The WA Government has introduced legislation to establish a dedicated authority to deliver the State’s future container port and supporting infrastructure at Kwinana.
The proposed Westport Bill 2026 will create a statutory Westport Authority responsible for overseeing planning and delivery of the major infrastructure project, which will become Western Australia’s first new metropolitan container port in more than a century.
Westport is expected to be one of the largest infrastructure programs in the State’s history, requiring more than a decade of planning and coordinated delivery across port, road, rail, and logistics networks.
Under the legislation, the Westport Authority will operate as a standalone entity and agent of the Crown, with powers to enter commercial agreements, manage land and property, and carry out port and infrastructure works. The authority will be governed by a board appointed by the Minister and led by a chief executive responsible for day-to-day operations.
The body will exist for a finite period to plan and deliver the project before handing completed assets over to government operators.
Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti says the project represents a major step toward securing the State’s long-term trade capacity.
“Westport will deliver WA’s first new metropolitan container port development in more than a century to future-proof our economy, secure our State’s long-term trade future and generate thousands of local jobs,” she says.
“This is a multi-generational infrastructure project, and the scale and duration of the Westport program requires a unique and agile approach to manage its efficient delivery.”
Rita says a standalone authority will help streamline planning approvals and attract specialist expertise needed for a project of this scale.
“A standalone authority will allow Westport to streamline planning approvals and attract specialist capability, so this transformational infrastructure program can be delivered as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible,” she says.
Subject to environmental approvals and a final investment decision, construction of the new container terminal is expected to begin in the late 2020s, with operations forecast to commence in the late 2030s.
