IHD Engineering Awards submission - Fremantle Ports

Inner Harbour 

Deepening, 

Rous Head Seawall 

Construction 

and Berth Works 

FREMANTLE PORTS 

2011 Engineering Excellence Awards 

Infrastructure and Building Category

Contents 

Executive Summary 3 

Categoration Statement 4 

Mandatory Judging Criteria 5 

Criteria 1: Attention to occupational health and safety 5 

Criteria 3: Originality and ingenuity of the solution 10 

Criteria 4: Actual or potential contribution of the work to the economy 13 

Criteria 5: Benefits to the community 15 

Criteria 6: Contribution to sustainable development 16 

Criteria 7: Significance of the work as a benchmark of Australian engineering 18 

Optional Judging Criteria 20 

Criteria 11: 

Cooperation with other disciplines and professions and/or effective use of community, 

government or industry consultation 20 

Criteria 15: Attention given to the needs of users 21 

Criteria 16: Enviroinmental Implications 23 

Criteria 17: Quality and Extent of Research 25 

Criteria 19: Integration and innovative use of computer modelling systems 26 

Attachments 27 

• Essential Information 27 

• Project Charter 28 

• Project Objectives 29 

• Dredging Reference Group Chairman’s Report 30


Executive Summary 

The Fremantle Ports Inner Harbour Deepening and Berth 

Works project was completed in April 2011. The $250 

million infrastructure project was achieved on budget and 

within two years of the works commencing. It was one 

of the biggest projects undertaken at the port since the 

opening of Fremantle Harbour in 1897 and was essential to 

enable the port to remain competitive. 

The project involved constructing a sea wall at Rous Head 

to establish a reclamation area; dredging the Inner Harbour, 

entrance channel and deep water channel; reconstructing 

Berth 10 and strengthening berths 4 to 9 on North Quay. 

Constructed under the gaze and scrutiny of so many eyes, 

the Inner Harbour Deepening and Berth Works project will 

ensure Fremantle Port remains an efficient, modern working 

port able to handle current and future vessel requirements 

and trade needs. 

Studies by transport economic specialists showed that 

failure to deepen Fremantle Harbour in line with other 

Australian capital city ports would have led to a loss of 

major direct shipping services, with larger ships bypassing 

Fremantle and travelling to the eastern seaboard. 

The infrastructure works have contributed significantly 

to the long-term sustainability of Fremantle Port’s Inner 

Harbour as a major gateway for national and international 

trade and will ensure that Western Australian business 

continues to have access to major direct shipping services. 

Following the deepening of the harbour and upgrading 

of the existing container berths at North Quay, the port 

is able to provide access for container ships which were 

previously unable to load to full capacity. The reconstruction 

of Berth 10, previously unsuitable for container shipping, 

also provides an additional 180 metres of operational wharf 

space for the port’s container trade. 

Enabling the larger, more modern cargo ships to service the 

port also has benefits in terms of improved efficiency in fuel 

consumption and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. 

2011 Engineering Excellence Awards l Infrastructure and Building Category l Page 3

Categorisation Statement 

Post - Panamax ship MSC Confidence on first visit to Fremantle 

Fremantle Ports embarked on its largest infrastructure 

project for decades with the deepening of the Inner Harbour 

and strengthening of North Quay wharves to cater for 

bigger container ships. The total infrastructure investment 

of $250 million included dredging and reclamation, a new 

seawall and berth upgrades at North Quay. 

The trend towards bigger ships has impacted ports 

worldwide with many deepening to overcome draft 

constraints. The average size of container ships calling at 

Fremantle Port has increased by about 85 per cent over the 

last 15 years and deepening was essential to enable the 

port to accommodate bigger ships at full cargo-carrying 

capacity. 

This major piece of maritime infrastructure is just the third 

harbour deepening project since Fremantle Harbour was 

created in 1897 by C Y O’Connor. His early meticulous 

planning has enabled the harbour to expand and evolve in 

response to changing demands, as evidenced by over 100 

years of continued use of Fremantle Harbour by shipping. 

Completion of the project means Fremantle will remain 

an efficient, modern working port able to handle vessel 

requirements and trade needs for the foreseeable future 

and builds on the legacy left by C Y O’Connor.


Mandatory Judging Criteria 

Criteria 1: 

Attention to occupational health and safety 

Management 

The Inner Harbour Deepening and Berth Works project took 

place on the doorstep of more than 1.5 million residents 

and bordered metropolitan beaches and the Swan River. 

Due to the proximity of the works to popular recreational 

areas (including swimming beaches, fishing spots and 

boating areas) a key project objective was to ensure the 

safety not only of employees but also port users and the 

community. 

To ensure public safety, several access restrictions were 

established at various stages throughout the project. 

These included: 

• signs and notices to direct fisherman to alternative 

recreational fishing locations at North Mole 

• maritime exclusion zones were advised through 

Notices to Mariners 

• cessation of dredging and targeted monitoring prior 

to the Rottnest Channel Swim event to ensure safety 

of competitors 

• marker buoys on dredger anchor ropes. 

Extensive testing of the material to be dredged was 

undertaken before commencing the dredging to ensure 

its content posed no risk to human health or the marine 

environment. This work demonstrated that although there 

may be short-lived visible sediment plumes under certain 

wind and tide conditions, waters would be safe 

for swimmers. 

Design 

The project was a brown-field site with ongoing port 

operations a priority and Fremantle Ports had a very 

tight program to achieve, with multiple stakeholder and 

community issues to manage. 

Contractors, design engineers and operators participated 

in a series of workshops early in the design phase to 

identify, and where possible, eliminate interfaces between 

contractors and port operations. 

