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Posted by Allen Newton
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17 July, 2026
DUTCH marine contractor Boskalis is advancing a 15‑year proposal to extract marine sand from Cambridge Gulf, with Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) documents confirming the operation would be entirely vessel‑based and supported through the Port of Wyndham.
Under the proposal, a Sand Production Vessel (SPV) would load material offshore within Cambridge Gulf and sail directly to overseas construction markets.
The EPA’s proposal content document states that no shore‑based facilities will be built, with all export occurring at sea.
Support vessels would be moored at Wyndham, using Kimberley Ports Authority‑approved berths, and the SPV would enter and exit the Gulf via the West Entrance shipping channel, the same route used by Wyndham‑bound traffic.
Environmental groups have raised concerns about impacts on flatback turtles, snubfin dolphins and humpback dolphins, noting that beaches around Cape Domett support one of the world’s densest flatback nesting populations.
The National EPA is awaiting Boskalis’ Environmental Management Plan, while appeals against the WA EPA’s recommendation are under assessment.
If approved, the project would mark one of Australia’s largest marine‑sand export operations, with Wyndham positioned as the sole port interface for the offshore fleet.
