Australian Marine Complex infrastructure capacity
Strong growth in demand for shipbuilding, vessel maintenance and sustainment, and infrastructure fabrication for the resource sector in Western Australia is placing pressure on the Australian Marine Complex (AMC) in Henderson.
The AMC is an integrated marine and industrial fabrication complex established to support the construction, development and maintenance of major projects and assets in the oil and gas, mining and shipbuilding
industries. It forms part of the broader Western Trade Coast – a 3,900 hectare industrial region in south Perth that also includes the Kwinana Industrial Area, the Rockingham Industry Zone and Latitude32. As the owner of the common user facility within the AMC, the WA Government provides infrastructure and services to assist bids on major commercial fabrication and assembly projects.
The existing complex is home to over 150 businesses. However, there is limited infrastructure capacity at the complex and the common user facility to support growing demand.
Without additional capacity at the AMC, overseas markets are likely to capture a significant amount of this demand. This would mean lost activity for the Australian economy.
Potential options to address the proposal include providing new berths, new covered fabrication halls and upgraded ship-lift and transfer infrastructure. These works could increase capacity at the AMC.
Other options include additional breakwaters and localised dredging to create a sheltered southern harbour. This could allow out-of-water maintenance and construction of vessels too large for the upgraded lift and transfer infrastructure.
There may also be a need to improve local transport access to and within the complex, particularly for oversized heavy vehicles.
Infrastructure capacity improvements for the AMC should be considered in relation to the other key areas and infrastructure demands within the Western Trade Coast.
Proponent to identify and analyse potential investment options (Stage 2 of Infrastructure Australia’s Assessment Framework).
Refer to Infrastructure Glossary for terms and definitions.