New port to benefit the entire state: analyst

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30 Jul 2008

A mining analyst says the entire state will benefit from a $1.5 billion deep water port at Oakajee, north of Geraldton. The Japanese-backed Oakajee Port and Rail Consortium, funded by Murchison Metals and Mitsubishi, had won the tender to build the port. About 35 million tonnes of iron ore is expected to be shipped through the port each year. Analyst Peter Strachan says it will be a massive boon for Western Australia, particularly the Mid West region. "To have this infrastructure in place with the capability of taking not just iron ore but other minerals from the region, and maybe even agricultural commodities to port whether in Geraldton or Oakajee is going to be a huge positive for the whole region," he said.
"It's clearly going to be a win for the state and for the companies who are involved. There's about half a dozen or eight potential projects in the Mid West region and any one of those will be able to use this infrastructure to get their product to the port."

Source: ABC News