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Dramatic escape from massive blasts
Dramatic escape from massive blast
An investigation is underway by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety after a road train carrying tonnes of blasting material caught fire and exploded in the remote Western Australian Goldfields.
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The truck was carrying ammonium nitrate emulsion, a product used in mine site blasting.
ABC News reported that one of the trailer’s wheels is believed to have caught fire near Cosmo Newbury, around 1000 kilometres east of Perth.
“The driver was able to decouple his truck and drive a safe distance before the flaming semi-trailer exploded,” said ABC News.
“The explosion occurred about 12pm on October 24, blasting a hole into the road about 1.5 metres deep and sending a cloud of hazardous smoke into the air.
“Burning debris from the explosion was also sent flying into nearby bushland, causing several small spot fires.”
The load was on its way to the Gruyere mine, 200 kilometres north-east of Laverton in WA’s Great Victoria Desert.
“The mine’s emergency response team were called to the incident along with local police, who established a two-kilometre exclusion zone around the trailer before the explosion,” reported ABC News.
The blast left a two-metre-wide crater in the Great Central Road, which was promptly filled once it was safe to do so.
Westport takes step forward with major contract awarded
Ports Minster Rita Saffioti has announced WSP Australia as the recipient of a $15.2 million contract to lead the Supply Chain Integrated Design project for Westport.
As part of the project, WSP will model and refine design options for the new terminal, as well as the supporting road and rail network. The project will be a critical pillar in the state's planning for an efficient, sustainable, and modern terminal that meets WA's growing trade needs.
The project will be delivered over the coming 18 months and the outcomes will play a key role in the development of the Westport business case and help inform future investment decisions.
The announcement comes as updated container growth analysis reconfirmed the need for a new port, with Fremantle Port expected to come under increasing pressure over the next 10 to 20 years.
Under a range of growth scenarios, container trade at Fremantle Port is expected to at least double by 2050, and by 2070, the modelling shows trade volumes at Fremantle Port could be three to five times higher than current.
Under a high growth scenario, throughput at Fremantle Port could be as high as 3.7 million containers per annum by 2070, compared to the 792,000 containers that were moved at the port in 2021/22.
This forecasting highlights how important an efficient container supply chain is to our State, and how essential it is
to get the planning right.
Ports Minister Rita Saffioti said, "Westport will be one Perth's largest infrastructure projects, so we are taking the time to get it right. "The work being undertaken by WSP Australia is going to help us better understand various design options for both the new port, and critically, the surrounding road and rail infrastructure. "Globally, it is rare to plan and optimise the whole supply chain, rather than focus on only building or improving part of it. Westport's supply chain approach will ensure real benefits for the State in the long term and I'm proud that it is our approach. "The modelling we have undertaken over a number of years has remained consistent and clear - the growth we expect to see in container trade will place Fremantle Port under increasing pressure, and that's why we're undertaking work now to prepare and plan for a new port that will meet the needs of our State for decades to come."
