THE Kwinana outer harbour should be the State’s highest priority infrastructure project, according to Curtin University planning expert Peter Newman.
But he said the Labor State Government did not have enough funds to complete infrastructure projects in WA and should look at developing new public-private partnerships.
“It must find new public-private partnerships to enable new investment, especially with superannuation companies,” Professor Newman said.
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He called for a “vision of partnership” to enable the harbour project to proceed.
“For example a new set of manufacturing industries based around ‘Lithium Valley’ when lithium ore processed in Kwinana can create Li Ion batteries and associated products for solar and electric vehicles,” Professor Newman said.
“The space for this in that area needs an associated new container port for exports.”
Professor Newman said the next highest infrastructure projects should be an east-west light rail line through the Perth CBD, linking Curtin University and the City of Stirling and energy and water supplies for remote and indigenous settlements.
“These matters need a new infrastructure vision for WA.”