Guy Barnett
A new export deal for southern Tasmanian forestry products from the Hobart waterfront will signal a new era for the industry, the State Government says. Source: The Mercury
State-owned TasPorts and logistics firm Qube Ports have created an interim joint venture to enable the export of forestry products from the state’s southern forests from the Macquarie wharf site for the next five years.
The operation, to be known as Southern Export Terminals Pty Ltd, would be in addition to a private log export venture by Majestic Timbers, which was approved following a 10- month expressions of interest process for southern forest residues.
The TasPorts-Qube Ports operation will result in between one and three extra log trucks per hour on Hobart’s streets when added to extra truck movements expected from the Majestic Timbers operation.
Resources Minister Guy Barnett said the new operation would create jobs in regional Tasmania and created a clear path forward for the industry.
“To be clear, there will not be a woodchip pile on the port,” he said. “This joint venture will complement the recent expressions of interest process to address southern forest residues and I am confident that the export facilities will be well utilised by a number of exporters working in the forestry sector.”
As part of the EOI process announced earlier this year, Majestic Timbers Australia will take up to 180,000 tonnes of logs annually for export in containers from Macquarie Wharf to markets in South-East Asia. Up to another 150,000 tonnes a year will go to Les Walkden Enterprises, which will transport the residues to Bell Bay, for processing and export for paper production.
Both the new deal and the EOI process formed part of the effort to deal with residues from southern forest harvesting following the closure of the Triabunna woodchip mill in 2011.
Mr Barnett said the future of the Macquarie wharf site would be assessed closer to the end of the five-year deal, but it was anticipated an opportunity would then open up for the Macquarie Point Development Corporation.
“This will help revive one of Tasmania’s pillar industries and will provide opportunities for hundreds of Tasmanians to get a job or start a business,” Mr Barnett said.
“We will always stand up for industries like forestry to grow the economy and deliver jobs.”
Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding said the interim deal would directly create 25 jobs on the port.
He said the log piles would have a maximum height of 8m – about half the height ofTasmanian and international specialist timber marshalling company ISO Pty Ltd will be responsible for the receipt of cargo.
A curfew for the log trucks would be imposed, which would not allow them through during peak morning and afternoon congestion periods.
“It is expected than an additional one or two trucks will access the port each hour, coming in equal numbers from the Derwent Valley and the south of Hobart,” Mr Hidding said.
TasPorts chief executive officer Paul Weedon said they were working with Hobart City Council officers around traffic management issues.
Mr Weedon said the joint venture was developed in response to specific customer requests.
“This aligns with Tasports’ own infrastructure plans for the port of Hobart as a working harbour to support general cargo needs while ensuring existing primary segments, such as cruise and Antarctic, remain key trades,” he said.
Southern Export Terminals will begin receiving logs early next year with the first shipment of logs expected in the first quarter of 2017.
