The Queensland port network

Queensland has an extensive network of 21 ports (as shown in Figure 1: The Queensland port network) along its coastline, ranging from small community ports to world-class coal export terminals and a capital city multi-cargo port.

Queensland’s port system principally operates under the provisions of the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994 and the Government Owned Corporations Act 1993. The entities responsible for the operation and management of Queensland’s ports are as follows:

• Four Government Owned Corporations, consisting of:
  • Far North Queensland Ports Corporation Limited (trading as Ports North), responsible for the ports of Cairns, Burketown, Cape Flattery, Cooktown, Karumba, Mourilyan, Port Kennedy (Thursday Island), Quintell Beach, and Skardon River
  • Port of Townsville Limited, responsible for the ports of Townsville and Lucinda
  • North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation Limited, responsible for the ports of Abbot Point, Hay Point, Weipa, and Mackay; and
  • Gladstone Ports Corporation Limited, responsible for the ports of Gladstone, Rockhampton (Port Alma), Bundaberg and Maryborough.
• Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd is responsible for the Port of Brisbane. The Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd is a port entity granted functions and powers of a port authority under the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994 and a 99-year lease from the Queensland Government that commenced in November 2010. The terms of the lease and the provisions in the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994 provide for the regulation of the port.

Rio Tinto Limited owns, operates, and manages the Chith Export Facility which services the Amrun bauxite mine, in accordance with the Commonwealth Aluminium Corporation Pty Limited Agreement Act 1957. The Commonwealth Aluminium Corporation Pty Limited Agreement Act 1957 has provisions which provide Rio Tinto some port related powers which typically reside in the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994. Accordingly, this facility is not a port named in the Transport Infrastructure (Ports) Regulation 2016.

Each declared port in Queensland is assigned to a Regional Harbour Master, appointed in accordance with Part 7 of the Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Act 1994. Regional Harbour Masters are employed by Maritime Safety Queensland and are assigned to 1 of 5 maritime regions (Figure 1). The day-to-day management of shipping activities and port safety are subject to the directions of a Regional Harbour Master.

Contact us

The process to establish new ports in Queensland is administered by TMR's Governance and Ports team.

Any queries can be directed to this unit, which can be contacted via email: [email protected] or telephone 13 23 80 during business hours, 8:30am–5:00pm on business days.