March 28, 2024
Pictured: the Hon Paul Scully MP, Member for Wollongong, Minister for Planning & Public Spaces. Photo credit: Shipping Australia.

Wollongong has a “promising” future for shipping, says NSW Planning Minister

By Shipping Australia

Wollongong, as a centre for industry, mining, and shipping has “promising” future, the Hon Paul Scully MP, Member for Wollongong and the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces told guests to the Shipping Australia Port Kembla Biennial Luncheon.

The Minister told guests that, in January, the Freight Policy Reform Program began and it will see an expert panel develop guiding policy on the freight and shipping industry. “At this stage there is no formal Government position in relation to the location of a second container terminal. Having said that – and no-one would be surprised to hear it – I believe that Port Kembla should be on top of that list and I will continue to advocate for that… as Port Botany reaches its capacity, Port Kembla is, in my opinion,  a strong candidate to carry the additional container load”.

Port expansion

Guests were also told that the NSW Government is also considering doubling the tonnage cap on freight and increasing the amount transported by rail through the Port Kembla General Cargo Facility Mod 1.

The Minister also address the issues of the expansion of the Manildra Bulk Liquids Terminal. In 2023, planning approval was granted for a $40m beverage-grade ethanol storage and export terminal in the Port Kembla Outer Harbour Area and the NSW Government is currently in the process of making amendments to the Transport & Infrastructure SEPP, which will fast track approvals for exempt and complying developments that apply to operations at Port Kembla.

The topic of hydrogen generation was also addressed by Minister Scully. He argued that Port Kembla has a role to play in Australia’s energy supply. Noting that there has been advances in electrolyser technology at the University of Wollongong and the ARC Centre of Excellence, that research has now been spun-out into a company called “Hysata”. The company claims it has developed electrolysers that are 95% efficient (in terms of electrical input to waste as heat; i.e. the company claims 5% lost as heat) as compared to an industry-standard 75% efficient, and, accordingly, it will be able to deliver the lowest levelised cost of hydrogen.

Offshore wind

“This means that, should the Federal Government decide to declare an offshore wind zone off the Illawara coast, the expansion of a hydrogen industry would be well supported by offshore energy generation… a local offshore wind industry also has implications for the port… offshore wind generation infrastructure could be assembled at Port Kembla and shipped to wind farms in Victoria and other locations on the east coast, providing local jobs and the investment needed to support other longer term port activities,” he told guests.

Noting the history of the deep-water port, which can be traced back to 1885, the Minister traced through a range events and incidents that make up the maritime history of Port Kembla, such as the 120 year-old shipwreck of the Nemesis some 26km off Port Kembla at a depth of 160m, the Dalfram Dispute of 11938, and, more recently, during the COVID crisis when the cruise ship Ruby Princess was hosted at the port for a considerable time.

State infrastructure

The Minister then moved on to more recent history, such as his announcement of a Critical State Significant Infrastructure planning approval that would trigger a $182m investment to upgrade three berths at the site and to all for an upgraded continuous coal loader, new conveyor systems and their supporting infrastructure. “This move will secure our supply of metallurgical coal, which otherwise would not be able to be sourced locally,” the Minister told guests.

He added that BlueScope Steel owns 760 ha of land at Port Kembla, the majority of which is zoned as Heavy Industrial land under the Transport & Infrastructure SEPP 2021. And, he commented, as part of BlueScope’s Reactivation Project, they are seeking to continue steel production and related activities across 560ha of the land, with the remaining 200 ha to be reactivated with a mix of employment and community uses.

Exciting opportunity

“This is an exciting opportunity for the region, with the master plan released a couple of months ago outlining the potential to create a site that could host around 30,000 jobs in emerging industries like clean energy and defence.”

He concluded his speech by telling Shipping Australia guests that: “The future success of Port Kembla as well as the continued success of the region will be made by the decisions we make today. I am very excited by the opportunities that are possible here and will work with you all where I can to make this a reality”.

Pictured, from left: Capt Melwyn Noronha, CEO, Shipping Australia; Mr Anthony Perkins, Managing Director AAT; The Hon Paul Scully MP, Member for Wollongong and Minister for Planning & Public Spaces; John Kewa, Mission to Seafarers; Monika Lemajic, President of WISTA Australia; Capt Peter Murday, President of the MCC Group; Shipping Australia Chairman Clint Evans (managing director Hapag Lloyd).

 

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Wollongong has a “promising” future for shipping, says NSW Planning Minister
Wollongong, as a centre for industry, mining, and shipping has “promising” future, the Hon Paul Scully MP, Member for Wollongong and the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces told guests to the Shipping Australia Port Kembla Biennial Luncheon. The Minister told guests that, in January, the Freight Policy Reform Program began and it will...
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