The Wheatbelt Development Commission (WDC) and DevelopmentWA, with guidance from the Avon Industrial Park Advisory Committee, developed and funded a study examining the potential for Northam to further develop as a freight and logistics hub.
WDC’s Northam Freight Hub project aims to facilitate infrastructure investment in the Avon sub-region, while offering the prospect of relocating freight-related industries from the Eastern suburbs of Perth to a strategically advantageous location in the peri-urban Wheatbelt through evidence-based opportunity. This initiative seeks to optimize operational efficiency and enhance the overall effectiveness of the region’s transportation network.
The WDC has noted increased private sector interest in developing new freight and logistics infrastructure in the vicinity of Northam over the past 24 months. This has been driven, in part, by CBH Group’s purchase of 100 hectares at the Avon Industrial Park to build the Meenaar grain receival site. CBH’s development is supported by $6.5 million funding for a rail spur under the Agricultural Supply Chain Improvement (ASCI) program. Further, private developer Procon Developments plans to construct AvonWest: an integrated logistics and enterprise hub at the Yilgarn Avenue road train assembly area.
This proposal creates an opportunity to improve east-west road transport efficiency and reduce the movement of large vehicle combinations into the Perth metropolitan area. It would also increase speed to market by up to 48 hours and enable a further 20-25 interstate crossings per annum.
