North Quay Container Terminals EOI

The Port of Fremantle is Western Australia's primary container, general cargo and automotive port, handling more than 90% of the State’s container trade.

Its national share of container trade is 10.2%.

Trade volumes through Fremantle will continue to grow, driven by Western Australia’s economy and general population growth.

The development and operation of the port’s international container terminals represents an outstanding opportunity to service this important market.

In 1996, Fremantle Ports granted leases for two international container terminals at North Quay for 21-year terms. These leases were further extended and will expire in July 2019.

The impending expiry of the two international container terminal leases comes at an exciting time.

The State Government has commissioned the multi-agency Westport Taskforce to outline a long-range vision to guide the planning, development and growth of both the Inner Harbour at Fremantle and the future Outer Harbour at Kwinana.

The outcomes of the Westport project are expected towards the end of 2019.

However, the construction of any new container facilities arising from the Taskforce recommendations is likely to take at least seven years to complete.

Against this backdrop, Fremantle Ports is seeking to ensure that in the years before the development of any new container port facilities, the existing facilities in the Inner Harbour will be operated in a way that achieves a number of strategic objectives, including to:

• achieve efficiencies and maintain a level of service to shipping lines, importers and exporters and landside transport operators that is comparable with leading international container terminal operations
• minimise impacts on surrounding port and non-port users, including issues relating to traffic management within and outside the port gate, and overall safety and environmental performance
• ensure container terminal operators work proactively with supply chain participants (for example, shipping, empty container park, rail and transport companies) to develop efficiencies within and beyond the port gate, particularly to improve the efficiency and impacts of land transport movements to and from the port
• ensure container terminal operators work proactively with Fremantle Ports to seek new, mutually beneficial trade growth opportunities
• provide certainty of container terminal operations in a manner that will facilitate the future strategic direction of the State Government in relation to the Outer Harbour, and
• deliver a commercial financial return to Fremantle Ports.

Potential proponents can register their interest through the Tenders page.