Ports

Key challenges in the port sector include tight timeframes for port extensions to meet rising export and import demands particularly from the resources sector; improved planning for ports, including revised governance arrangements and achievement of more certain and predictable outcomes from planning activities; dealing with urban encroachment at ports and related transport corridors; providing the community and industry with greater certainty on longer term port development plans and resolving port land side-issues, including responsibility for upgrading land side links.

Minter Ellison has had a long, successful involvement in the management of port operations and associated major infrastructure projects. Our experts can assist with regulatory requirements, port restructuring, tenure, environment and planning, native title, competition and access considerations, construction and infrastructure development, user charges and common user infrastructure, dredging and large capital investments and multi or single user ports.

We have a highly developed skill-set that spans all Australian jurisdictions and numerous locations throughout the Asia Pacific. We have acted for a range of port stakeholders, from port entities and governments to operators, addressing many strategic issues that arose in these roles. Our experience includes many of the flagship projects in this sector.

Publications
Awards & Recognition
Alert – Government to effectively abolish LAFH concessions for most foreign employees, from 1 July 2012
1 December 2011

On Tuesday, 29 November 2011, as part of its Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook 2011-12, the Federal Government announced a package of changes intended to raise A$11.5 billion in new revenue and savings.

Regulating export infrastructure – the challenges ahead
1 April 2010

Over much of the last decade it has been widely reported that Australia's export infrastructure is in a state of crisis. The focus of these concerns has been the supply chain serving the multi-billion dollar coal export industry. Lengthy ship queues became a symbol for a lack of planning and investment in rail and port infrastructure.

This issue lost much of its prominence as commodity prices tumbled and the demands on the supply chain eased. But prices are now rebounding and the ships are coming back. The concern then is whether effective steps have been taken to encourage the investment required to avoid a repeat of the conditions that prevailed in the middle of the decade.