WA Salt Supply

Harvesting salt

In 1953, the business established a packaging and distribution depot at the Port of Fremantle.

 

As demand increased, WA Salt Supply eventually outgrew the Fremantle facilities. In 1969, the company moved to a larger site at North Coogee, where they remain today.

 

During the 1970s, the company expanded its salt harvesting operations to other parts of WA, including Lake Deborah near Koolyanobbing and Pink Lake at Esperance.

 

Large quantities of raw salt were produced for industrial purposes, including hide tanning, fish preservation, chemical manufacturing and swimming pools.

 

Food-grade salt

WA still didn’t have its own refinery capable of processing raw salt for human consumption, which meant refined edible salt continued to come from interstate until 1978, when the company constructed Western Salt Supply, WA’s first dedicated food-grade salt refinery.

 

The refinery allowed locally harvested salt to be washed, processed and refined to the purity required for household and commercial food use. Salt could also be iodised before being packaged and distributed.

 

Iodine

Historically, many inland areas had iodine-poor soils, meaning crops grown there contained very little iodine. Coastal communities often obtained enough iodine through seafood but many inland populations did not. During the 20th century, countries around the world began adding iodine to salt because it was one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent iodine deficiency.

 

Iodine is a mineral the body needs to produce thyroid hormones, which help regulate metabolism, growth and brain development. Without enough iodine, people can develop a range of health problems and, in severe cases, children can experience developmental issues.

 

Salt was chosen because it’s one of the few foods that almost everyone consumes in small, consistent amounts every day, regardless of their income or diet. Adding a small amount of iodine during the refining process made it an inexpensive and effective way to improve public health.

 

How salt Is harvested

Salt harvesting from an inland salt lake is largely based on evaporation. Rainfall and groundwater can bring water onto the lake surface, dissolving salt already contained within the lake system. As temperatures rise and the water evaporates, the dissolved salt is left behind and begins crystallising across the lake surface.

 

Once a sufficiently thick salt crust has formed, machinery is used to break it up. Graders scrape the salt into long rows known as windrows, where it can then be collected and loaded into trucks.

 

The raw salt is washed to remove dirt and other material before being drained. Depending on what it will be used for, it can then be packaged as industrial salt or sent through further refining for food and other higher-purity uses.

 

After salt has been harvested from the lake, salt continues to move through the lake system in groundwater, rainfall, runoff and evaporation. As water returns to the lake and later evaporates, more dissolved salt can crystallise on the surface.

 

Fatal North Coogee workplace incident

WA Salt Supply was involved in a fatal workplace incident at its North Coogee facility in June 2022. Plant operator Craig Robertson was working near a conveyor when he became caught in the machinery and suffered fatal injuries.

 

The subsequent WorkSafe investigation identified serious problems with the conveyor. A guard had been removed and cardboard was being used in an attempt to prevent the conveyor belt from slipping, leaving moving machinery accessible.

 

The company was prosecuted under its legal entity, W.A.S.S. Nominees Pty Ltd.

 

In April 2025, W.A.S.S. Nominees pleaded guilty to an offence under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 and was fined $875,000. The case became the first prosecution completed under WA’s new workplace health and safety legislation.

 

Following the incident, additional safety measures were introduced at the facility, including locked fencing around machinery and interlock switches designed to shut equipment down when access points are opened.

 

Expansion

Over time, WA Salt Supply expanded into what is now known as the WA Salt Group, with its operations divided across several parts of the business.

 

WA Salt Koolyanobbing manages the company’s salt harvesting operations, while WA Salt Supply handles the packing and distribution of industrial, commercial and swimming pool salt. Western Salt produces food-grade and specialty salt products.

 

The business has remained with the Lister family since Arthur, Jack and George established it in 1944, although the day-to-day management of the company is now handled by professional management. Today, the group is headed by CEO Lelio Gaudieri.