Key outcomes were: 

• agreements to excise the wharf from the port 

operating area 

• avoiding the use of floating plant for large scale 

demolition and construction activities 



• eliminating the need for floating pipelines in the harbour 

during dredging operations 

• identifying piling noise levels and safe working 

envelopes and clearances for adjacent port operations 

through a trial piling program. 

During the Berth 10 design phase it was identified that 

maximising the degree to which works that could be carried 

out on top of the deck would enhance safety for workers 

and minimise interfaces with port operations. Using 

precast components rather than a fully in situ concrete deck 

improved safety with manufacturing done at ground level 

away from the water in a controlled environment. It also 

minimised the on-site workload and made available working 

space less confined. 

Special design attention was also given to safety of 

lifting equipment. 

Navigational safety and avoidance of ship collisions was 

also identified early as a key risk. To mitigate this Fremantle 

Pilots and dredge masters undertook joint ship simulation 

exercises. 

Construction 

Safety was our number one priority and all participants, 

spent many hours working out safe ways of conducting the 

works both in Critical Risk Assessment Workshops 

and preparing Safe Working Method Statements. 

Multi-layered safety compliance was also required due to 

works being undertaken in the working port. The contractors 

undertook three safety inductions including their own safety 

system as well as Fremantle Ports’ and the stevedores’ 

systems. 

Boskalis and TGJV prepared Safety, Environmental, Incident 

Response and Crisis Management Plans for the project, 

aligning with Fremantle Ports’ and the stevedores’ plans. 

Specific emergency plans were also developed for incidents 

on or under the berth and in the water, with joint incident 

response drills conducted. 

Critical Risk Assessment Workshops were conducted to 

cover the major phases of work. 

‘Safety Days of Action’ events were held regularly. 

The most difficult safety aspect to overcome on the berth 

works was the concept of working at heights and over 

water when approaching the construction areas from the 

ground level at the rear of the wharf. A detailed cutting 

pattern maximised remnant deck space while still allowing 

for piling and other works to progress. 

Handrails were installed around open areas and custombuilt 

frames, mesh grids and other structural components 

provided compliant and safe working platforms over water. 

Dredging was undertaken mainly during summer and spring 

to ensure this component of the works proceeded safely for 

marine-based crew and as quickly as possible. 


Safety of diving teams and the marine monitoring field 

team was of high importance, with strict safety protocols 

followed. 

Maximising remnant space enhanced worker safety by 

minimising higher risk work under the wharf deck and 

eliminated the need to use marine plant for piling and lifting 

works, thus avoiding adverse impact on port operations.




Criteria 3: 

Originality and ingenuity of the solution 

Fremantle Ports opted to use an Early Contractor 

Involvement approach to plan the project before reverting to 

a series of lump sum contracts during the execution phase. 

The ECI phase involved preparing for the operation with 

three teams – Fremantle Ports, Thiess Georgiou JV and 

Boskalis Australia – over a six month period. 

Project Objectives and a Project Charter were jointly 

developed. The Charter was written into the preamble 

to the construction contracts to promote values of trust, 

respect and honesty. 

A Project Leadership Team (PLT) established during the ECI 

continued into the project delivery phase and monitored all 

project KPIs, working collaboratively to resolve any issues 

referred by the project management team. 

Throughout the project, continual improvement and 

professional development was facilitated through 

workshops and surveys. 

Another innovative practice adopted during the execution 

phase of the project was the undertaking of “Wellbeing 

Surveys” involving site and head office personnel to help 

identify early any potential problems in relationships and 

performance. 

Innovativeness of design, process 

or application 

Fremantle Ports manages its shipping operations with the 

aid of Dynamic Under Keel Clearance (DUKC©) 1 technology. 

to calculate the window of opportunity for ships to transit 

and exchange cargo in the port. In the planning phase, 

DUKC Technology was used to optimise channel design and 

minimise dredge depths. 

A series of real-time ship simulations was also undertaken 

to confirm navigational aspects of the design. These were 

performed in conjunction with Fremantle Pilots’ pilots using 

a full bridge simulator located in the port. 

The combined use of DUKC technology and ship simulations 

reduced the volume of dredging needed and provided the 

Harbour Master and marine pilots with confidence that 

the channel design and dredge depths could be safely 

navigated for larger ships. 

To cater for the heavier loads bigger ships impose on wharf 

infrastructure, the North Quay container berths required 

strengthening, and in the case of Berth 10, demolition and 

complete reconstruction. 

Although a relatively simple structure, the Berth 10 

reconstruction was complex due to the constrained site, 

access issues, working over or near water and coordinating 

multiple activities such as piling, concrete cutting and 

removal, precast installation and in situ concreting. 

The new berth design was tailored to avoid clashes with 

existing pile grids from remnant structures and the design 

was carried out maximising deck planks and thinning down 

1 

Fremantle Ports DUKC system is developed and operated by OMC International Pty Ltd


the mid-sections to save on materials and weight. 

TGJV developed a precise cutting sequence for the 

demolition to maximise space on the existing structure 

being used for constructing the new deck. 

A specially designed crucifix support frame provided 

temporary support for the precast beams. 

A new sheet pile wall was also installed to hold back the 

slopes under the wharf. The installation along the face 

of the berth used a custom-built guide attached to the 

front of the berth. 

Before installation of the new sheet pile wall in the paleo 

channel (ancient flow path of the Swan River), an existing 

shorter sheet pile wall had to be removed. It was not 

possible to remove this without supporting the toe of the 

batter slope and after investigation of various options, 

the solution adopted was to place railway ballast along 

the face of the existing sheet pile wall. The rail ballast 

was then airlifted along the wall in advance of sheet pile 

removal and installation works, or placed behind the new 

sheet pile wall to improve slope stability. 

