Map of Fremantle outlining reclaimed land.
Reclaiming seabed is central to the history of Fremantle Port. The Port has been a case study in the changing technology and practices of maritime trade and the evolving relationship of a 19th century port with its local community and the environment.
There have been many proposals for Port development over the years. In 1830, Governor Stirling mooted a cut channel from Leighton to Rocky Bay, bypassing Fremantle altogether. When a whaling station was established on Bathers Beach in the 1830's a small portion of beach was reclaimed and extended.
By 1882 the Swan River colony was served by a long jetty. At this point in time, Albany was still the main port for Western Australia.
The most significant development occurred in the 1890s when the Inner Harbour came into being under the supervision of chief engineer C.Y. O'Connor. O'Connor's plan provided for extended wharf facilities and the necessary infrastructure, all located on reclaimed land immediately adjacent to the wharf.
In 1929, the State's centenary, Sir Alexander Gibb was commissioned to make recommendations on the future development of the Port. Gibb reviewed the 1927 plans prepared by Consulting Engineer Sir George Buchanan and by Engineer in Chief, WA Government, Mr F.W.H. Stileman. These grand plans were deferred by the great depression and World War II. Both plans envisaged significant reclamation work either over the seabed west of North Quay or the riverbed at Rocky Bay.
The general layout of Fremantle Port into the future was developed in 1948 by consulting engineer F.W.E Tydeman, who produced an "Ultimate Development Proposal". This proposal again envisaged considerable reclamation work.
Esplanade Reserve to the south of the Port was developed from reclaimed land in the 1880s. Today, further extensions into the ocean include Challenger Harbour and the Fishing Boat Harbour abutting Esplanade Reserve.
Post 1950, development of the port took a very different form to that envisaged in the Ultimate Development Proposal of 1948. Two major changes in direction occurred. Firstly, there was the development of Outer Harbour facilities to meet the logistic and transport needs of large-scale bulk cargoes, such as mineral ores and grain. The second evolution on the waterfront was the advent of containerisation.
Containerisation has transformed shipping ports all over the world in the past 40 years. Ships that carry containers are much bigger than the 5000 to 8000 tonne freighters that used to ply the world's sea lanes and visit ports in great numbers. Today's container ships are far more efficient than the old tramp steamer, with smaller crews transporting much bigger cargoes more quickly. Container ships spend most of their time at sea and their turnaround time at ports is measured in hours, not days or weeks.
In the 1960's Fremantle Port developed Berths 11 and 12 for container ships but the container trade quickly outgrew these facilities. Subsequently, North Quay has been progressively redeveloped for containers. There has been substantial reclamation of the sea bed near Rous Head to provide land for related operations, with further reclamation underway for container expansion. The reliance on reclaimed seabed for development is therefore part of the history of the Precinct.
The growth of container traffic has exceeded expectations. As with other ports around the world, the Port of Fremantle has had to evolve and adapt to meet changes in maritime transport technology, a process that is continuing in the 21st Century. Over the past 50 years, a variety of port functions have shifted from the Inner Harbour to the Outer Harbour berths created in Cockburn Sound.
The arrival of mechanisation and containerisation has also led to a revolution in cargo handling through the Port of Fremantle. As containers are packed and unpacked at locations remote from the port, railway sidings, wool sheds and Fremantle's warehouses have all become redundant for port purposes.
The utilisation of the west end of Victoria Quay for tourism and other post-industrial purposes together with the revival of the heritage-rich west end of the City of Fremantle are fine examples of such assets being put to good use. The redevelopment of Victoria Quay land is the subject of active consideration. However, Fremantle Port and its landside transport network were not designed for container traffic, which is growing and will continue to grow.
Despite the expansion of North Quay, it is generally held that demand will exceed capacity of the site in the near future. While there is some spare capacity for berthing, the limitations of the current operations area on North Quay are becoming increasingly obvious. Landside transport is grossly inefficient with heavy vehicles waiting in long obstructing queues snaking through the locality's roads. Subsequent delays in accessing terminals and taking on loads is adding to shipping costs.
Furthermore, the capacity of the road network to service the Port in future has been reduced by the decision of the former Labor Government to remove the Roe Highway Stage 8/Fremantle Bypass Freight route from the Metropolitan Region Scheme. The decision to ban container vehicles from the marginal electorate of Riverton has also contributed to transport delays and inefficiency. The road transport network serving the port is likely to descend into gridlock as container traffic grows.
The safety, functionality and efficiency of transport links to the port are matters of increasing concern to transport operators, other road users and residents. In 2007, container movements through the Port of Fremantle exceeded 500,000 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units). It is estimated that by 2015 there will be 1.2 million TEU container movements. Estimates of the size and growth of container traffic through Fremantle have historically been unreliable, but what is clear is that as the Western Australian economy grows, so will the volume of container traffic increase.
Graph of containers in and out of Fremantle
The former Labor Government was proposing an "overflow" outer harbour container berth involving an artificial island constructed in stages and connected to the mainland by a bridge. The current estimate of the cost of that publicly-funded project is $1.3 billion, a figure certain to be exceeded. It is also the Labor position that overflow facilities will not be required at all until the Inner Harbour traffic exceeds 1.2 million TEU's per annum.
The proposal for the relocation of container operations away from North Fremantle presents a dramatic, once-in-a-century opportunity. The possibilities for development of the area will surely stimulate the imagination of all Western Australians. Indeed, the future uses of the area are a matter for the whole State to consider and debate. What we as a community create there must be something truly extraordinary. We can create enduring benefits for the wider community - in housing, public transport, employment, recreational facilities (including boat ramps and pens) and a magnificent setting for community events, international yachting and more.
There is opportunity for Fremantle Harbour to develop as a cruise ship destination, as well as retaining capacity to host general cargo vessels, tall ships, public vessels and ferries. After decades of decline in the human presence around the harbour, North Quay could come alive with the activity of people. Whatever future activities are retained in the Inner harbour is a matter for the Government. NPQ has the potential to complement existing and future land use while not compromising the functions of the Port.
A residential, recreational, visitor, tourist and commercial precinct will not only transform the area itself but will also bring benefits to communities on both sides of the harbour, creating opportunities for tourism and business, fuelling growth in employment and a greater population for Fremantle.
The redevelopment of North Quay could finance the creation of the next generation of port facilities that the State needs. Unless there is a resolution to Fremantle's traffic and overall transport problems then the Port will eventually choke the life out of the City.
† BACK TO QUESTIONS
|
