Australia’s Asian Gateway

Grand ambitions and great opportunities at the Port of Darwin

Following a 150-year wait, the arrival of the first Ghan train in Darwin in January 2004 was more than an exciting addition to the Northern Territory’s already bountiful tourist attractions. Just one week before the first passenger Ghan, the first cargo train rolled into Darwin’s East Arm Port, signalling the opening of a fast and reliable new alternative for the shipping of freight between Australia and Asia – the AustralAsia Trade Route.

The AustralAsia railway links the national rail network of Australia’s southern and eastern economic heartlands to Darwin. Although the new rail connection was not expected to carry international freight until its second year of operation, it carried 18,000 tonnes of international cargo bound for Asian ports in the first year. And Darwin’s port facilities have been expanded and modernised to world-class standard to cater for the expected boost in activity.

Located a short drive from Darwin’s CBD, the only significant port on Australia’s north coast now has a 754 metre deep water berth with direct access to modern, intermodal freight-handling facilities. The port caters for Panamax Class and third generation container vessels, and has a terminal with a capacity to handle 250,000 TEU’s per year. A purpose-built intermodal berth capable of handling vessels with a design capacity of 80,000 dead weight tonnes is expected to be completed by the end of 2005.

East Arm Port is also adjacent to the new fifty hectare Darwin Business Park, already the site of a major distribution and consolidation centre and the future $55 million Darwin Industry Fuel Terminal. Like the port, the business park is built for expansion, with fifty additional hectares available for the establishment of freight-related industries.

The massive investment is already bearing fruit:

• A direct shuttle link between Darwin and North Asia was established in November 2004. Two trial shipments have made their way to East Arm Port via a new import service from Shanghai to Darwin.
• Links with Singapore have been strengthened; Swires Shipping operates directly to East Arm Port and is looking to expand operations in the near future.
• The port has direct international shipping services with other major commercial centres in South East Asia. Regional shipping lines are currently assessing the viability of establishing additional direct services linking Darwin with Indonesia and Malaysia.

The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Claire Martin, says that developing the AustralAsia Trade Route into a vibrant and alternative trade route for the nation is one of her government’s key goals.

“Over the next two years, a strong element of my government’s investment attraction efforts will continue to focus on growing the new trade route, with a particular emphasis on attracting new shipping links between East Arm Port and Asia”, she says.

The AustralAsia Trade Route offers land bridging transit times such as eleven days between Singapore and Melbourne, and eight days between Jakarta and Adelaide. Darwin has its sights set on becoming Australia’s ‘port of choice’ for bulk mineral exports, a new hub for break bulk freight distribution, and a major supply base centre for the burgeoning oil and gas developments of the Timor Sea. The AustralAsia Trade Route has an ambitious target of achieving 50,000 TEU or its equivalent volume in international freight movements by 2007.