Flinders Ports has announced repair work on the closed Port of Thevenard is expected to start this week.
The company estimates the port will remain closed for about three months but hopes to confirm an exact length of the closure in the next week.
Flinders Ports chief executive officer Vincent Tremaine said the company was working extensively with engineering and construction firms to finalise the most timely solution to enable operations to restart as soon as possible.
“To avoid delays, the necessary plant equipment, including a barge and crane, has been retained in Thevenard and key materials have been ordered,” he said.
“At this stage, subject to designs being finalised and satisfactory weather, work is expected to commence next week with a plan to safely reopen the port in about three months.
“Flinders Ports hopes to be able to confirm this timeframe within this week.”
The Port of Thevenard was closed on June 28 due to safety concerns around a section of the concrete jetty that supports the loading conveyor.
A Flinders Ports’ statement said the port had not been closed indefinitely rather it was “a temporary measure while a solution is sought to address the concerns”.
Mr Tremaine met with Ceduna mayor Allan Suter, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan, Member for Flinders Peter Treloar and Regional Development Australia Whyalla and Eyre Peninsula chief executive officer Dion Dorward in Adelaide on Tuesday last week for an update on the situation.
Mr Suter and Mr Treloar said afterwards the response from Flinders Ports was positive and the company understood the importance to the region of getting the port up to standard.
Iluka Resources, Viterra, Cheetham Salt and Gypsum Resources Australia are regular users of the port.
“Flinders Ports are giving highest priority to getting the port working again as soon as possible,” Mr Suter said.
Flinders Ports also said that in addition to the short-term solution, it was working with engineers to undertake a long-term solution which would provide Thevenard with a stable and safe piece of infrastructure to be part of the local economy for many years.
“Flinders Ports appreciates the continued patience and cooperation of all stakeholders,” Mr Tremaine said.
“We are doing everything we can to minimise the impact.”
Mr Tremaine said last week the port was subject to a major check every four years and a visual check every two years.
A recent visual check prompted a closer inspection and the subsequent closure of the port, which the company believed was severely impacted by the major storms of last September and December.
The story Port of Thevenard repairs to begin first appeared on West Coast Sentinel.