PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Some A$55-million would be spent on upgrading Berth 4 at the Port of Townsville to double its capacity, the Queensland government reported this week.
Ports Minister Mark Bailey said the investment would enable another two-million tonnes of product to go through the port every year.
“Townsville is northern Australia’s largest general cargo and container port. This A$55-million investment will deliver economic benefits to Townsville and it demonstrates the need to keep vital assets such as this in public hands.”
The Minister Assisting the Premier on North Queensland Coralee O’Rourke said the Berth 4 upgrade would create about 100 jobs during construction.
“It will provide jobs [at a time] when jobs and job security are more important than ever. The investment will enable access for larger vessels and also deliver a 20% increase in total tonnage throughput.”
A landside cargo handling area would also be built and the intermodal transfer of cargo for road and rail would be enhanced.
The upgrade meant Berth 4 would be able to receive Panamax-size 4 500 twenty-foot equivalent unit vessels, enhancing the efficiency of container-handling operations.
Port of Townsville CEO Ranee Crosby said Townsville aimed to be an even more efficient and competitive container and general cargo port.
“The port is the major transport link for agriculture and resources commodities from northern Australia to Asia,” she said.
“This latest investment will help Townsville deliver frequent and direct services to international markets, providing our customers with reliable and efficient infrastructure to handle their cargo.”
The Port of Townsville is the primary sea link to a number of agricultural and resource projects in the region, including projects owned by BHP Billiton, Evolution Mining and Glencore.