The report by economic consultancy AlphaBeta, titled Global Gateway for NSW: the economic impact of a container terminal at the Port of Newcastle, shows a modern container terminal would cut land transport costs for northern NSW businesses by $2.8 billion by 2050.

Port of Newcastle CEO Craig Carmody said the report found exports from the Hunter and northern NSW would increase by $1 billion by 2050 as a result.

“For the Mid-North Coast, a world-class container terminal in Newcastle would reduce the cost of transporting a standard container of goods by up to $564 – a significant saving for any business trying to compete internationally,” Mr Carmody said.

Port Macquarie, based on analysis, falls within the potential market for the Port of Newcastle.

The report said the Port of Newcastle’s catchment was estimated to comprise 16.5 per cent of the total import-export containerised freight market in NSW.

“Imports to the area, including groceries, clothing and consumer electronics, serve major regional population centres such as Newcastle, Tamworth and Port Macquarie,” the report said.

“The region is also host to containerised exporting industries, such as agriculture and forestry, food processing, and other forms of manufacturing, such as steel and machinery and equipment.”

The Port of Newcastle plans to develop a container terminal which would allow shipping lines to send their larger vessels to Australia.

Mr Carmody said a Newcastle container terminal would mean more jobs, a reduction in unnecessary road and rail movements and cheaper freight costs for regional importers and exporters.

The AlphaBeta report compared Newcastle with Port Botany and Port of Brisbane in terms of container transport costs and found the savings using Newcastle ranged from $193 to $583 per twenty-foot container.

Mr Carmody said the regional NSW economy was diversifying and the freight savings from a Newcastle container terminal would be enjoyed across many industries from agriculture and food processing to advanced manufacturing and mining services.

“The AlphaBeta report is detailed about the transport savings for northern NSW from the Hunter region to north of the Queensland border,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hunter Research Foundation Centre at the University of Newcastle, on behalf of the Port of Newcastle, explored potential benefits of a new container terminal at Newcastle for businesses in the Hunter and northern NSW.

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