’s strength as a global LNG production hub.
Truck-to-ship LNG bunkering services have continued to be regularly delivered at the Port of Dampier since January 2017, when Pilbara Ports Authority first developed and granted a licence to EVOL-LNG.
Western Australia is well-placed to become an LNG bunkering hub, having LNG production facilities close to large iron ore mining operations and with many hundreds of ocean-going vessels using ports in the Pilbara region.
A contract has been awarded for the construction of Stage 4 of the Utah Road Pavement Rehabilitation project at the Port of Port Hedland.
The $4 million contract was awarded to AllRoads Pty Ltd, who will be sourcing its construction workforce from within Western Australia. This stage of the project will see important upgrades carried out on a 1.2km stretch of Utah Road, connecting the Great Northern Highway with the Utah Point Bulk Handling Facility.
Previous stages of the project validated the innovative 'foamed bitumen stabilisation' technology, which uses a durable yet flexible material to withstand heavy loads atop soft mangrove mud in a unique tidal setting.
The Utah Road Pavement Rehabilitation project is critical in facilitating current and future trade through the Pilbara. Work is set to commence by September, with completion of the overall project expected in early 2021.
You may have noticed some exciting changes to Pilbara Ports Authority’s website.
The newly-designed website was launched last month to improve the way users find information and navigate the site. Other features include:
A modern design;
Optimised search function;
Improved accessibility; and
Stronger governance to ensure content remains accurate.
Take some time to browse through the website now; www.pilbaraports.com.au.
Deirdra Tindale joined Pilbara Ports Authority in April 2020 as Director Corporate & Government Affairs.
Deirdra grew up in Canada and completed her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Laurentian University in Ontario before relocating to Quebec City to complete her Master of Political Science at Universite Laval.
After her studies, she worked in Canadian politics for four years, serving two different Cabinet Ministers in a number of portfolios including Aboriginal and Northern Affairs, Industry, and Canadian Heritage & Official Languages. Ready for change in 2010, Deirdra relocated to London where she joined BHP's West Africa Iron Ore Business Development team before moving across to their corporate Media Relations team. In 2012, Deirdra was offered the Lead Corporate Affairs role with BHP’s Hunter Valley Energy Coal business unit and relocated with her husband to New South Wales (NSW).
During her 10 years with BHP, Deirdra’s passion for diversity and inclusion saw her chairing the NSW Women in Mining Network (WIMnet) Committee while playing a key role in establishing the WIMnet NSW Mentoring Program. In 2018, Deirdra’s commitment to gender diversity was recognised at the NSW Women in Mining Awards where she was named Gender Diversity Champion and received a Highly Commended in the 2018 National Women in Resources Awards. She was also named Diversity Champion at the 2018 Hunter Diversity Awards.
Outside of work, Deirdra and her husband are kept busy entertaining their young daughter. The family love to travel and look forward to exploring Western Australia and visiting family in Canada once life settles down. Deirdra enjoys staying abreast of Canadian, US and Australian politics and is a certified Pilates and Barre instructor.