Achievement of outcomes 

Despite the many unknowns in terms of costs and risks, 

the Inner Harbour Deepening and Berth Works project 

achieved all of its objectives and has provided improved 

infrastructure in the time frame required and on budget. 

This outcome can largely be contributed to the use of 

Early Contractor Involvement in the planning phase and 

the continued effort in promoting the Project Charter. This 

approach was unique in that, despite the execution phase 

being lump sum contracts, relationship principles endured 

from the ECI phase. 


Also unique to the project was the running of two ECI 

contracts concurrently. Despite there being no contractual 

arrangement between Thiess Georgiou JV and Boskalis 

Australia during the ECI period, both organisations worked 

together in one office, with Fremantle Ports, examining the 

project risks together, developing solutions and building 

relationships. 

Potential for future applications 

This project was the first to be undertaken by Fremantle 

Ports as a relationship-based project and its success leads 

the way to further projects being undertaken in a similar 

way not only by Fremantle Ports, but also by other 

WA ports. 

Further details of the innovation, originality and ingenuity 

of the project team’s approach to issues and problem 

solving are provided in the following sections. 

• Criteria 17: Quality and extent of research. 

• Criteria 19: Integration and innovative use of 

computer modelling systems.



Criteria 4: 

Actual or potential contribution of the work to the economy 

Efficiency in use of resources 

The Port of Fremantle is Western Australia’s principal 

national and international gateway for container and 

general cargo trades, handling about 71 per cent by value 

of the State’s seaborne imports and 15 per cent by value of 

WA’s seaborne exports. It is of immense value to the State’s 

economy and its existing infrastructure represents a huge 

public and private sector investment as the port has been 

developed, modernised and expanded over the years. 

The deepening of the Inner Harbour and berth strengthening 

helps to ensure that the Inner Harbour is able to reach 

optimal capacity, thus efficiently using its resources in the 

State’s interest. 

Maximising use of infrastructure has benefits in terms of 

minimising freight costs. The additional quay length for 

container shipping gained by the re-building of Berth 10 and 

the additional land created as a by-product of the dredging 

also helps to push out the number of years before the Inner 

Harbour reaches capacity and additional facilities need to 

be built to service trade growth. 

Fremantle Port’s deeper draft capacity and ability to service 

the larger, more efficient ships fully loaded means the same 

volumes of cargo can be carried on fewer ship visits, with 

benefits in terms of economies of scale, fuel savings and 

reduced greenhouse gas emissions. 

Efficiency in the application of 

engineering resources 

The use of the Early Contractor Involvement model in 

the project planning and the effective partnership that 

ensued between Fremantle Ports, Thiess Georgiou Joint 

Venture and Boskalis ensured that the required engineering 

outcomes were achieved. 

Equipment and methodologies were carefully selected to 

meet the project objectives and to enable the project to be 

completed in a timely way without interruption to shipping. 

The Port of Melbourne, which is Australia’s largest 

container port, recently deepened its channels. It was vitally 

important for Fremantle to match Melbourne’s increased 

draft capability. The efficiency of the engineering aspects 

of the Inner Harbour deepening, using some of the world’s 

most sophisticated dredgers, highly experienced contractors 

and advanced construction techniques avoided project 

delays, minimised impact on port services, avoided cost 

blow-outs and contributed significantly to the successful 

completion of the project on time and within budget. 


Value adding, export potential 

As a key link in the logistics chain, Fremantle Port acts as 

an economic catalyst, directly and indirectly generating 

thousands of jobs and wealth for the State. Fremantle’s 

Inner Harbour handles some $17 billion in trade annually. 

The deepening of the Inner Harbour and associated works 

ensures that the State’s importers and exporters retain 

access to major direct shipping services with the benefits of 

port efficiency flowing back to the wider community. 

Impact on quality of life 

Business improvements 

So many of the goods used by Western Australians every 

day are imported through Fremantle, from the items on our 

supermarket shelves to clothing, electrical goods, building 

materials and furniture. 

Efficient and reliable shipping services and their 

contribution to minimising transport costs are important 

for our quality of life. Also, the livelihoods of many 

thousands of Western Australians depend directly or 

indirectly on the port. 

The Inner Harbour deepening and berth upgrading have 

enhanced port efficiency for receival of seaborne goods as 

well as enhancing the competitiveness of our exports to 

destinations within Australia and overseas. 

As a very useful by-product of the harbour and channel 

deepening, Fremantle Ports now has 27 hectares of newly 

reclaimed land at Rous Head. The new area has provided 

an outstanding opportunity to expand the availability of 

Inner Harbour land and to plan the area to improve landside 

access and efficiency. 

Aims in planning for the new land include providing 

adequate capacity for key functions, improving efficiency 

of operations and providing flexibility to accommodate 

possible future changes.



Criteria 5: 

Benefits to the community 

Employment 

Maintaining and enhancing the competitiveness of 

Fremantle Port’s operations contributes to the success of 

the Western Australian economy and thus creates jobs. 

Economic analysis has shown that every ship visit to 

Fremantle represents 3.3 full-time equivalent jobs for one 

year. The direct effects of Fremantle Port activity include 

employment in port administration, ship operations, ship 

loading and unloading, cargo services, land transport and 

storage and government agencies. Indirectly, there are 

associated jobs in finance and business services, wholesale 

and retail trade, transport and storage, manufacturing, 

utilities, community services, recreational services, 

communication, construction, accommodation, public 

administration, mining and primary industry. 

cloudiness of the water and loss of visibility, these 

impacts were temporary. 

The disposal of dredged material was planned to minimise 

seagrass impacts, and overall seagrass losses from the 

project have been far less than what was permitted under 

the environmental conditions for the project. Coral health 

has also been maintained. 

The Inner Harbour Deepening and Berth Works project 

created significant employment, particularly in the 

implementation phase. 

