The $187.5 million Spoilbank Marina project is an election commitment by the WA State Government. It is being funded by the State Government, the Town of Port Hedland and BHP. The $187.5 million includes a $15 million operational subsidy.
The construction of the Spoilbank Marina is being delivered in two stages.
Stage 1, which involved the construction of access roads to the marina, was delivered by Main Roads WA on behalf of Department of Transport. Construction was completed in March 2021.
Stage 2 includes three separate work packages.
The marina will be opened in stages during 2024.
The boat ramp, car park and main access road were opened to the community on 20 January 2024.
The boat pens will be the next stage to open, which is expected in late 2024.
Civil and landscaping construction is well progressed and will continue until late 2024, when the marina is expected to be fully opened. This final stage will bring the marina vision to life, providing a vibrant foreshore area for locals and visitors to gather.
The Department of Transport assumed operational management of the Spoilbank Marina on 1 July 2024.
Pilbara Ports will continue to keep the community informed about progress of construction of the marina, which is expected to be completed later this year.
For information regarding marina operations, please contact pilbara@transport.wa.gov.au.
Yes. There has been extensive community consultation throughout the project.
The Town of Port Hedland and Development WA engaged with the community, Port Hedland Yacht Club and Traditional Owners during the detailed design phase of Port Hedland Marina and Waterfront Masterplan. A community reference group chaired by Member for the Pilbara Kevin Michel MP was also set up during the early project preparation.
There has been, and will continue to be, ongoing consultation and engagement with the Kariyarra people throughout the project development, including for the public artwork at the marina.
Pilbara Ports also keeps the community updated via its Facebook page.
Yes. The Traditional Owners of Port Hedland, the Kariyarra people, were consulted during the preparation of the Spoilbank Marina and Waterfront Masterplan.
Pilbara Ports engaged the Kariyarra Traditional Owners to conduct a heritage survey for the Spoilbank Marina site to identify any heritage values that may exist, to inform planning and to allow appropriate management of any heritage values. The heritage survey was completed in November 2020, with a final report received in January 2021.
The Kariyarra people have also been engaged for the public artwork at the marina. The artwork will be an important feature of the marina, showcasing the culture and stories of the Kariyarra people.
The Spoilbank Marina Project required environmental approvals from both the State and Commonwealth Governments to proceed with the development. A third approval was also required to dispose dredged material offshore.
In February 2020, the Department of Transport (DoT) referred the proposal to the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) for consideration. The EPA returned a decision of “Not Assessed – Advice Given” on the basis that the proposal is unlikely to have significant impact on the environment and does not warrant a formal assessment under the State’s process.
On 15 June 2020, the DoT also received advice from the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) regarding the assessment approach for the Spoilbank Marina under the Commonwealth’s Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC). DAWE determined that the project would be assessed on Preliminary Documentation with additional information required. This assessment approach is as expected and therefore no additional delays are anticipated. Approval was given in May 2021.
In July 2021, Pilbara Ports applied to the EPBC to vary the approved Dredge Management Plan to allow offshore disposal of dredge material. In November 2021, the EPBC approved the required changes to enable offshore disposal of dredged material from the Spoilbank Marina navigation and place it at an existing dredge spoil ground within Pilbara Ports' waters.
Extensive studies have been undertaken to account for the movement of sand in the marina’s channel. The design creates a sand-trap and a dredge pocket for sand built up over time, or a result of a storm, which can be removed at an appropriate time
The peak flatback turtle nesting season is 1 December through to 31 March at Cemetery Beach, which is located east of the Spoilbank. Pilbara Ports does not undertake any marine construction during the peak turtle nesting period. We will continue to monitor coastal processes to ensure marine construction does not contribute to the denuding of Cemetery Beach.
In addition, the lights that Pilbara Ports are installing at the marina are designed to minimise impacts to turtles at nearby Cemetery Beach. Ongoing monitoring of these lights is also part of the project’s environmental conditions.
Yes, around 700 natural trees from 19 species are being planted throughout the landscape portion of the marina.
Pilbara Ports places safety above all else and is committed to the safe and efficient movement of commercial vessels through its ports.
Pilbara Ports runs a Recreational Vessel Safety Awareness Campaign and works with relevant authorities to reduce the number of recreational-vessel related incidents in and around port waters.
Pilbara Ports will continue running the campaign to educate and inform recreational boaters of waterside restricted zones in and around its ports. Infringements and penalties apply to those who do not adhere to restricted zones at the port.
Yes. All fixed structures at the Spoilbank Marina have been designed in accordance with applicable Australian Standards for cyclones.
Cyclone moorings will be available as part of the marina pen design, which consider storm tide levels and associated wave conditions.
Further details will be published in a Cyclone Management Plan for the facility which will be made available prior to the opening of the facility. As a guide, refer to plans for similar marinas in Western Australia (eg. Exmouth) published by the Department of Transport.
Yes. Tenders were advertised on the TendersWA website for each package of work. All contracts have now been awarded.
Pilbara Ports is committed to supporting Pilbara regional and Western Australian suppliers.
Pilbara Ports implements State Government procurement initiatives to ensure more jobs and business opportunities are given to Western Australians. Pilbara Ports implements the following government policies to its procurement processes:
All submissions were evaluated based on value for money, as well as compliance with these State Government initiatives.
The Spoilbank Marina has an initial 22 boat pens with space for up to 80 pens in the future, if there is demand. The decision to proceed with 22 boat pens was determined following two public Expression of Interest processes, first in 2019 and the second in 2021.
The pens are designed to accommodate both recreational and commercial vessels ranging from 10 metres to 20 metres in length. This includes several wider pens suitable for catamarans. The declared depth of the boat pen area is generally 2.5 metres below Chart Datum. Some of the smaller pens have a depth of 2.0 metres below Chart Datum.
Facilities at the boat pens include potable water, power, lighting and secure access via a gate.
Yes, the marina will be wheelchair accessible.
Most of the landside areas are graded appropriately to enable wheelchair access. The top level of the public fishing platform will also be wheelchair accessible and compliant with Australian standards.
The boat ramp is designed at a grade of 1:8, which is the maximum allowable grade for accessibility.
The floating jetties for the boat ramps will have a maximum grade of 1:8 at lowest tide. Universal access to vessels can be achieved by using the boat ramp jetties as required.
Yes. The boat ramp (along with the car park and main access road) was officially opened to the public for use on Saturday 20 January 2024.
The boat ramp is available for use 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
The four-lane boat ramp is accessible at all tides and will alleviate demand on existing boat launch facilities. It will also improve safety for recreational boaters by providing access to a new navigational channel separate from Port Hedland's main shipping channel.
The Spoilbank Marina boat ramp has four lanes, with two floating pontoons providing access on both sides. Each lane has a minimum clear width of four metres and can accommodate recreational vessels up to eight metres in length and eight tonne displacement.
The two central lanes of the boat ramp are located side-by-side to give a clear width of eight metres. These central lanes are designed for launching and retrieving commercial vessels up to 20 metres in length and 75 tonne displacement, depending on the trailer configuration.
The declared depth of the marina basin and channel (including the boat ramp) is 2.0 metres below Chart Datum.
Both the marina pen pontoons and the boat ramp pontoons rise and fall with the tide. The boat ramp pontoons are designed to lay flat on the ramp at low tides and are supported by piles. This approach removes the need for split levels and ensures the ramp is wheelchair accessible.