The fight for the Port of Newcastle to operate as a container terminal will heat up in NSW Parliament this week.
Independent Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper is set to table the Port of Newcastle Extinguishment of Liability Bill 2022, which aims to strip back some of the penalties facing the Port should it exceed a 50,000 cap on container movements.
The Port is currently limited by how many containers it can process, due to a deed which was signed off by the state government in 2013, which requires compensation to be paid to NSW Ports, should Newcastle exceed that cap.
The issue could force a rift in the Coalition though with some Nationals MP’s, including Upper Hunter MP Dave Layzell and Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall both signalling they might cross the floor to support the bill.
The bill is being support by the Port of Newcastle with CEO Craig Carmody welcoming the bill back in September.
“We applaud the Member for Lake Macquarie, Greg Piper MP, for his leadership in recognising that the current container port monopoly is causing delays and shortages across the economy, and increasing costs for NSW.
“There’s a growing awareness in government that NSW can’t afford a further 43 years under a container monopoly – a position underlined very clearly this month by the Productivity Commission.
“We encourage other Members of Parliament to put the interests of their constituents first and join Mr Piper in calling for an end to the container embargo at Newcastle,” Mr Carmody said.
Although constrained legally to its container capabilities with a contract dispute, the Port of Newcastle is steaming ahead with is vision to one day be a fully functioning container terminal.
Two German-built mobile cranes sailed into Newcastle Harbour at the start of August and have been commissioned, with cargo and container handling due to have started last month.
Image: Port of Newcastle