Environment, conservation 

Dolphin research undertaken during the project has 

contributed to knowledge of dolphin behaviour. 

Amenity 

A key objective was to minimise impacts on the community 

and dredging methodology meant that access was 

maintained for recreational craft passing through the Inner 

Harbour. 

The construction of the seawall extension will enable the 

construction of a new road around its perimeter providing 

improved public access to the popular North Mole and 

approaches for fisher folk and others. A parkland area with 

recreational facilities for the community will be provided 

adjacent to the northern end of this planned road. 

The project was undertaken in compliance with stringent 

environmental guidelines, with extensive monitoring to 

Quality of life 

ensure minimal impacts on the natural environment and 

community amenity. Although there were impacts on (see Criteria 4) 

the community from dredging plumes, for example, 



Criteria 6: 

Contribution to sustainable development 

The material to be dredged underwent extensive testing, 

showing that the sediments would not pose a risk to the 

environment or human health. Similarly excavated material 

was only reused for the Rous Head reclamation works after 

testing confirmed its suitability. 

The works were undertaken in compliance with projectspecific 

Environmental Management Plans addressing 

environmental risks specific to each component of 

construction activities. Weekly environmental inspections 

were performed and all incidents were recorded and 

followed up. 

Efficient use of natural resources while 

providing for beneficial use 

A strong emphasis was given to waste minimisation and 

material reuse. Total dredging volumes were minimised 

through detailed planning studies and temporary site 

facilities were designed and located to provide a longerterm 

benefit to future operations. Independent water 

quality monitoring was undertaken throughout the project 

beyond the requirements of the environmental approval 

conditions. The monitoring involved frequent water testing 

at more than 30 sites as well as regular aerial photography, 

seagrass and coral monitoring. 

About 480,000 tonnes of limestone and granite were used 

to construct a seawall extension at Rous Head. Some of 

the rock was reused from an existing seawall. Rock grading 

was carefully specified to maximise quarry yields and 

reduce waste. 

Dredge material from the deepening, material stockpiled 

at Rous Head from previous dredging campaigns and 

excavated material from the berth works were used to 

create 27 hectares of land for port purposes. Dredged 

material was placed hydraulically to avoid the need 

to import engineered fill and to limit the amount of fill 

requiring energy intensive soil improvement works. 

A design modification to the berth works reduced the 

diameter and thickness of piles used to allow for local 

manufacture. This reduced the tonnage of steel required 

as well as transportation distances. 

Using precast concrete elements also allowed for the 

combined steel and timber moulds to be reused.


Recyling 

Thousands of tonnes of steel and concrete from the Berth 

10 demolition and reconstruction, including replacement 

of fendering, were recycled. 

Maintaining environmental integrity 

Dredging and reclamation activities had the greatest 

potential to impact on environmental integrity but careful 

planning and use of latest technology and best practice 

methodologies ensured impacts were significantly less than 

predicted. This included building a fully enclosed seawall 

in preparation for reclamation, lining the seawall with 

geotextile material to contain fine sediment particles and 

the use of silt curtains around the overflow water pipes. 

In undertaking the berth works, appropriate containment 

methods were used to ensure no contaminants or 

demolition material could enter seawater or surrounds 

Silt curtaining was deployed along the berth face to contain 

any potential debris. To prevent pollution of the harbour, a 

wet vacuuming system was used during all saw cutting of 

concrete decks. 



Criteria 7: 

Significance of the work as a benchmark 

of Australian engineering 

Reputation as a quality project 

Deepening was essential to expand trade capability and 

enable the port to accommodate bigger ships of up to 14 

metres draft at full cargo-carrying capacity. 

Project objectives included: 

• sustaining port operations 

• optimising project delivery with respect to safety, value, 

time, environmental protection and innovation 

• optimising whole of life costs and meeting future needs 

• achieving high levels of community satisfaction 

• developing a highly motivated, skilled and 

sustainable workforce 

• enhanced internal and external stakeholder 

relationships. 

The ECI process culminated with the appointment of two 

contractors: Thiess Georgiou Joint Venture (TGJV) for the 

civil and marine works and Boskalis Australia Pty Ltd for the 

dredging program. The various works packages were staged 

to ensure the port continued to operate normally as well as 

taking into account the high community interest shown in 

the dredging component. 

The project was completed in April 2011, within two years 

of commencement. It involved many facets of engineering 

requiring innovation. Ingenuity of the process met all of 

its objectives – an expanded, sustainable port, created 

with community acceptance and within a specified 

budget – and the joint venture partners helped significantly 

in achieving this. 

The contractors deployed the most modern equipment, 

for instance, dredgers with green valves, to reduce the 

environmental impact. An independent audit of the project 

attributed the high level of compliance on the project 

to a number of factors, including the high degree of 

transparency provided through information to the general 

public and the good communication between Fremantle 

Ports, contractors and operators. 

The auditor also noted other significant factors, including 

the use of a new ship with state-of-the-art computer, 

monitoring and navigational equipment, and the highlytrained 

crew who demonstrated good knowledge and 

professionalism during the dredging.


Recognition as an engineering achievement 

A case study was prepared for the Australian Alliancing 

Association and presentations on the project have been 

made at several conferences and seminars in areas 

ranging from project management, engineering, project 

procurement, contract law, communication and managing 

community/stakeholder relations. 

Since completing the project, Fremantle Ports, Boskalis, 

Thiess and Georgiou have all been approached by both 

private and government organisations seeking details of 

the project, and in particular the value of the ECI process. 


Optional Judging Criteria 

Criteria 11: 

Cooperation with other disciplines and professions and effective 

use of community, government and industry consultation 

Effective consultation, interagency and industry cooperation 

were essential to the success of the project. Fremantle 

Ports liaised closely with other relevant government 

agencies, port users, industry bodies, environmental 

consultants and community groups in the planning and 

delivery phases. 

