Pilbara Ports is continuing to conduct condition inspections of its facilities at the Port of Dampier and the Port of Ashburton following Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle (34U).
Port of Dampier The port reopened on 28 March 2026 however significant damage was identified across Pilbara Ports general cargo precinct, and all general cargo import operations remain suspended. The Dampier Cargo Wharf and adjacent floating deck facility remain inoperable due to structural damage. The Bulk Liquids Berth is operable, and fuel imports are not affected.
Further engineering assessments, including underwater inspections and marine surveys will continue over the next few days. These assessments will inform when safe general cargo import operations can resume.
Port of Ashburton The port reopened on 28 March 2026 however Pilbara Ports Ashburton Cargo Wharf remains closed. Engineering teams are now able to access the port, and inspections will be carried out over the next few days.
Port of Varanus Island The Port of Varanus Island re-opened on 28 March 2026. Its operations are not impacted.
Pilbara Ports is committed to effecting repairs and restoring capability as safely and efficiently as possible across the ports of Dampier and Ashburton. It will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
Refer to Media Statement Update 1 - Saturday 28 March 2026 for more detail.
Dust is a general term used to describe small solid particles suspended in the air. Monitoring and minimising dust emissions from our operations is a key focus for Pilbara Ports. Pilbara Ports operates four of the Port of Port Hedland’s 19 berths, which include the Utah Point Multi-User Bulk Handling Facility (Utah Facility) and three berths on the eastern side of the inner harbour (Eastern Operations).
In Western Australia, emissions from industry are regulated by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) under the Environmental Protection Act 1986.
Industry operating in the Port of Port Hedland are regulated under Part IV and/or Part V environmental licences issued under the Act. These licences set out the requirement to manage, monitor and report dust levels to minimise the impact on the environment and the Town of Port Hedland.
Environmental licences have been issued to Pilbara Ports for operations at Berths 1 and 2 (L4432) and Utah Facility (L8937). These facilities provide junior and mid-tier mining companies with access to port facilities for the export of bulk materials such as iron ore, other ores and metal concentrates.
Tonnage through these three berths represents less than five per cent of total throughput at the Port of Port Hedland.
Pilbara Ports is required to investigate and report to DWER any *PM10 and metal concentration results which exceed levels set out in our Part V environmental licences. These are known as Reportable Events.
*PM10 refers to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 microns (μm).
Image source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) operates Port Hedland's ambient air quality monitoring network consisting of eight monitoring stations.
Visit their website to view live data and find out more about the Port Hedland Ambient Air Quality Network.