Geotechnical investigations for new port in Kwinana move forward

Geotechnical investigations are progressing across the proposed site to plan for the new port and supporting infrastructure in Kwinana.

These investigations are the first major step in any infrastructure project, taking and analyzing samples to create a record of the subsurface conditions which will inform the design and construction of the port.

Westport Project Manager, Roger Goga, said: “So far, the geotechnical investigations have confirmed our initial studies of the area, with the process also about collecting further details.”

“We have found limestone beneath the surface which is what we thought we would find, but it’s the details of the limestone that we’re trying to determine, such as how strong it is, and what depth it’s encountered at.”

The geotech data will be used alongside the data from the WAMSI-Westport Marine Science Program to manage the impacts of dredging for a new shipping channel and turning basin. 

“The material we find will determine the dredging plant that is required. It also helps us understand what that dredged material will do in the water column – the particle size distribution – whether it floats up and then sinks down or whether it would stay suspended,” Roger said. 

“This also feeds into the hydrodynamic modelling being done for the environmental approval, the seagrass reclamation project and desalination.” 

The geotechnical investigations for Westport are scheduled to be completed by mid-2026.