The NSW Government have proposed changes to the Environmental Planning Policy at three Ports across the state.
Planning Minister Anthony Roberts announced yesterday policy changes for NSW's three largest seaports, Newcastle, Botany and Kembla, to streamline their operations.
Mr Roberts said the amendments give the port operators and their tenants the ability to undertake essential, day-to-day development on land within the lease areas more efficiently, subject to compliance with standards.
"Essential maintenance, installation of pollution control measures and other requirements of a working port will be able to be built under the exempt and complying development pathways.
"In addition, we are also protecting our ports from incompatible land-use encroaching on their sites and making it harder to go about their business," Mr Roberts said.
A container terminal at the Port of Newcastle has been a point of contention after it was revealed earlier this year the NSW Government had entered into an agreement meaning that if Newcastle was to build a container terminal, it would have to compensate Port Botany for any containers it handled above a limit of 30,000 a year.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald said the proposed changes would ensure Port land is protected for potential future expansion but does not set out provision for the possibility of a container port.
"It will protect the future of the Port of Newcastle. It is the primary bulk commodity port. It is already allowed to move a certain amount of containers as part of the agreement. In the future it means that those uses can continue," Mr MacDonald said.
The Department of Planning is calling on anyone interested in the amendments to review and comment on the proposed changes.
 |
| The Port of Newcastle. Image: NSW Mining. |
