PortLink Planning Studies

Project status: In progress

PortLink is a large-scale nation building project that seeks to create a more robust State freight network and open up the Goldfields-Esperance, Pilbara and Mid West regions to development opportunities.

Royalties for Regions has allocated $5 million over three years to the Department of Transport to develop planning, design and engineering for the Portlink project. Commonwealth funding of $2 million through the National Building program has also been provided.

PortLink comprises five separate studies that include planning for:

• an Intermodal Freight Terminal (IMT) in Kalgoorlie and associated freight logistics arrangements
• new road and railway realignments around Kalgoorlie
• upgrade of Wiluna – Meekatharra Road
• development of potential new road/railway corridors to link the Goldfields region to regional ports in the Mid-West and Pilbara
• Economic modelling of the proposed rail links.

The planning studies are in progress and will evaluate the technical feasibility, location and preliminary design requirements plus the economic benefits of creating a freight and logistics hub in Kalgoorlie.