A government decision to lease Port Kembla’s port will come under the spotlight during debate in the NSW parliament tomorrow.
The debate comes after a 10,000 signatured petition against the privatisation of the port was tabled by Wollongong MP Noreen Hay, The Illawarra Mercury reported.
A decision was made last year which will hand the port over to private providers for 99 years, a move the government says will release funds for major projects in the region.
However, others argue the move will minimise the competitiveness of Port Kembla.
University of Wollongong transport and planning academic Associate Professor Philip Laird told the Illawarra Mercury he was concerned about the “packaging’ of the harbour.
‘‘To me, it’s there’s a lot at stake – if it’s packaged off with Port Botany, you reduce any incentive for competition between the ports, so it reduces the incentive for a container port here,’’ he said.
‘‘And in that case, why bother with Maldon Dombarton? And in that case we’ll get more trucks and it will make it harder for people to live here and commute to Sydney.
"If the two ports are leased to the same new owner, the promised contribution of $100 million to regional infrastructure should be increased to the value of a container port at Port Kembla – that is, $500 million.”
Members of the Save our Ports group will travel to parliament house tomorrow for the debate.
Hay said the move to lease the port showed the government lacked insight into regional communities.
"There is no question this current Coalition government is Sydney-centric and we need to keep track of these guys. They are talking about $100 million in new projects for the Illawarra [from the lease proceeds]. I want to know where the other $400 million is going – the community and I are not going away on this," she said.
"We have to hold the government to account on this."
Image: kemblaport.com