The project was the subject of a rigorous Public 

Environmental Review and assessment by the 

Environmental Protection Authority, Department of 

Environment and Conservation, and other agencies. 

As part of the approval process, extensive public 

consultation was undertaken in relation to all aspects of 

the project. The consultation included numerous 

stakeholder briefings and discussions and a widely 

advertised six-week public comment period on the Public 

Environmental Review document. 

Consultation with Indigenous Elders was also undertaken 

towards achieval of approval under the Aboriginal Heritage 

Act 1972 (WA) and a sea dumping permit from the Federal 

Government was also obtained, with consultation. 

An independently chaired and widely-representative 

Dredging Reference Group established by Fremantle Ports 

played an important and effective role in overseeing the 

environmental monitoring and communication of results. 

Results of the water quality monitoring, including data 

from sampling and aerial photos of dredging, were placed 

regularly on Fremantle Ports’ website. 

Ongoing communication included briefings for port 

users, community groups and local councils; community 

information nights and workshops; newsletters; use of fact 

sheets; advertising; media briefings; and media statements. 

The input received from the consultation was valuable in 

identifying issues so that these could be addressed.



Criteria 15: 

Attention given to the needs of users 

Key objectives of the project were to sustain port 

operations through carefully planned and implemented 

interfaces of the works with existing stevedoring and 

shipping operations to ensure reliability of port operations; 

minimising disruption and cost to tenants, service providers 

and customers; and minimising impacts on tenants and 

the community. 

This was realised through regular and open communication 

with users at all stages, particularly during planning, and 

by implementing a number of specific measures before and 

during execution of the works, with the outcome that more 

than $34 billion of trade went through the Inner Harbour 

largely unaffected by the construction activities. 

Space limitations on the working port and the need to 

maintain shipping operations led to a tailored construction 

solution. Innovative sequencing of berth works was 

developed to create discrete construction stages. 

Agreements were developed between Fremantle Ports, 

contractors and two private stevedoring companies 

documenting where and how construction would be 

undertaken. 

The sequential approach meant that, at all times, the 

two private stevedoring companies were able to maintain 

berthing for two vessels each on North Quay. The berth 

works were then progressively undertaken with the 

rebuilding of Berth 10 undertaken first to add to berth 

capacity. Up to 330 metres were under construction at any 

one time. Each stage was completed before moving on to 

the next. 

Detailed traffic management planning played a critical 

part in minimising impacts on tenants, customers and 

neighbours. The seawall construction at Rous Head 

required around 480,000 tonnes of rock material to be 

brought into the site from various quarries with up to 

120 trucks per day delivering rock. 

A traffic management plan for the seawall construction 

was prepared by an accredited roadwork traffic manager. 

Specific traffic management plans were also implemented 

for all of the berth works and the safe transport of more 

than 450 precast concrete components. 

Early in the project, Fremantle Ports organised simulation 

exercises with pilots and dredge masters using the port’s 

simulator. The use of simulation training continued through 

the implementation phase. 

Baseline noise and vibration monitoring was undertaken 

during a works trial of the piling and concrete cutting. 

Although additional noise was within acceptable limits, 

further minimisation was achieved by use of vibration 

rather than hammering where possible to install the piles. 


Inner H 

9m 

11m 

13m 

14.7m 

Factsheet: january 2010 

silt screens and Air Curtain - old 

Fremantle Ports is installing silt screens and 

an air curtain at the Old Fremantle Traffic Bridge 

as part of the Inner Harbour Deepening project. 

The silt screens and the air curtain are being trialled to 

see how effective they are in limiting dredging plumes 

from extending up the Swan River. 

Air Curtain 

An air curtain (sometimes referred to as a bubble curtain) 

helps prevent material (such as oil, debris or sediment) 

spreading in the water. A current is generated by 

compressed air flowing through a thick walled pipe 

placed on the seabed. 

The air escapes through nozzles incorporated into the 

pipe and rises to the surface, forming a vertical current 

in the 

vertica 

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The ai 

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For one tenant, maintaining water quality in Rous Head 

Harbour was of paramount importance as this was the 

source of water for live lobster tanks. Fremantle Ports 

deployed an air bubble curtain at the entrance to Rous Head 

Harbour to reduce dredge plumes. This was effective in 

preventing dredge plumes from reaching the tenant’s water 

intake pipes.



Criteria 16: 

Environmental implications 

The environmental assessment for the project involved 

definition of the existing local environment and rigorous 

analysis of any potential impacts. The environmental 

factors assessed included: 

• marine biodiversity, habitats and fauna 

• water and sediment quality 

• introduced marine pests 

• coastal processes 

• acid sulphate soils 

• noise, traffic and dust impacts 

• hydrocarbon spills 

• indigenous heritage 

• public access and recreation. 

Detailed studies included: 

• hydrodynamic modelling 

• marine habitat mapping 

• extensive sampling and testing of sediments 

• baseline water quality monitoring 

• beach modelling to assess impacts on local 

coastal processes. 

The environmental assessment has led to improved 

understanding of the marine environment offshore from 

Fremantle and the impacts of a major dredging program on 

public amenity and ecosystem health. 

Preventative and management measures were applied to 

ensure environmental impacts were avoided or minimised. 

Independent monitoring of water and sediment quality and 

seagrass, coral and biota (mussel) health was undertaken 

before, during and after the dredging. In addition, aerial 

surveys of the extent of any plumes were undertaken three 

times each week. 

