Kimberley Marine Support Base set to begin construction before the end of 2023

The long-awaited Kimberley Marine Support Base is set to begin construction before the end of the year with the new infrastructure expected to drive significant economic development in the region. The $200m privately funded infrastructure project will help tackle operational challenges associated with Broome’s big tide variations by implementing a new innovative floating wharf design. The facility’s design will eliminate the need for dredging, leveraging naturally occurring deep waters to create a berth pocket of at least 17m deep at low tide. The 9900sqm floating wharf project is estimated to create 260 jobs during construction and sustain 1650 jobs once in operation. While visiting Broome to announce the project update Ports Minister David Michael said the new infrastructure would help diversify the local economy. “The $200m project will be constructed over the next two years by the private proponent, which will allow for greater diversification of trade in and out of Broome Port,” he said. “Importantly, more cruise ships will be able to berth at Broome and it’s a real win-win for the Kimberley Port Authority at the Port of Broome with many services being used by the proponent which will assist the existing facilities here at Broome too. “It’ll allow for diversification and so oil and gas, agriculture, as well as those critical minerals like Kimberley Mineral Sands will also be able to use this facility. “It’s also important for the resilience of the Kimberley to be able to bring in containers to assist with resilience and food security in the wet season.” KMSB director Andrew Natta said while construction activity would begin this year the bulk of construction would take place in 2024. “What will happen now is we’ll have TAMS bring in a testing rig which will call where the piles are going to go and from tomorrow, they’ll start fabricating steel because it’s all modular,” he said. “We expect to see the causeway and the caissons completed sometime next year and then we’ve allowed for the floating asset to be brought in, outside of the cyclone season if we wish and that will be brought in on a semi-submersible vessel. “The whole 165m by 50m wide platform will be taken as cargo and then when the vessel arrives it will slowly sink itself and it will float off into position.” Construction of the project is expected to run until early 2025 with WA company Total AMS appointed as the lead contractor.