FREMANTLE mayor Ben Lawver says the Cook government should revisit its decision to build a new container port at Kwinana, arguing improved efficiency at Fremantle could meet the State’s needs for decades.

His comments follow a report in The West Australian that the proposed port could be delayed as the state and federal governments prepare for major defence construction at Henderson.

The West reported that government insiders believed the two projects would be difficult to deliver simultaneously, with the Henderson defence precinct expected to require thousands of workers and large quantities of construction materials to pave the way for the AUKUS agreement..

Mr Lawver said he had been sceptical about Westport from the outset and believed concerns he raised almost a decade ago about its cost, environmental effects and trade projections had since been borne out.

“The environmental impacts are way more than were assessed, and the trade projections that they use to justify are coming in way lower than they did,” he said.

Mr Lawver said the project should be reconsidered using current information rather than relying on the original assessment.

“Personally, I think Westport should go back and revisit that decision and their timing,” he said.

He said the state should reassess the project using the facts now available and see whether the original preferred option still stacked up.

“I bet we would get a much different result as far as preferred outcomes.

“I think we find that of minor investment, or maybe not even an investment, but just minor efficiency improvements at Fremantle, will see us well past any potential AUKUS development,” he said.

Mr Lawver said Fremantle should remain a container port well into the future if the State objectively assessed its existing infrastructure and needs.

The West Australian reported that Westport’s original estimated cost had risen from $4 billion to $7.2 billion before dredging had begun, with the state government now anticipating construction would begin before 2030.

The newspaper also reported concerns from Infrastructure WA and the Master Builders Association WA about the capacity to deliver Westport and the Henderson defence projects on overlapping schedules.

Mr Lawver raised a separate concern about the strategic implications of building a major container port beside a defence facility.

He said the prospect of a military base and container port in close proximity could make the area a more attractive target for an adversary.

“I think it makes it a very appealing target for someone who might want to do harm to Australia,” he said.

Mr Lawver said the issue was ultimately a matter for the Federal government, but he expected Fremantle council to revisit its nuclear-free policy, potentially prompting debate about the AUKUS agreement.

He said he was looking forward to that discussion.

by STEVE GRANT