Confirmation of plans to lift Port Botany’s throughput cap of 3.2 million containers a year has added heat to the simmering road congestion controversy, with the state opposition joining local politicians criticising the plan.
Port Botany Mayor Ron Hoenig flagged more court action last month following Treasurer Mike Baird’s foreshadowing the port lease scoping study in Budget papers.
By Rob McKay | July 31, 2012
Confirmation of plans to lift Port Botany’s throughput cap of 3.2 million containers a year has added heat to the simmering road congestion controversy, with the state opposition joining local politicians criticising the plan.
Port Botany Mayor Ron Hoenig flagged more court action last month following Treasurer Mike Baird’s foreshadowing the port lease scoping study in Budget papers.
Port Botany Council has lost previous court actions against port and airport expansions.
Now shadow treasurer and member for Maroubra Michael Daley has joined a chorus of disapproval.
Daley has been quoted as saying truck numbers around the port would “skyrocket” and criticised the container rail target reduction from 40 percent to 28 percent.
Baird says the cap, which the previous Labor government instituted, is likely to be reached by 2017.
Port Botany’s capacity is put at 7.5 million containers a year but Baird insists mitigation strategies would be put in place to address local concerns.
A Baird spokesman tells ATN that removal of the cap is logical and recommended in the scoping study, adding that “95 percent of people” could see the wisdom ditching it.
While the lifting the cap is expected to make the Port Botany’s lease more attractive to potential buyers, it may also strengthen the hand of leading intermodal container services firm Qube Logistics over its more-advanced Moorebank project is congestions issues around the port become critical.