The water quality monitoring program was conducted at 

more than 30 sites offshore from Fremantle and in the 

Swan River and was additional to the routine monitoring 

that the Department of Water and Fremantle Ports regularly 

undertake in the Swan River. Monitoring results were 

reported to the Office of the EPA, Department of Health and 

Swan River Trust weekly throughout the dredging activities 

and posted on Fremantle Ports’ website. 

General findings of the extensive water quality monitoring 

and environmental monitoring program demonstrated that 

environmental impacts were less marked than predicted 

and confirmed that the project did not present public health 

issues or unacceptable impacts on the marine environment. 

Dust and noise management 

Onshore works also had the potential to impact on the 

environment and neighbours through dust and noise from 

construction activities. 


In the construction of the seawall extension, dust 

suppression measures were implemented. 

In undertaking the berth works, every effort was made to 

minimise noise, including, where possible, vibrating piles 

into position instead of using piling hammers. The use of 

piling equipment was restricted to 7am to 5.30pm Monday 

to Saturday. 

Whale watching 

Independent training courses were provided to Fremantle 

Ports staff and Boskalis crew members enabling them to 

work together as trained whale observers. For each vessel 

transit offshore and prior to dredging or disposal actions, 

surrounding waters were scanned to ensure the dredge 

stayed clear of whales.



Criteria 17: 

Quality and Extent of Research 

It is rare that universities and other research organisations 

have the opportunity of a large-scale field laboratory on 

their doorstep, but the Inner Harbour Deepening Project 

provided such an event. 

The project used a combination of dredging and sandpumping 

practices resulting in the release of sediments into 

the surrounding water column. It was important to quantify 

the concentrations and distributions of plumes. 

Site-specific information on the characteristics and 

behaviour of the plumes and sediments will be useful 

for deriving more reliable model estimates for any future 

dredging activity in this region. 

Fremantle Ports also supported research by WA universities 

through provision of access, data and funding. 

The deepening and berth works also presented an 

ideal opportunity for researchers to observe impacts of 

construction activity on a pod of dolphins known to frequent 

the Inner Harbour. Fremantle Ports, with Theiss Georgiou 

JV, liaised with Murdoch and Curtin universities to monitor 

the visitation and behaviour of dolphins during periods of 

intense activity as well as quiet times. This involved the 

installation of video cameras at strategic locations and 

conducting underwater noise measurements. In addition, 

opportunistic data on dolphin locations and behaviours 

were collected by Fremantle Ports and project team 

members to be used in the study. 

There have been very few studies like this conducted in 

the world. 



Criteria 19: 

Integration and innovative use of computer 

modelling systems 

Fremantle Ports manages its shipping operations with 

the aid of Dynamic Under Keel Clearance (DUKC©) 1 

technology. This uses real-time information from a suite of 

wave buoys, tide gauges and weather stations in Fremantle 

waters to calculate the window of opportunity for ships to 

transit and to exchange cargo in the port. 

In the planning phase of the project, Fremantle Ports used 

DUKC technology to optimise channel design and minimise 

dredge depths. 

As part of the planning process, a series of real-time ship 

simulations was also undertaken to confirm navigational 

aspects of the design. These simulations were performed 

with Fremantle Port’s marine pilots using a full bridge 

simulator located in the port. The combined use of DUKC 

technology and ship simulations reduced the volume of 

dredging needed to be undertaken and provided the Harbour 

Master and pilots with confidence that the channel design 

and dredge depths could be safely navigated for larger 

ships. 

To reduce the downtime of the dredgers when working in 

the harbour, simulation runs of ships passing close to the 

dredge in various positions were conducted. In addition, all 

dredge masters undertook a day of ship simulation training 

with Fremantle Port’s marine pilots before working on the 

dredgers. This resulted not only in safer execution of the 

project, but also reduced downtime of the dredgers to less 

than half that predicted. 

Analysis and computer modelling showed that the safest 

time to dredge in offshore areas, with least potential 

downtime, was summer and spring. 

Extensive modelling was also undertaken as part of the 

environmental approvals process, including detailed 

hydrodynamic modelling to determine the likely extent of 

plumes generated by the dredging works and impacts of 

the seawall construction on adjacent beaches. Extensive 

modelling was also undertaken to demonstrate that 

the selected offshore disposal site located 8kms from 

Fremantle was stable for the material, even under severe 

storm conditions. 

1 

Fremantle Ports DUKC system is developed and operated by OMC International Pty Ltd


Attachments 

1. Essential information 

Client 

ECI project name 

Project value $250m 

Contractors 

Location 

Fremantle Ports 

Inner Harbour Deepening 

and Berth Works Project 

Civil and marine works: 

• Thiess Georgiou Joint Venture 

Dredging: 

• Boskalis Australia Pty Ltd 

Fremantle, Western Australia 

Timeframe ECI phase: September 2008 

– April 2009 

Construction phase: April 2009 – April 2011 

Project description: 

Deepening Fremantle’s Inner Harbour, Entrance Channel 

and Deepwater Channel and strengthening of the North 

Quay container berths to cater for bigger ships and 

the reuse of dredged material to create 27 hectares of 

additional land at Rous Head for port purposes. 

2. Project Objectives 

3. Project Charter 

4. Dredging Reference Group 

Chairman’s Report 


Inner Harbour Deepening and Berth Works Project Charter 

Project Vision 

To deliver the Inner Harbour Deepening and Berth Works Project by meeting all of the project objectives and the 

needs and expectations of Fremantle Ports, Thiess Georgiou Joint Venture, Boskalis, stakeholders and the 

community. 

Our values 

Fremantle Ports, Thiess Georgiou Joint Venture and Boskalis are committed to the following project values: 

Respect – we treat all team members, stakeholders and the community with respect, listening to people’s 

views and accepting diverse input without bias 

Responsiveness – we actively respond to any opportunities or issues to ensure project expectations are met 

Wellbeing – the health, safety and wellbeing of any project personnel, stakeholder or community member is 

a priority 

Continuous Improvement and Innovation – fostering continuous improvement and innovation is the 

responsibility of everyone 

Expected behaviours 

The parties recognise that the way people relate and treat each other will signifiantly contribute to the project’s 

success. 

