DCN March Edition 2020

NEW SOUTH WALES
Enfield Intermodal Terminal, an important asset for NSW Ports
What the DUKC system has done is given more
visibility over the depths that are available
when a vessel arrives, particularly in choppy
sea conditions.
Marika Calfas, NSW Ports
Marika Calfas,
CEO, NSW Ports
“We cannot afford to be flat-footed given that, in the
case of the Multipurpose Deepwater Terminal, it would
take about 15 years to get that trade to a sufficient scale
to offset any potential future decline in thermal coal.
“We don’t know the future of coal. Certainly over
the next 15 years thermal coal volumes are predicted
to be consistent, assuming governments don’t change
their regulatory settings,” he says.
Mr Collyer says given recent announcements about
India no longer importing coal, “that sort of decision
if made by one of Newcastle’s major coal importing
customers”, would have far greater consequences for
the region.
“There’s not much point waiting for a day when that
commodity is in decline and then think about ‘what
do we do next’. We have no choice but to diversify. We
need to prepare for all possibilities now while we still
can,” he says.
A HUNTER BOX PORT
A box terminal has been mooted for the Hunter for
some time and although debates are ongoing, port
management see a so-called Multipurpose Deepwater
Terminal as an important means of diversification.
“It is not about transitioning dependence from one
to the other, it is just about having different strings to
our bow and obviously a big one is the Multipurpose
Terminal,” Mr Collyer says.
He notes “compelling reasons”, with local and
national support.
“Port of Newcastle remains confident that there will
be a resolution to this matter to unlock much-needed
private investment in NSW,” he says.
“There are also other trade opportunities that we
need to start to develop now so we have a broader
portfolio of trade and to act as a shock absorber for
the economy”
The port makes its case for a box terminal on the
basis the market within their catchment is at least half
a million TEU per annum.
“About 38% of the export boxes going through Port
Botany originate from our catchment so we can see
ourselves targeting those,” Mr Collyer says.
“But then there are also import boxes, of which
about 27% of the cargo inside is in fact destined for our
catchment, which would more logically come through
the port here in Newcastle.”
Infrastructure Australia recently announced it
had made “a network of deepwater ports” a priority
initiative, in a move Port of Newcastle CEO Craig
Carmody says highlights major deficiencies in the
nation’s preparedness for ever-larger ships.
Mr Collyer says landside connections with port
infrastructure are already good and that the key port
access road, Industrial Drive, is able to handle the level
of heavy vehicle movements.
“Rail connections and capacity to the port are worldclass,”
he says.
“A new rail siding will be built inside port land at
private expense.
“But I think one thing worth mentioning is we are
the only port connected to the Inland Rail from day-1.
So we have that connection up into places like Narrabri
in north-western NSW.
“The connections are already there. In the future
there may be upgrades to put in some shortcuts but
essentially everything is in place and we are simply
making use of the port’s existing infrastructure,
particularly the heavy freight rail capability.”
NSW Ports
46 March 2020
thedcn.com.au