Australia's mineral logistics

• Autores: Bruce McMichael
• Localización: Industrial Minerals, ISSN 0019-8544, Nº. 550, 2013
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Australia's decade-long mining boom is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. A global appetite for the country's raw materials has driven much of Australia's port and logistics expansions as demand for wheat, iron ore and coal exports to Southeast Asia, in particular China, increase.

    Port developments in Queensland are being delayed by concerns over the environmental impact on the Great Barrier Reef, not least how to dispose of dredging waste from any proposed expansions to ports such as Gladstone and Townsville. The port of Townsville works with Incitec Pivot Ltd's 900,000 tpa phosphate mine, and the fertiliser plant at Phosphate Hill, 900km inland to the west of the port where it operates export and warehouse facilities. The Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Zone's Supply Chain Committee is currently hoping to secure $1.6m of government funding to improve the capacity of the rail line and roads between the two cities.

    Australia has long been one of the leading exponents of port authority corporatisation and privatisation, with ports such as Adelaide and Geelong already in private hands for more than a decade. After a lull of some years, activity levels for port privatisation have picked up again rapidly. In 2010, the Port of Brisbane was privatised on a 99-year lease to a group of infrastructure investors for Australian dollar (A) $2.3bn ($2.4bn*), and earlier this month the Sydney ports of Port Botany and Port Kembla were transacted also on a 99-year lease to a group of infrastructure investors for no less than A$5.07bn ($5.2bn).