To give effect to the project values, Fremantle Ports, Thiess Georgiou Joint Venture and Boskalis team members will: 

Work collaboratively together in a spirit of cooperation and mutual trust 

Be open and honest in all communications 

Share information in a timely way 

Be transparent in all dealings 

Be project focused to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes 

Consider all new ideas 

Be accountable for project delivery, performance and the resolution of any disputes, differences or other 

issues. 

Ensure that any respective employees, officers, agents and contractors commit to the project values and 

expected behaviours outlined in this charter 

Boskalis Australia Pty Ltd


INNER HARBOUR DEEPENING PROJECT OBJECTIVES 

Port Operations 

(a) 

To sustain Port Operations by: 

(i) 

(ii) 

(iii) 

carefully planned and implemented interfaces of the works with existing stevedoring 

and shipping operations and other customers: 

maintaining services and infrastructure capability throughout the Project to ensure 

reliability of port operations: and 

minimising disruption and cost to tenants, service providers and customers. 

Project Delivery 

(b) 

To optimise Project delivery by: 

(i) 

(ii) 

(ii) 

(iii) 

(iv) 

ensuring the safety of employees, port users and the community; 

delivering exceptional value for money; 

ensuring completion of the project within the required timeframe; 

protecting the environment and maximising opportunities for its enhancement; and 

producing exceptional Project outcomes that are driven by a culture of innovation. 

Asset Management 

(c) 

To deliver a high quality asset that optimises whole of life costs and meets the future 

needs of the Port. 

Community 

(d) 

To achieve high levels of community satisfaction by: 

(i) 

(ii) 

(ii) 

ensuring good community understanding of the Project; 

undertaking effective communication where there is potential for the Project to 

impact on community activity; and 

exceeding the expectations of the community in terms of minimising adverse impact 

on the community and the environment. 

Boskalis Australia Pty Ltd 


Background 

Fremantle Ports Dredging Reference Group 

Report by Bernard Bowen to the CEO of Fremantle Ports 

Fremantle Ports established a Dredging Reference Group (of Stakeholders) on 27 

January 2011 so as to have an on-‐going linkage to community, industry and 

regulatory representatives in relation to Fremantle Ports Inner Harbour 

dredging project to deepen the harbour. 

One of the Ministerial Conditions, in relation to the project, was to “prepare and 

implement a Water Quality Monitoring Program as a component of the Dredge 

Spoil Disposal Management Plan (DSDMP)”. The results of the Water Quality 

Monitoring Program (WQMP) and the relevant parts of the DSDMP were 

reported to the Dredging Reference Group for information and to provide an 

opportunity for questions and discussion. In addition, Fremantle Ports provided 

an update on the management of the dredging project at each meeting of the 

Dredging Reference Group. 

I was requested to chair the meetings of the Dredging Reference Group. The 

following text provides some personal observations that may assist future 

activities involving a reference group. 

Observations 

Value of establishing a Dredging Reference Group 

The Dredging Reference Group held its first meeting on 27 January 2011. The 

project had already commenced and there was some public criticism at that time. 

The formation of the Reference Group provided a ‘hands-‐on’ process for direct 

communication and discussion of the water quality monitoring results with 

community representatives. Those present at the meetings gained an 

understanding that the matters of concern were being given proper attention. 

Council representatives on the Reference Group provided advice that pubic 

expressions of concern to Council staff were much reduced after the Reference 

Group had been established and became effective. 

I encourage the early appointment of stakeholder Reference Groups, if they are 

to be appointed, so that the members ‘grow’ with the project and have an 

opportunity to ‘get to know’ the administrators, managers and technical 

specialists at an early date. 

A communication strategy 

Fremantle Ports had a well-‐established communication strategy of which the 

meetings of the Dredging Reference Group were one part. This is important. It 

would not have been wise to rely solely on the Group meetings for public 

communication. 

 

1

The communication strategy appeared to give sound attention to the December 

2003 document “Interim Industry Guide to Community Involvement” issued by 

the Chair of the EPA and the CEO of the (then) Department of Environment. 

The frequency of meetings 

Meetings were held monthly during the main dredging period. This was about 

right. If it had been every two months, members would have ‘lost touch’ with the 

essential elements of the project. 

The meeting focus 

Under each Agenda Item, there was an opportunity for questions and discussion. 

This provided an opportunity for the Group to frame specific advice to Fremantle 

Ports. 

The Agenda was standard for each meeting. The essential elements were: 

• Report by Fremantle Ports 

o Update of dredging operations 

o Management action taken since last meeting 

o Key press articles, press statements, information sheets 

o Key stakeholder meetings 

o Information posted on the website 

• Report on WQMP results (data) by the consultants 

o Reporting protocols to the Office of the EPA 

o Schedule of monitoring results posted on the website since the last 

meeting 

o Monitoring results for public health and their relation to the trigger 

levels 

o Monitoring results for aesthetics and human amenity and their relation 

to trigger levels 

o Monitoring results for ecosystem health and their relation to trigger 

levels. 

• Stakeholder feedback 

o Issues not already covered in the preceding discussions 

o Requests for additional information. 

Status of the monitoring results (data) presented 

The monitoring results presented to the Group had already been placed on the 

Fremantle Ports website and had already been provided to the Office of the EPA. 

It is important that the correct protocol of data distribution be undertaken. The 

data brought to the Group provided an opportunity for explanations, discussions 

and questions. 

