Following the impact of Tropical Cyclone Damien, Boral is supporting the restoration of critical infrastructure at Rio Tinto’s Dampier Salt operations in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.
Making landfall near Dampier and Karratha as a Category 3 system, the cyclone brought wind gusts exceeding 200 km/h, along with heavy rainfall and flooding across the region. The event caused significant damage to infrastructure, including the levee embankments that protect Dampier Salt’s seawater intake and evaporation ponds.
These structures are essential to one of the world’s largest solar salt operations, which produces millions of tonnes annually for global industrial, food and health markets.
Large-scale supply from Tabba Tabba Quarry
Boral has been awarded a two-year contract, commencing in February 2026, to repair and reinstate the levee system. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2028.
The scope of works includes the supply of approximately 630,000 tonnes of quarry materials, comprising:
These materials are being delivered to site via a combination of single, double and triple road trains.
A key advantage for the project is Boral’s Tabba Tabba Quarry, located just 35 kilometres from the Dampier Salt operations near Port Hedland and with a track record of supplying large-scale armour and seawall materials across Pilbara infrastructure projects. The quarry’s proximity enables efficient logistics and reliable supply at the scale required for the rebuild.
Supporting the restoration of a globally significant operation
Dampier Salt, part of Rio Tinto, is one of the world’s largest producers of solar salt, supplying millions of tonnes each year. Reinstating the levee system is critical to restoring full operational capacity and ensuring long-term productivity.
Boral’s Western Australian team is working across quarry, logistics, technical and operational functions to deliver the project, demonstrating the capability to support large-scale resource and infrastructure projects in remote environments.
