Article: Gulf port threat 'is not pie in sky'

[ozbob]

From the Townsville Bulletin click here!

Gulf port threat 'is not pie in sky'

Gulf port threat 'is not pie in sky'

TONY RAGGATT  |  April 6th, 2013

A NEW expanded port in the Gulf of Carpentaria could make Townsville obsolete, Richmond Mayor John Wharton has warned.

He also says a State Government-appointed committee, supposed to be improving the Mount Isa to Townsville rail line and port supply chain, is instead considering unviable options to haul coal from Pentland to Abbot Point for export, instead of Townsville.

"You want to watch out for (the Gulf plans)," Cr Wharton said yesterday.

"A lot of people think it's all pie in the sky but if you don't fix this rail line, (the Gulf port) gets more and more possible.

"There's no Barrier Reef, it doesn't have the big city that doesn't want the coal, dirt and smudge ... and you can take product straight out to Asia."

Cr Wharton was commenting after his shock resignation from the North Queensland Resources Supply Chain steering committee.

The committee was funded by the Federal Government after studies found the supply chain was nationally important but beset with inefficiencies and rivalries between competing interests.

Cr Wharton, who was appointed as the representative of regional mayors, said he believed the State Government had botched the membership by putting Xstrata executive Steve de Kruijff in charge.

Cloncurry Mayor Andrew Daniels has also expressed similar concerns.

"If the State Government is intent on sitting on its hands and doing nothing, then I have more important things to do," Cr Wharton said.

The Richmond Mayor is also disappointed at the lack of support from other mayors, although he said Cr Daniels and Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill had been helpful.

"The mayors' group wasn't well supported because there were still some parties that think there is nothing wrong," Cr Wharton said.

"Rail and the port were identified as the biggest flaw in the 50-year (infrastructure) plan and yet they've done absolutely nothing about it."

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said he regretted Cr Wharton's resignation but that another mayor, understood to be Charters Towers Mayor Frank Beveridge, would replace him.

[colinw]

<sigh>  I hate this "one region against another crap".  If a gulf port makes more economic sense, then of course it should go ahead, as long as the environmental concerns can be mitigated.

BUT - isn't the Gulf of Carpentaria very shallow to a long way out from shore, i.e. an incredibly long jetty would be needed?

[mufreight]

<sigh>  I hate this "one region against another cr%p".  If a gulf port makes more economic sense, then of course it should go ahead, as long as the environmental concerns can be mitigated.

BUT - isn't the Gulf of Carpentaria very shallow to a long way out from shore, i.e. an incredibly long jetty would be needed?

There are locations in the gulf where the largest bulk carriers currently in use in the world could be loaded within 100 metres from the shoreline, no long jetties and close proximity to stockpiles.

[colinw]

Thanks Mufreight.  Had it in my head that it was mostly very shallow.  Any idea about the suitability of Karumba, which seems to be what the current proposal is targeting?

http://www.carpentariarail.com/