WOLLONGONG NEEDS MORE THAN $100 million

         Minister for the Illawarra the Hon Greg Pearce MLC was in Wollongong on 15 July to confirm the region would only receive $100 million for the long term lease of Port Kembla, for which some 90 applications had been received.

         There are three good reasons for increasing this amount which was on offer in 2012 when there was still an opportunity for the NSW Government to lease Port Kembla separately from Port Botany. 

Firstly, Port Kembla has been leased with Port Botany, likely delaying a container port for this region by a decade.

Secondly, an unexpectedly high amount of $760 million was received for  the long term lease of Port Kembla.

Thirdly, Newcastle is now to receive $340 million for the lease of its port, of which up to one half of this amount  will be spent on rail works.  

          The value of a container facility at Port Kembla to the Wollongong region was estimated in the year 2000 to be $400 million.

         In the meantime, there is a growing case for completion of the Maldon Dombarton rail link. This includes Boral seeking to put more quarry products on Mt Ousley and other roads because their rail freight operator, Pacific National, has been unable to secure an extra freight path on the Wollongong to Sydney train line.

         There is a good case for the NSW Government to at least double the compensation to the Illawarra and to apply the increase to help expedite the completion of the Maldon Dombarton rail link.

News Postings

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/07/15/3803234.htm

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1580677/budget-illawarra-the-loser-as-newcastle-wins-huge-chunk-of-port-cash/



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Is it good for Wollongong that Mr. Nick Whitlam chairs the boards of both Port Kembla and Sydney Ports?

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In late February Treasurer Mike Baird and Roads and Ports Minister Duncan Gay announced the appointment of Nicholas Whitlam as Chairman of Sydney Ports Corporation.

This was in addition to his role as Chairman of Port Kembla Port Corporation.

Mr Baird said in a statement  “I’m sure his experience will be invaluable in his new role, as the Government prepares for the long term lease of Port Botany and Port Kembla.” 

In 2003 the NSW Carr Government released a NSW Ports Growth Plan. This set the scene for moving car imports to Port Kembla and an inquiry held by a NSW Legislative Council Committee. Their 2005 Final Report into Port Infrastructure in NSW gave recommendations, including “that the NSW Government consider completion of the Maldon to Dombarton line…”

This report also states  "that a container terminal at Port Kembla could potentially contribute $400 million to the regional economy." In todays terms this is over $500 million.

However, if the NSW Government leases Port Kembla and Port Botany to the same private sector company, there would be a reduced incentive to develop Port Kembla as a container port.

Quite simply, a common owner or leaseholder of both Port Kembla and Port Botany is likely to continue to use Port Botany as a sole container port for as long as possible. In this case, development of Port Kembla to handle containers and completion of Maldon Dombarton would be delayed.

In this case, the promised contribution of $100 million to regional infrastructure should be increased to regional value of a container port at Port Kembla. That is $500 million.

Gujarat NRE Coking Coal Ltd is now seeking approval for a big increase in road hauled coal

In fact, up to 3 million tonnes of coal per annum. The development could result in 682 truck movements daily at peak times on Bellambi Lane and the Northern Distributor, or one truck every 80 seconds, causing unacceptable public health impacts from coal dust, diesel exhaust, noise and traffic congestion.

Plus: the Southern Freeway and Springhill Road. All in all more heavy trucks about 12 km of busy public roads.

The proposal raises a number of transport questions.

1. The first question is how the proposal accords with the official 2006-2031 Illawarra Regional Strategy of the NSW Department of Planning to (p4) "maximise the efficiency of freight transport  [and] "increase the proportion of freight transported by rail"   

            Clearly, more coal on road would also reduce "the proportion of freight  

            transported by rail". 

2. The second question is why a Maldon Dombarton railway cannot be used to move run of mill coal from a western outlet  to Port Kembla ?
3. The third question is why does the Environmental Assessment not consider:

A.   The full impact, including cumulative impacts, on top of extra wheat trucks approved in late 2011 and the extra quarry trucks from Bass Point Quarry (let alone Boral's proposed extra trucks), of extra coal trucks from the NRE mine.

