THE PORT Authority of New South Wales today (5 August) celebrates 10 years as a state-owned corporation, facilitating billions in trade for the regional and state economies.
Port Authority of NSW stated in its announcements that in the previous decade it had facilitated $258 billion and $108 billion in trade for the Hunter and Illawarra regions respectively.
Port Authority of NSW CEO Captain Philip Holliday said that it had ensured the safe navigation of over 22,000 commercial vessels through Newcastle Harbour in the last 10 years, and facilitated movement of 1.6 billion tonnes of cargo.
“The decade ahead is shaping up to be equally successful and we will continue to facilitate the region’s trade while working on how to support greater benefits to the region by investing in cutting edge technology, training and new opportunities” Captain Holliday said.
“This includes our focus on expanding the cruising market in the Hunter that will inject millions of dollars into the economy, support local businesses and create jobs over the next 10 years.”
Harbour Master of Newcastle Captain Vikas Bangia said, “Port Authority’s team are highly professional, and I am very grateful for their commitment and contributions over the past 10 years”.
“I am so proud of how our local team kept trade moving during the challenging period by quickly pivoting to adopt strict safety protocols that minimised disruptions and kept the port open to the world.”
In Port Kembla, Captain Holliday said the Port Authority had ensured the safe navigation of over 8000 commercial vessels through Port Kembla in the last decade.
“Over 10 years, Port Kembla has seen 2.4 million motor vehicles through our port, almost 100% of NSW’s motor vehicle imports,” Captain Holliday said.
“We have been committed to supporting our farmers, ensuring 21 million tonnes of wheat was shipped safely out to the world contributing to the global food supply chain during difficult times.
“In the decade to come, we will continue our focus on fostering trade and economic growth in the Illawarra and investing in state-of-the-art technology to keep our port future fit for all opportunities.
“This includes standing ready for innovation in the port including supporting the new LNG import facility under development and training our highly skilled operations team to accommodate shipping advancements.”
Harbour Master of Port Kembla and South Coast Sharad Bhasin said, “Port Authority has been a pillar of the Illawarra and our hardworking team has had an immense and ongoing impact on our community”.
“We are also leading sustainability projects such as our NSW-first anchorages project that is protecting the unique deep water rocky reef that is a biodiversity hotspot off Port Kembla.”
