CCF WA Media Release: WA’s peak civil construction industry body says Western Australia has the capacity and capability to deliver both the Westport container port and defence upgrades at Henderson if the projects are coordinated to avoid demand conflicts.
Addressing recent media reports, Civil Contractors Federation WA Chief Executive Officer Andy Graham said deferring Westport would be a missed opportunity to realise efficiencies from delivering the two programs concurrently over the next decade.
“Like all major civil infrastructure projects, Westport and Henderson will involve multiple components and workforces – earthworks, utilities, concreting, piling, roads, rail and others,” Mr Graham said.
“The trick will be staging the projects to avoid delivery of the same component at the same time.
“Obviously, it wouldn’t make sense for, say, major concreting works on the programs to clash. But those scheduling issues can be addressed through collaboration – and that’s the sort of collaboration we are already involved in through joint State/Federal working groups.”
Mr Graham said the State couldn’t afford to risk the deferral of Westport given the uncertain timeframe for future Defence works.
“As Federal Defence Minister Richard Marles reminded us last week, his government has at this stage only committed to constructing a shipbuilding and submarine sustainment facility over the next 5 or more years. If the broader Henderson consolidation goes ahead, those works could take 10-15 years or even longer.
“With the State Government aiming to have Westport operational by the late 2030s, delivering the programs concurrently over that timeframe won’t stretch capacity or capability but will provide steady, secure work for Western Australian businesses and workers.”
Mr Graham said concerns from the housing sector that proceeding with Westport could risk the delivery of much-needed housing were misguided.
“As a recent Build Skills Australia report showed, the housing and civil sectors don’t compete for the same workers,” he said. “The data shows that housing construction and civil construction can happily coexist – as was demonstrated in 2024/25 when housing completions in WA peaked while the METRONET rail program was also at its peak of construction.”
“I’m sure home builders would be more worried about their workers being lured to the resources sector than by civil contractors.”
