September 13, 2022
Great to be back in Cairns supporting the marine and defence industries. A lot going on with the release of the 30-YEAR TWO-PORT MASTER PLAN by Ports North. Fascinating to see the vision going forward for the Port and in particular the Common User Facility (CUF) planned to support future growth.
According to the plan “The ports of Cairns and Mourilyan are critically important enablers of regional prosperity and have been central to the development the region. Located within approximately 100km of one another, they are also home to a significant number of valuable services and trades. Recognising this, Ports North has prepared a two port master plan.
The purpose of our master plan is to deliver an integrated strategy that guides the sustainable development of both ports, in balance with each other and the region, for the next 30 years. It is important to note that the master plan is not a statutory planning instrument. Rather, it is a strategic and visionary document that charts a balanced course for our land use, infrastructure and operational decisions.
It details options for providing facilities and infrastructure to accommodate forecast trade, and shows what the port could look like, not necessarily what it will look like. The future development of the port is highly contingent on a range of factors that will continue to change over time in response to market conditions, stakeholder feedback and emerging projects and developments. It is Ports North’s intention that this document is regularly reviewed to accommodate any of these changes.”
It is interesting to watch the machinations of Cairns development, my home town, particularly after being a part of the development and use of the CUF in Henderson over the years and ONA Consultants involvement in recent transhipment studies.
