More than $10M allocated to Bunbury in Budget

22/9/93

More than $10 million is due to be spent in Bunbury this financial year on two important capital works projects.

Nearly $6 million had been budgeted to finalise a $15 million program of dredging and deepening the inner harbour of the Bunbury Port, and $5.2 million would be spent on further improvements to the city's wastewater treatment system.

Transport Minister Eric Charlton said the dredging work would help boost export potential from Bunbury, and that up to $5 million of the total project cost would be spent on local contractors and remain in the Bunbury/South-West economy," he said.

"The work will increase the port's capacity to export mineral products," Mr Charlton said.

"It will allow for the planned construction of two new berths which again is a multi-million dollar project."

Worsley Alumina was proposing the construction of berthing facilities to ship alumina, and the Bunbury Port Authority was planning to build a separate berth for mineral sands and general cargo exports.

Mr Charlton said the BPA had received 11 expressions of interest for the design of a berth, and expected to be in a position to issue a tender before Christmas.

It was hoped construction would begin in 1994-95.

"These projects will help boost Bunbury's export potential by extending the harbour basin to enable more vessels to enter," Mr Charlton said.

Water Resources Minister Paul Omodei said the wastewater treatment improvement program was aimed at relocating the operation away from the harbour and city.

The project was being jointly funded by the Water Authority and the Commonwealth, with $5.2 million allocated in 1993-94 for work on decommissioning the Number 1 plant and redirecting flows to the Number 2 plant, south of Bunbury.

The second plant was being expanded to service population growth beyond the year 2000.

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