Australia’s peak body representing port authorities has come out in strong support of the initiative announced today by NSW Ports Minister, the Hon Joe Tripodi MP, to provide protection of port land at Port Botany, Newcastle and Port Kembla.

 

The CEO of Ports Australia, David Anderson, said that his organisation welcomed the move as a very substantial and positive step in ensuring greater certainty in port planning.

 

The Minister has announced that the NSW Government will today publish an amendment to the State Environmental Planning Policy which addresses land use management at ports.

 

“This will have the effect of protecting the ports from incompatible land-uses which may restrict the port’s development.  It will also zone the ports’ land to facilitate port and port related activities.  It further means that port efficiency and increasing throughput can be maintained because the protection of road and rail corridors is also included within the new policy”, Mr Anderson said.

 

“Significant long term growth is predicted in both our resources and container trades and it is imperative that ports are well positioned to plan effectively and with adequate land to support their future growth”, he said.

 

Mr Anderson indicated that protection of port land for road and rail access, and for future development, were key elements in the mix of policy measures that Ports Australia had been strongly advocating to governments and their agencies, including Infrastructure Australia.

 

“The three main ports in NSW facilitate about $75 billion worth of trade annually.  The future viability of our ports is becoming increasingly threatened by land use conflicts, not least by residential developments, whose owners then often decided that in retrospect they did not like living in the vicinity of a port”, he said.

 

“It is important that we reach an understanding that this measure is not just about port development it is also about urban amenity and about maintaining a close and harmonious relationship between ports, which provide a large number of jobs locally, and their respective communities”, he added.

 

Mr Anderson noted that a further benefit that will flow from the Minister’s initiative is the streamlining of capital investment decisions within the port precincts.

 

“The development of port facilities are still subject to the appropriate checks and balances but the new measures ensure that port authorities can bring on new capacity in a more timely manner”, Mr Anderson said.

 

Mr Anderson said Ports Australia would like to congratulate the Minister for taking these measures which in the end mean improved international competitiveness for NSW industries, and jobs for the three port regions.