Fremantle Ports Newsletter 19th March 2021

Imports up, exports down

Full container imports were up about 3% with furniture up about 21% and household appliances up a huge 39%. Full container exports are down about 13% due to wheat, oaten hay, and wastepaper exports being down. As the eastern states are no longer in drought, exporters there have recovered their overseas markets and more wheat is being exported from those states. Overall, the total container trade (full and empties) was 539,118 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) handled, slightly down (0.9%) from last year. Total full container trade is down 3.1% YTD.

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Cars, boats, caravans, trucks

Breakbulk trade in the Inner Harbour has increased nearly 23% with imports up 34%. Passenger and industrial vehicle imports, iron and steel product imports, scrap metal exports and imports of recreational equipment, such as caravans, trailers, boats and motorbikes, are all up. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, used vehicles from the eastern states started being imported to WA more by ship and less by road and rail. This trade is up a whopping 156% (up almost 12,000 vehicles) with new motor vehicles also up by 16% or 9,000 vehicles.Total breakbulk Inner Harbour exports are up 6% mainly due to scrap metal exports rising by 28%. Live sheep and cattle exports are significantly down (45% and 20% respectively).

Iron and steel products up 41%

Iron and steel products, one of the port's major breakbulk import commodities, are up about 41% or nearly 29,000 tonnes. These products are used in the building construction industry and mining industry, and the level of product currently being imported is back to the high tonnages imported in 2012-13 during the mining boom. About half of the iron and steel products come from Port Kembla and about half are from overseas (South Korea, China, Taiwan and the USA).

Iron ore exports start at KBT

Fremantle Ports' bulk business trade at Kwinana Bulk Jetty and Kwinana Bulk Terminal was up 10.2%. Iron ore exports began in late February at Kwinana Bulk Terminal with more than 85,000 tonnes exported. Total port trade was 20.1 million tonnes YTD, down 10.4% as this figure includes the three private jetties in the Outer Harbour. The import of crude oil at BP Jetty has ceased since February and there was less grain exported through the CBH Group jetty.

Captain Savio Fernandes

Captain Savio Fernandes joined Fremantle Ports in February as the 22nd Harbour Maser for the Port of Fremantle since 1829. Captain Fernandes is a Master Mariner (Class 1) with an extensive career in maritime operations at sea, in technical ship management and port management, most recently with Fortescue Metals Group as Manager – Ship Quality and Vetting and as Deputy Harbour Master for the Port of Port Hedland with Pilbara Ports Authority.

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Glen McLeod

Glen McLeod, appointed to the Board in November 2020, is a lawyer with more than 40 years of experience in environmental, town planning, government and development law.

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Debra Blaskett

Debra Blaskett, appointed to the Board in January 2021, was previously an Executive at Perth Airport where she was responsible for Corporate Services including risk, governance, safety, environment, people and culture, and corporate affairs.

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A Shed handed over to Gage Roads after works

Fremantle Ports handed over A Shed to Gage Roads Brewing Company on 9 March after Fremantle Ports completed significant works at the site. Gage Roads will now proceed with works to establish a microbrewery, restaurant and café at A Shed to be opened later this year. Fremantle Ports owns the 100-year-old heritage-listed A Shed building, and with substantial investment, has completed the restoration of the sheet pile wall, foundations, and deck near A Shed.

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C Shed maintenance works starting soon

Maintenance works on C Shed, Victoria Quay will be starting in April and completed by June.The works will include stabilising the structure, removing the asbestos-cement roof and reroofing. Removal of materials containing asbestos will be correctly and safely executed and will pose no risk to the public.

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Local cruise ship calls at Fremantle

Small cruise ship Coral Adventurer made its first visit to the Fremantle Inner Harbour from 6-10 March. The 99-passenger capacity ship departed for a 12-night voyage to Broome via the Houtman Abrolhos group, Ningaloo and Shark Bay, the Murion and Montebello Islands and the Dampier Archipelagos. Cruise line Coral Expeditions said the voyage was the restart of its cruise operations in WA . The company had the required State and Federal approvals and an approved COVID-19 plan. All 34 crew tested negative to COVID-19 in Adelaide prior to departure for Fremantle. The Australian Government has restricted outbound international travel and cruise ships until 17 June 2021. At this stage, there are no international cruise ships due at Fremantle until October this year.

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Free one-hour guided walks

Stroll with us around Victoria Quay as port experts tell you about different aspects of Fremantle Inner Harbour. Bookings are available for individuals or community or education groups.

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Harbour Tours very popular

Our new free one-hour Sunday afternoon boat tours of the Fremantle Inner Harbour have proved very popular with bookings filling fast.

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New art exhibition space

Fremantle Ports sponsored the development of a new art exhibition space at Koorliny Arts Centre Kwinana. Its first exhibition was opened by Deputy Premier Roger Cook in January.

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Surf boat support

Support has been provided to Fremantle Surf Life Saving Club to help it fund a new surf boat now being constructed in the eastern states.

Supporting two concerts

Fremantle Ports is supporting two concerts in B Shed this month. The Fremantle Chamber Orchestra performed on Saturday 13 March and on Wednesday 24 March Perth Symphony Orchestra will present Sound & Waves, celebrating the spiritual connection West Australians have with the Indian Ocean.

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Coogee Live support

The Fremantle Ports Touch & Learn Wildlife Space was one of the fantastic activities available to young and old at the vibrant Coogee Live festival on the weekend of 6 & 7 March.

Supporting maritime education

Fremantle Ports sponsors the school's Marine and Maritime Studies Program, including a scholarship for a Year 7 student entering the program. Scholarship students recently visited Fremantle Ports (above).

OMG! Fringe festival

Fremantle Ports is proud to sponsor the first-ever OMG! Fringe which has been rescheduled to 28 April - 8 May. Tickets are available to eclectic events that will entertain, entice and amuse the senses.

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