Mayor’s View – 17th July, 2008
Whilst I’m very aware that many people in our community are suffering financially with the high Australian dollar affecting returns from export sales, increasing interest rates and record prices for oil and oil derivatives, there is still a constant stream of enquiries about and investment in the Cassowary Coast Region.
The most recent example comes from the Ports Corporation of Queensland, which is looking for business opportunities to boost the through-put of Mourilyan Harbour. At present the harbour is used to export sugar, timber and live cattle. It has the potential to export general bulk trade cargo such as minerals and bananas, and to import fertilisers. In addition general cargo could be added to the product mix. Until recently it was solely used to export sugar. The harbour can readily take moderately sized ships and the present bulk handling equipment could be used for many different products. Gone are the days when facilities could only be used by the owners of the port facilities and in fact the sugar industry welcomes ancillary users, as they help reduce the overall cost of freight handling.
It is probably not economic to run single port authorities and mergers are likely to occur all along the Queensland coast. Costs such as administration, wharf maintenance, dredging, pilotage, tugs etc. and depreciation are better spread over several operations.
Mourilyan Harbour is a major asset of the Cassowary Coast Region, close to Innisfail, accessible to the remainder of the area and adjacent to the only nearby B-double route to the Atherton Tablelands and the hinterland, where several new mines are being opened. I am waiting for information confirming a possible export sized iron ore deposit, outside our region, which could use Mourilyan Harbour facilities.
At present the port is controlled by the Brisbane based Ports Corporation. An option before the State government is transferring the ten northern ports to a new entity, which could be based in Cairns. We would need to look at the details, but would start from a position of supporting such regionalisation. We would need assurances that it would be much more than simply propping up the Cairns Port Authority, denuded of its prime asset, the Cairns International Airport, now undergoing privatisation.
The need to increase tonnage through Mourilyan hinges on the ability to attract business and the attractiveness of the port depends somewhat on the availability of back-loads. It will take time but we need to identify particular goods, suited to our local economy, as imports and exports. Suffice to say that the Ports Corporation is open for business!
To develop a fully equipped container terminal capable of handling 30 containers per hour is not an option, but a mobile crane assisted by equipment on board most container ships could handle 10 containers per hour and this would be more than adequate. So it is over to our business people and all levels of government to assist the Cassowary Coast to become a local transport hub and trade centre in the medium term future. Such an outcome would utilise our natural geographic advantages, provide employment and broaden our economy.
Recreational users of Mourilyan Harbour will be pleased to know that the new ramp facilities should be finished by mid 2009, at a cost of approximately $1 million, shared by the Ports Corporation and Queensland Transport, with the CCRC to be asked to contribute a public toilet block and lighting.