NEWLY released 1995 Cabinet papers reveal the decisive, and ultimately terminal, steps that led to the closure of Western Australia’s coastal shipping service, Stateships, marking one of the most significant turning points in the state’s maritime history.
The documents, now available through the State Records Office, show a rapid escalation of decisions between late May and late June 1995, culminating in the shutdown of the Western Australian Coastal Shipping Commission and the dismantling of the fleet that had serviced North West communities for decades.
The papers confirm that on 29 May 1995, Cabinet considered the purchase of Stateships’ vessels from Westpac, signalling urgent financial restructuring as the service struggled with mounting pressures, including controversy over the use of non‑union labour.
Just four days later, at a Special Cabinet Meeting on 2 June 1995, ministers formally resolved to close the Western Australian Coastal Shipping Commission, ending Stateships’ operational role in the North West.
By 12 June, Cabinet was already considering alternative support schemes for North West communities, acknowledging the immediate gap left by the loss of the coastal service. The same meeting also initiated legislative amendments to the Coastal Shipping Commission Act, beginning the legal process of winding down the organisation.
On 19 June, Cabinet advanced the Coastal Shipping Commission Amendment and Repeal Bill 1995, effectively clearing the way for the Commission’s dissolution.
Stateships had long provided essential freight and passenger links to remote communities, particularly before the expansion of sealed roads and regional air services. The Cabinet papers show the extent to which the service had become politically fraught by 1995, with labour disputes, cost pressures and questions over long‑term viability dominating ministerial discussions.
The documents also reveal the government’s concern about maintaining supply chains to isolated towns, prompting the development of subsidy arrangements and alternative logistics pathways once the fleet was withdrawn.
The closure of Stateships marked a structural shift in how freight moved along WA’s coast. The Cabinet papers show that the government anticipated, and accepted, a transition away from state‑run shipping toward a mix of subsidised private operators and overland transport.
For the maritime sector, the decisions of mid‑1995 represent a watershed moment: the end of a state‑operated coastal fleet and the beginning of a more decentralised, commercially driven model for regional supply.
The full Cabinet minutes, decisions and agenda files — including the documents relating to Stateships — are available through the State Records Office’s archive catalogue and can be viewed or requested for digitisation.