 

2

Dissemination of the results 

Direct reporting of the monitoring results to stakeholder representatives on the 

Dredging Reference Group (DRG) was effective in communicating and informing 

key bodies with the ‘facts’, sometimes during periods of intense media reporting 

and public concern. The representatives were encouraged to disseminate the 

monitoring results and management measures to their broader membership 

stakeholder groups. It is important that members of a stakeholder reference 

group, such as the DRG, be very familiar with the relevant website (in this case 

the Fremantle Ports website) so that they have ready access to the WQMP 

reports, minutes of meetings, Chairman’s reports and the like. It would be 

beneficial to make specific mention of this dissemination process at the first 

meeting of a reference group and at regular intervals throughout the life of the 

project. 

The importance of an up-‐to-‐date website being maintained and widely 

publicized cannot be over-‐emphasized. Even those members of the public with 

minimum website skills need to be confident that they can find the site and find 

all of the information relevant to the project. 

The Chairman’s report after each meeting 

Within a few days of each meeting, I wrote a Chairman’s two-‐page report of the 

meeting setting out information about the principal matters presented and 

discussed. This was distributed to each Group member as well as Fremantle 

Ports administration. Members were then able to distribute the report to their 

wider audience for information. The Chairman’s report was posted directly to 

the Fremantle Ports website. 

Meeting protocol 

There was an agreed protocol for the operation of the meetings, as follows: 

• Members will work constructively to fulfil the Terms of Reference of the 

Dredging Reference Group. 

• All points of view are important and will be respected. 

• Each member will have an equal opportunity to speak. 

• Discussions will be through the Chair. 

• The Chair will endeavour to reach a consensus view on matters discussed, 

but minority views will be recorded in the Meeting Record if requested. 

• Members will respect the confidential nature of the inputs by participants 

at meetings and will not quote those inputs to an outside source. 

• Individual members are not to act as a spokesperson for the group. Any 

overtures to members of this nature are to be referred to the Chair. 

Meeting record 

Fremantle Ports provided very competent executive support. The record of each 

meeting was a reasonably full statement of the information provided and the 

discussion undertaken. Noting the purpose of the Group established by 

 

3

Fremantle Ports, this appears to have been an appropriate level of detail for the 

record of the meetings. 

Level of support by Fremantle Ports for the Group meetings 

The Fremantle Ports CEO, the Manager External Affairs, the General Manager 

Strategy and Planning and the Manager Planning & Development were present at 

each meeting. This was a clear demonstration of the importance of the Dredging 

Reference Group, and the Group members appreciated their presence. 

In addition to management providing information at each meeting, it is 

important that Reference Group members be informed when major activities, 

such as the start and finish of dredging programs, are implemented. 

Reporting time by the consultants 

The samples taken as part of the monitoring program need to be analysed, and 

for samples requiring specialist laboratory analysis there may be a lead-‐time of 

some days. It is important that the results be made available in a timely manner 

(as soon as possible). However, it is also important that the consultants have 

adequate time for the results to be returned and their quality control be satisfied 

before their report is submitted to the EPA and made public. Incorrect reporting 

causes difficulties for the public, the EPA, Fremantle Ports and the consultants. 

The contingency management measures 

Dredging will always have an impact, especially on recreational and aesthetic 

values. The dredging plume is usually quite expansive and a cause for public 

concern. 

The WQMP sets out a cascade of management responses, and it is important that 

the interested parties understand that there is likely to be exceedences of some 

of the trigger levels from to time. This was found to be the case for readings of 

the Secchi depth. 

Time needs to be spent early in the life of a Reference Group discussing the 

trigger levels and the management responses that will be undertaken when 

exceedences do occur. If this is not done, each exceedence reported is likely to 

become a focus for debate that action should be taken that is outside the 

management responses accepted by the EPA through its endorsement of the 

dredging management plan. If possible, the discussion needs to focus on the 

environmental factor (receptor) that is being impacted and the management 

response available. 

The time approved for the ‘span of time’ of the project 

Fremantle Ports found that the backhoe work being undertaken in the Fremantle 

Port subsequent to the substantive dredging program resulted in a requirement 

to apply to the EPA for an amendment to the ‘span of time’ approved by the 

 

4

Minister for Environment. It is important that there be an approved ‘span of 

time’ for a project, but there also needs to be a degree of flexibility available to 

the relevant parties. 

The requirement of the EPA was that Fremantle Ports apply to the EPA pursuant 

to section 45A of the EP Act for approval to ‘change the proposal’ so as to 

accommodate the backhoe work subsequent to the substantive dredging 

program. This process appeared to consume considerable time by all of the 

relevant parties to achieve an outcome that could be regarded by some as simply 

a process-‐decision to accommodate a request to amend the ‘span of time’ for the 

project from 26 weeks to 29 weeks so as to provide for the completion of the 

backhoe work. 

Considerable care needs to be taken in considering the ‘span of time’ of a project 

to be set out in the Ministerial Statement. The timing schedule needs to be 

reviewed from time to time so that there is ample time to proceed through the 

process if an extension of the ‘span of time’ for a project is needed. Perhaps the 

process can be examined by the relevant authority and amended where 

appropriate. 

Appreciation by the Chairman 

I welcomed the opportunity to chair Fremantle Ports Dredging Reference Group. 

As is so often the case, I gained more from the experience than I gave. Each 

person attending the reference group meetings made a positive contribution, 

and I met many people whom I had not known before. 

I thank Fremantle Ports and their consultants for the professional approach each 

demonstrated in their submissions to the Group, and I thank all members of the 

Group for their inputs to the discussion. Those inputs, which came from an array 

of backgrounds, were very helpful and always courteous. 

Bernard Bowen 

27 May 2011 

 

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IHD Engineering Awards submission - Fremantle Ports

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