BERTH 3 at Port Hedland is getting an $11.4 million upgrade. The works will remediate the rock wall and refurbish the wharf piles.  

The upgrade is part of the $20-million project to upgrade Port Hedland’s inner harbour retaining and sea walls. 

Built in the 1960s Berth 3 was one of the port’s first shipping berths. This will be the first time remediation works on the rock wall will have been carried out. 

The project will address subsidence and degradation of the rock wall. Decades of natural weather events and normal port activities have caused this degradation. 

Project work will include correcting revetment profiles through controlled collapse of natural rock shelves, placing armour rock on the new slopes and installing concrete filled mattresses to envelop and protect the new slope. 

The works will treat the steel piles supporting the deck for corrosion damage. They will then protected with a grease impregnated cloth and fibreglass protection system. 

Berth 3 is used primarily for the export of salt and import of fuels and general cargo. 

The contract

The contract was awarded to Total AMS (TAMS), which is a privately-owned West Australian company that provides marine construction and harbour services.  

TAMS will source 15% of materials, 75% of its suppliers and 100% of its contractors from within the Pilbara. TAMS will draw the balance of the resources predominantly from elsewhere within Western Australia. 

The company has committed to engage local Aboriginal-owned businesses as subcontractors for support components of the work.  

The project forms part of the state government $5.5 billion WA Recovery Plan.  

The Berth 3 works are expected to be completed by the end of the year. 

Keeping it a reliable asset

Pilbara Ports Authority CEO Roger Johnston said the $20-million Port Hedland Inner Harbour Remediation project will ensure Berth 3, which is a common user berth, remains a reliable and safe asset. 

“This is a complex and challenging project, with the use of specialised equipment to manoeuvre big rocks, while taking into account tidal restrictions and the safety of all port users,” Mr Johnston said. 

“A priority of this project is to ensure Berth 3 remains operational at all times while works are undertaken, with there being no impact to the import and export of goods.”