The export of South Australia’s bulk commodities to global markets received a significant boost today with the official opening of the first phase of a $50 million state-of-the-art redevelopment of the inner harbour of Port Adelaide.
The South Australian Minister for Infrastructure, Pat Conlon, today opened a $6 million, 2500 square metre, fully-enclosed storage facility, adjacent Berth 29. The facility forms part of an ambitious Master Plan developed by Flinders Ports to build a “best practice” bulk commodities precinct to cater for the specific future needs of the State’s resources industry, as well as other bulk commodity sectors.
The centrepieces of the common user facility – called the Port Adelaide Bulk Precinct – include:
- a $ 5 million private rail link and interface with the national rail network;
- purpose-built, fully enclosed storage facilities developed to suit to specific requirements of customers – the first of which was opened today;
- “best practice” environmental performance. Overall design will focus on minimising environmental impacts including dust, and water conservation and re-use across the site.
- state-of-the-art materials handling systems including reclaim conveyor systems to and from the storage facilities;
- upgraded or improved ancillary facilities including new roadways, site services and environmental systems.
“This major project is all about building for the future export/import needs of the State – in this instance, primarily our resources sector,” Flinders Ports’ Chief Executive Officer, Mr Vincent Tremaine, said today. “We are extremely optimistic about the future of this sector in South Australia, as there are a number of projects that are well advanced throughout the State,” he said. “As a result, Flinders Ports has planned, and is beginning to construct, the facilities we believe will be required in the future to competitively export the State’s bulk commodities to customers around the globe.
“The Port Adelaide Bulk Precinct is designed to be a common user facility that will be ideally suited to service the State’s importers and exporters of bulk commodities.
“The site, which comprises about 160,000m2 of vacant land, will take advantage of both the improved road system, linking Port Adelaide to the major traffic routes, and the bulk shipping wharf at Berth 29.
“The Master Plan we have designed for the precinct includes a private rail connection from the nearby national network into the area to ensure those who use the facility enjoy cost efficiencies across all major transport modes.”
The new storage facility opened today has been constructed to store zinc concentrates from Terramin Australia’s Angas mine at Strathalbyn. A new $4 million ship loader – commissioned at Berth 29 as part of the overall precinct development – is then used in the ship loading process of the exported zinc.
Today’s official opening of the first phase of Flinders Ports’ $50 million Port Adelaide Bulk Precinct continues the company’s drive to revitalise the Port of Adelaide, and other ports it operates in South Australia, to make the State’s main ports more competitive on a global and domestic basis.
In 2006, the Company – the private operators of the Port of Adelaide and six other ports in SA – joined with the SA Government to fund the $45 million deepening of the State’s main shipping channel at Outer Harbor. This included deepening the channel by an extra two metres to 14.2 metres, and extending from nine kilometres in length to 11.7 kilometres, the channel from Outer Harbor into St Vincent Gulf.
The channel upgrade enables fully laden Panamax size vessels to include Adelaide (Outer Harbor) on their international shipping schedules.
In 2002, Flinders Ports unveiled a $400 million plan to redevelop the Outer Harbor industrial precinct, a project which continues today. The Company has also been the driving force behind a number of other major projects in the area including a new $34 million grain berth; $17 million, 149-metre extension of the State’s container terminal; and $15 million, 20,000m2 warehouse for Constellation Wines Australia (formerly the Hardy Wine Company) – all at Outer Harbor.
Further, Flinders Ports has invested $9 million and $6 million respectively upgrading port facilities at Port Giles and Wallaroo, both on Yorke Peninsula.
About Flinders Ports Flinders Ports is one of Australia’s pre-eminent port operators, currently operating seven ports in South Australia – Port Adelaide, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, Klein Point, Port Giles, Thevenard and Wallaroo.