B.                            Alternatives such as the Maldon Dombarton railway.

Illawarra Residents for Responsible Mining Incorporated (IRRM) is a group formed in response to the current operations and proposed expansion of the Gujarat NRE No. 1 Colliery in Russell Vale.

Their website  http://www.irrm.org.au/  has further information.

Submissions on the Major Expansion Proposal will be accepted by Dept of Planning and Infrastructure until Friday 5 April. Please see:

http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=3448 for more information and how to lodge a submission by 5 April. 

Wollongong Council Acts

At its ordinary meeting of 11 February 2013, after many contributions from individual Councilors, and an address on behalf of Wollongong Transport Coalition (WTC), Wollongong City Council resolved unanimously that:

1. Council make an urgent submission to

a.     The Draft Freight and Port Strategy. 

b.     The NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure regarding the Boral Quarry extension. 

2. Council utilise the expertise and information provided by  Dr Philip Laird and the submission also include concerns regarding traffic congestion, noise impact, air pollution, road damage and safety.  
3. Council make representations to the Minister for Finance and Services and Minister for the Illawarra, The Hon. Greg Pearce MLC, and the Minister for Roads and Ports and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, The Hon. Duncan Gay MLC, along with local NSW Government MPs and local Members of the NSW Opposition, to assist economic growth through improved transport infrastructure. 

In addition, at its meeting of 6 February, Council's Neighbourhood Forum 5  (NF5)  resolved on traffic matters:

1. lodge a submission objecting to proposals to place up to an extra 0.5 million tonnes of quarry products from Boral's Dunmore quarry on Mt Ousley and other Wollongong main roads and call for a review of train path availability to allow an extra quarry product train a day instead of Boral's plans to use road haulage.
2. lodge a submission to TfNSW re its draft Freight and Ports Strategy calling, inter alia, for more bulk and container freight onto rail, and 20 per cent of car imports via Port Kembla to go onto rail (as per the development consent for the inner harbour)
3. promote an upgrade of the intersection of Mount Ousley Road with the F6 before there are further fatalities;
4. seek the support of local MPs for these.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Please consider writing your own submissions to support those of Council, NF5 and WTC).

Re Boral's proposals for more road haulage from Dunmore Quarry -submissions to the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure close  28 February 2013 - see

http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=4879

and cite   DA 470-11-2003 Mod 6.

Re the NSW  draft Freight and Ports  Strategy - submissions to Transport for NSW  close  15 March 2013 - see

http://freightandportsstrategy.transport.nsw.gov.au/the-strategy/

Remember, submissions do not have to be long. Let the decision makers know how you feel about current proposals for more trucks.

            You could, if you wish, express support for  statements on page 4 of the  current 2006-2031 Illawarra Regional Strategy of the Department of Planning as follows:            "It is important that the Region's transport networks support economic growth and maximise the efficiency of freight transport. In particular, what is required are strategic transport corridors to support development of the port of Port Kembla, increase the proportion of freight transported by rail, efficiently link regional centres and towns, and support public transport."

             In regards to the NSW draft Freight and Ports Strategy,  Task 3B2 is to "Mitigate noise from freight operations" but this overlooks the fact that truck noise close to the Mt Ousley road and F6   like the numbers of trucks on these roads, is increasing. Requests by a local State MP for the authorities to install truck more noise monitors; one on the northbound lanes of Mt Ousley (for vehicles climbing Mt Ousley), and, on the F6 at Gwynneville, to record traffic and truck noise, for trucks moving in each direction, have been to date denied. 

            You could ask, along with more priority being given to move freight by rail (or in the case of Bass Point Quarry, by sea) that the Task 3B2 be amended to give more attention to:

            Truck noise monitoring

            Publication of noise limits and progress towards meeting these limits

            Consideration of legislation to ensure compliance with noise limits.