Union members took to the streets of Fremantle on Wednesday morning, protesting plans for a new container port in Kwinana which they say spells the end of Fremantle Port and will cost wharfie jobs.

The Maritime Union of Australia march coincided with a community forum organised by Westport Taskforce, the group charged with investigating options for WA’s port future.

CFMEU WA state secretary Mick Buchan and MUA WA branch secretary Christy Cain speak to the crowd outside Labor Fremantle MLA Simone McGurk's office on Wednesday morning. Credit:Cameron Myles

Opposition to plans for a container port in Kwinana has intensified since the taskforce released its shortlist last month, with only two of its options proposing to keep Fremantle Port and share the container trade with Kwinana.

No option suggested keeping Fremantle in its current capacity as WA’s only container port. This led to uproar from the MUA, which claimed Freo could handle double its trade volume – currently about 700,000 twenty-foot equivalent units a year – without any major road upgrades.