Kimberley Mineral Sands says safety is priority as residents air concerns with Broome export decision

Several Broome residents have rallied against the proposed use of the local port for export by Kimberley Mineral Sands, venting safety fears which the company and the port operator say are unfounded. The proposal would see up to 42 trucks use Broome Road, Gubinge Road and Port Drive to carry resources from KMS’ $484 million Thunderbird mineral sands project. It was a move that angered some residents, with a Facebook page No More Trucks - Keep Gubinge Rd Safe set up to voice their concerns about safety, noise and pollution. Group spokesperson and 2021 Broome Senior Community Citizen of the Year Jan Lewis said if the proposal went ahead, she would leave town. “For me it will be the final straw,” she said. “The main concerns are the noise at night and the safety on the road. There’s already enough stories about people nearly being hit by triple road trains at the Gubinge Road, Cable Beach Road East roundabout.” Her sentiments were echoed by the manager of the Habitat Resort — which sits on Port Drive — Michael Leake. “From what I see there is an accident waiting to happen,” he said. “There are tens and tens of driveways along Port Drive and if you have road trains coming down there and someone pulls out suddenly the truck isn’t going to be able to stop in time.” The proposal is currently waiting for approval from the Environmental Protection Authority, with KMS chief executive Stuart Pether confident once approvals were finalised, measures to improve noise and safety along the route would be a top priority during community consultations. “KMS is seeking a variation to existing approvals in order to export bulk mineral sands via the Port of Broome, while still maintaining the flexibility to use of the Port of Derby,” Mr Pether said. “Some measures may include avoiding the use of air brakes along Gubinge Road and Port Drive in Broome, reducing speeds to below signposted limits at night, and reducing truck movements. “This will also include undertaking ongoing monitoring to ensure noise levels are proactively managed during operation.” Kimberley Ports Authority chief operating officer Luke Westlake said the authority had no safety concerns with the route to Broome Port. The controversy comes after KMS made its final investment decision on the Thunderbird project on October 7. Site construction activities are already more than 40 per cent complete, with Thunderbird expected to deliver first production in the first quarter of 2024. The project was fully funded and set to deliver $695m in net present value to Sheffield’s shareholders over its 36-year life. The project, which lies between Broome and Derby, is expected to create 400 construction jobs and 200 operational roles, with an Indigenous employment target of 40 per cent of the workforce. It will be fuelled by LNG trucked from the Pluto gas plant near Karratha by a Woodside Energy/EDL joint venture. It is set to deliver State and Federal taxes of more than $1 billion over its life. Main Roads was contacted but did not respond in time for print.