Five Queensland ports earmarked for investment and development

Queensland’s five leading ports would be declared priority development areas under a proposed strategy released last Thursday.

Ports in Brisbane, Mackay/Hay Point, Gladstone, Townsville and Abbot Point would be declared Priority Port Development Areas where development will be concentrated and encouraged.

The ports handle 87% of Queensland’s $54.5 billion of exports and 98% of the state’s imports.

The recognition will provide those ports with a “licence to grow”, planning minister Jeff Seeney said in the draft Queensland Ports Strategy.

“The growth of these ports will be driven by greater efficiencies within these port areas and through supply chain connections that will flow from more transparent planning and approval processes ,” he wrote.

The plan aims to improve supply chain infrastructure partly through investment in transport corridors.

The plan prohibits capital dredging outside of the five recognised areas.

It will identify bottlenecks in the infrastructure networks and resource industry supply chains and aims to clearly state where any new infrastructure should be located and how the government will support the private sector in delivering strategic infrastructure.

The government would respond to industry demand for new infrastructure to open new resource regions.

The report also acknowledges that there is a push within government to facilitate private investment in infrastructure rather than government.