Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area
The Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area is 23km north of the Geraldton CBD in the Shire of Chapman Valley in Western Australia’s MidWest region. The estate is generally bound by the Buller River to the south, the MidWest Port Authority (and ocean) Reserve to the west, Coronation Beach Road to the north and the Moresby Range to the east.
The Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area is owned by the State Government and is comprised of a Strategic Industry core intended for heavy industry, two General Industry areas for support industry and a Buffer area for a range of compatible uses. The Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area is intended to cater for strategic and multi-product downstream processing and emerging renewable hydrogen industries. The proposed adjacent deepwater port site and access to rail will make it possible to attract industry to the estate by providing a gateway to overseas markets and access to resources for value-adding and will be capable in the long-term of meeting the bulk export needs of the region.
The estate occupies 6,405 hectares of land comprised of the following components:
- Strategic Industry Area – 1,135ha
- Coastal Area – 1,002ha
- General Industry Areas – 196ha
- Buffer – 4,072ha
The Oakajee Industrial Estate Structure Plan has been prepared by DevelopmentWA which is the State Government’s central development agency and is intended to guide the long-term development of the estate and ensure its integration with the port, rail and wider transport network. The Oakajee Industrial Estate Structure Plan document and supporting Technical Reports can be accessed on the links below.
GEOAK - Structure Plan Report RPS
Appendix 1- Sustainability Report
Appendix 2 - Environmental Review Report
Appendix 3 - Industrial Ecology Strategy
Appendix 4 - Integrated Transport Strategy
Appendix 5 - Landscape Report
Appendix - 6 Documentation of places for consideration for entry on Heritage Place Register
Appendix 7- Aboriginal Heritage Management Plan
Appendix 8 - UXO Assessment
Appendix 9 - Engineering Services Report
Appendix 10 - District Water Management Strategy GHD
Further information is also available at the Development WA website that can be accessed at the link below.
Oakajee SIA - Overview - DevelopmentWA - Shaping our State's future
Other Lead Agencies and Related Studies
In addition to Development WA’s role as the Oakajee Industrial Estate Manager there are a number of other State Government agencies that have roles relating to the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area.
The Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (JTSI) is the primary lead agency responsible for guiding proponents through approvals and activation processes for the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area. More information related to JTSI’s role can be viewed at the below link:
Western Australia's strategic industrial areas
The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) have undertaken studies relating to the proposed strategic corridor that would allow for road, rail and utility infrastructure between the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area and Oakajee Port, with the Narngulu Industrial Estate and Geraldton Port. This aspect is referred to as the Oakajee Narngulu Infrastructure Corridor (ONIC) would serve as a strategic bypass to divert heavy vehicles and freight away from Geraldton’s urban areas, aiming to minimise landowner impacts and consolidate infrastructure within a single corridor. More information relating to the ONIC can be viewed at the below link to the DPLH website:
Oakajee Narngulu Infrastructure Corridor planning
Main Roads (MRWA) have responsibility for the alignment definition and stakeholder engagement process that is being undertaken relevant to the ONIC as part of the wider future Dongara-Geraldton-Northampton route (also referred to as the Geraldton Outer Bypass). The ONIC forms part of this wider project and more information related to this can be viewed at the below link to the MRWA website:
Dongara-Geraldton-Northampton Route | Main Roads Western Australia
The Mid West Ports Authority (MWPA) have management of the proposed Oakajee Port site and further information is also available at the MWPA website that can be accessed on the links below.
oakajee-master-plan.pdf
Port of Oakajee » Mid West Ports
Other State Government agencies are also working through cross-government coordination to undertake studies and works relating to environmental, water, power, gas, risk/safety and heritage aspects of the activation of the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area.
Chronology of Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area and Oakajee-Narngulu Infrastructure Corridor
1970’s & 1980’s: Site Identification
The 1976 Geraldton Region Plan, prepared by the State Government, identified a Strategic Industrial Area to the north of Geraldton at Oakajee that was intended for heavy industrial development with an associated deepwater port. A rail alignment linking the existing Geraldton Port and Narngulu Industrial Area with the proposed Oakajee Port and Industrial Area was also identified to run to the east of the Moresby Range and through the Wokatherra Gap.
The 1989 Geraldton Region Plan again identified the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area and linking rail corridor.
1990’s: Strategic and Environmental Planning and Proposed Projects
The State Government undertook planning and environmental studies in the early 1990’s investigating the Oakajee site for a deepwater port and Strategic Industrial Area.
This led to the Iron and Steel (MidWest) Agreement Act 1997 being prepared by the State Government relating to the establishment of iron ore mines in the MidWest region and for investigation into establishing a port and associated industrial estate (including processing into steel and other value added products) at Oakajee.
The 1999 Geraldton Region Plan as prepared by the DPLH identified the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area and its buffer and a proposed railway, road and services corridor linking to the Geraldton Port and Narngulu Industrial Area.
2000’s: Rezoning and Land Acquisition
The State Government prepared the rezoning documentation for the proposed Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area in 2000 and this rezoning was given final Ministerial approval in 2004.
Through the 2000’s the State Government acquired the 6,405 area of land from private ownership that comprises the Oakajee industrial and surrounding buffer area.
In 2008 the State Government announced a preferred proponent for the construction of a port at Oakajee.
Further planning and environmental studies were undertaken by the State Government and project proponents relating to the proposed Oakajee port and industrial estate and the rail/rail/infrastructure alignments leading to Oakajee.
2010’s: Structure Planning
The 2011 Greater Geraldton Structure Plan was prepared by DPLH and again identified the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area and Oakajee Narngulu Infrastructure Corridor.
The Oakajee Industrial Estate Structure Plan was prepared by the State Government and approved by the DPLH in 2012.
In 2014 the DPLH released the ONIC Draft Alignment Definition Report.
In 2015 Main Roads WA released the Dongara to Northampton Corridor Alignment Selection Study that considered a range of alignment options to enable triple road-trains to travel south from their current termination point at Carnarvon to continue through to north of Perth. This strategic freight objective would require several realignments to bypass Northampton, Geraldton and Dongara and the study was tasked with identifying the final corridor.
2020’s: Land Allocations
In 2022 the State Government announced Main Roads WA’s preferred alignment for the Dongara to Northampton Corridor Alignment and this included the ONIC alignment within the Shire of Chapman Valley. MRWA are currently undertaking further refinement analysis to identify the final corridor width. The Shire of Chapman Valley has advocated that the State Government needs to establish budgetary allocation to enable the ONIC to be purchased to resolve landowner uncertainty.
In 2022 the State Government announced that it had approved land allocations in the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area for 6 project proponents:
- BP
- Fortescue Future Industries;
- Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners;
- Green LOHC;
- Kinara Power;
- Blue Diamond Australia
Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area gains land allocation approval | Western Australian Government
In 2025 the State Government approved the first industrial development application at Oakajee through the Development Assessment Panel process.
Project Terra | Ammonium Nitrate Facility & Mining Support | BDA
In 2025 construction work was completed by MRWA on the initial section of the Oakajee Access Road and its intersection with the North West Coastal Highway.