Bunbury Port strikes coal compromise
A deal has been struck by the Bunbury Port Authority that could allow coal to be exported from Western Australia for the first time.
For the past two years, woodchip exporter Hansol has been fighting Griffin Coal’s bid to export coal from the Bunbury Port, arguing its own product could be contaminated by coal shipments.
Bunbury Port Authority chairman Jim Brosnan says it has negotiated an agreement between the two companies which ensures no coal will be moved through the port without a guarantee that it will not affect woodchip exports.
“This allows a stay of the court proceedings…in the work-around solution that would involve an engineering solution, which would guarantee no cross-contamination between the coal and the woodchips,” he said.
“I suppose with every good compromise no-one is totally happy and no-one is totally satisfied, but we can move forward now and get out of the courts and all get on with our business.”
