Eyre Peninsula freight routes to get $25m in upgrades to help Iron Road’s proposed deepsea port at Cape Hardy
Key lower Eyre Peninsula truck routes will receive more than $25m in upgrade funding, in a bid to help the development of a deepsea port at Cape Hardy.
SA News
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The Federal Government will today announce a $25.6 million upgrade of key lower Eyre Peninsula freight routes in a bid to attract multimillion-dollar developments to the region.
Infrastructure Minister Michael McCormack told the Sunday Mail the work would support the development of a multi-commodity deepwater port at Cape Hardy.
“Right across South Australia, and the nation, we’re investing in the critical infrastructure needed to connect our world-class food, fibre and commodities to export infrastructure,” he said.
Iron Road plans to build a deep-sea port to import low-volume, high-value cargo such as fertiliser, cement and aquaculture feed and export grain and mineral concentrates.
The project’s first stage, which would cost about $167 million, includes a jetty and wharf for Panamax vessels.
The site, between Tumby Bay and Cowell, would become SA’s only deepwater bulk commodity port, Iron Road said.
It estimates a grain export business at Cape Hardy would bring up to $45 million of direct benefits to growers and create up to 428 jobs.
Eyre Peninsula Cooperative Bulk Handling chairman Bruce Heddle welcomed the new funding, saying the best way forward for farmers was to work in partnership with other industry sectors.
Developing Cape Hardy was “logical, efficient and can provide a significant ongoing economic lift”, he said.
The area’s regional development board has supported the port saying it would make the area globally competitive.
Rowan Ramsey, the federal Liberal MP for Grey, said proponents of the hydrogen, graphite, grains and iron industries had been pressing for the multi-commodity port.
“It has long been my view that a Cape Class-capable deep-sea port in SA on the Eyre Peninsula (stage two of the port plan) is needed and once established link it to the national rail grid at either Lincoln Gap or Whyalla, thus providing port access for billions of tonnes of iron projects in the state’s north which at this stage have no viable path to market,” he said.
Iron Road had proposed a 145km rail line to its planned mine at Wudinna. However, that was scrapped to cut costs, with ore to now be trucked to port. Iron Road says stage one of the port is being “aggressively pursued” with construction expected to start next year.
Planning Minister Stephan Knoll recently gave the firm a two-year extension to start construction on the project.