International Gateways

Globalisation is increasingly driving the internationalisation of Australian business and trade.  With this trend, Australia's international trade has grown in significance.  It is now critical that Australia's national gateways - our sea ports and airports -become increasingly efficient, flexible and modern to cope with current demand and to attract and sustain additional business in future.

To prosper in our increasingly connected and competitive global economy, Australia's trade gateways, ports and associated land side infrastructure require urgent actions on a national level.

Our international gateways and supporting supply chains need governance reforms, improved strategic planning and adequate investments in landside infrastructure and terminals, and better co-ordination in port precinct and land transport planning.  Australia's ports provide vital gateways to international trade, but very high growth rates and a lack of integration across the supply chain is reducing the competitiveness of our major ports.

Infrastructure Australia is not persuaded that public investment in port or airport capacity is currently justified, since it is clear that, given the right governance and market framework, the private sector is ready and willing to invest.

Ports

In December 2010, Infrastructure Australia, in association with the National Transport Commission, presented a draft national ports strategy for consideration by the Council of Australian Governments to improve the way our ports are planned and managed so that private sector investment can be brought into the sector.

• National ports strategy [PDF: 915 KB]

• National ports strategy - background paper - December 2010 [PDF: 750 KB]

• National ports strategy - cover note [PDF: 49 KB]

In its communiqué issued on 13 February 2011, the Council of Australian Governments announced that it had ‘endorsed the need for a national ports strategy.  The strategy is to be an integral part of the national freight strategy that is under development.  It will improve productivity, promote better long-term planning around ports and bring a greater focus on performance to Australia’s waterfronts.  COAG asked the relevant Ministerial Council to complete an implementation plan for a final national ports strategy by August 2011 for out-of-session endorsement by COAG’.