Project Overview

TAG Advisory has provided extensive strategic advisory services to the Westport programme, Western Australia's transformational initiative to establish a new container port in Kwinana Outer Harbour and transition Fremantle's inner harbour for alternative uses. This multi-billion-dollar programme represents one of the state's most significant infrastructure investments, requiring sophisticated cost estimation and commercial advisory services across multiple interconnected projects. TAG Advisory's involvement has spanned various client organisations including Westport Taskforce, Main Roads Western Australia, Department of Transport and Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, demonstrating our capability to provide consistent, high-quality advice across complex stakeholder environments.

Programme Complexity

The Westport programme encompasses unprecedented complexity with interdependent projects including port infrastructure development, rail and road network upgrades and urban transformation of existing port lands. TAG Advisory's services have addressed the full spectrum of programme components including the Future of Fremantle urban redevelopment, Rail and Roads Integrated Project Teams (IPTs) and RORO and Breakbulk Relocation planning. Each component presents unique technical, commercial and stakeholder challenges requiring specialised expertise and coordinated advisory approaches.

The programme's extended timeline spanning decades creates particular challenges in cost forecasting, risk assessment and procurement strategy development. Market volatility experienced through recent years, including unprecedented escalation during and post-COVID, has demanded sophisticated approaches to cost estimation and regular baseline reviews to maintain estimate currency and reliability.

Comprehensive Service Delivery

TAG Advisory's scope has encompassed provision of independent cost estimates for multiple programme elements, with particular focus on maintaining consistency across interconnected projects. For the Future of Fremantle project, TAG Advisory developed comprehensive cost estimates for the $8.9 billion transformation programme, working closely with the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage to ensure alignment with strategic planning objectives.
The RORO and Breakbulk Relocation project required accelerated delivery of independent cost estimates and peer review services for the Department of Transport. Despite compressed timeframes, TAG Advisory provided robust Multi-Criteria Assessment support, identifying critical inconsistencies in estimates prepared by others, particularly regarding escalation methodologies that significantly impacted programme costs.

As Commercial Advisor to Main Roads for the Westport IPT project, TAG Advisory provided strategic advice on procurement approaches, risk allocation and commercial frameworks. Tender evaluation services for both Rail and Road IPTs ensured robust assessment of contractor proposals and value for money outcomes. The breadth of services demonstrates TAG Advisory's capability to provide integrated advisory support across the programme's diverse components.

Maritime Infrastructure Expertise

TAG Advisory's specialised maritime infrastructure experience has proven invaluable to Westport's port development components. Previous engagements including Australian Marine Complex, Cape Hardy Export Facility, Dampier Cargo Wharf, Nelson Point Tug Haven and the Large Vessel Dry Berth Henderson facility have provided deep understanding of marine construction methodologies, costs and risks. This expertise enables sophisticated assessment of Westport's unique marine infrastructure requirements.

Ongoing Value Delivery

TAG Advisory continues to support various Westport programme elements, maintaining continuity of advice as projects progress through planning and into delivery phases. The trusted advisor relationship developed through multiple engagements, enables open communication of critical issues and proactive identification of risks and opportunities. Regular baseline reviews ensure cost estimates remain current despite volatile market conditions.

Strategic advice extends beyond individual projects to programme-level considerations including staging strategies, funding approaches and risk management frameworks. This holistic perspective ensures individual project decisions align with overall programme objectives and constraints.

Conclusion

The Westport programme engagement demonstrates TAG Advisory's capability to provide integrated strategic advisory services for complex, multi-faceted infrastructure programmes. Through delivery of independent cost estimates, commercial advisory services and tender evaluations across multiple projects and stakeholders, TAG Advisory has established itself as a trusted advisor to Western Australia's most transformational infrastructure programme. Our combination of technical expertise, local market knowledge and strategic insight continues to support Westport's evolution from vision to reality, ensuring robust foundations for investment decisions that will shape Western Australia's economic future for generations.