28 November 2013
Practice Group:
Real Estate
Investment,
Development and
Finance
The Future Development of Ports and Airports in
Queensland
By Warren Denny and Tai Laves
Recently the Queensland Government released the Queensland Ports Strategy and the
Economic Directions Statement for Queensland Airports to provide these sectors and
private investors information on future infrastructure management, development and
investment.
Queensland Ports Strategy – Draft for Consultation
The Queensland Ports Strategy – Draft for Consultation was released on 17 October
2013. It calls for submissions from the public on the Queensland Government's draft
strategy to increase the efficiency of Queensland's ports, while protecting and managing
environmental assets.
The diagram below outlines the Queensland Government's five key actions to improve
the capacity of Queensland's ports and drive infrastructure investment and development.
Figure 1. Queensland Ports Strategy vision and key actions.1
The Queensland Government has outlined five Priority Port Development Areas (PPDAs)
including the ports of Brisbane, Gladstone, Hay Point (Mackay), Abbot Point and
Townsville.
The Government will provide assistance to the PPDAs to enable staged expansion of the
ports and terminal capacity while protecting land, marine capacity and infrastructure for
future port development. Proposed new legislation will also streamline the planning and
development approval process. Jeff Seeny, Deputy Premier and Minister for State
Development, Infrastructure and Planning, has essentially given the PPDAs a "licence to
grow".
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Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, "Queensland Ports Strategy – Draft for
consultation", October 2013
The Future Development of Ports and Airports in Queensland
The proposed legislation will prohibit any capital dredging outside the PPDAs until at
least 2024 in accordance with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation World Heritage Committee recommendations for the protection of the Great
Barrier Reef.
The Government is also reviewing the whole of network connections to improve supply
chain infrastructure to the ports. The review will identify where increased infrastructure is
required and how to improve current logistical practices while maximising the use of
existing transport corridors.
A review of port governance and the development of statutory master planning guidelines
will also be undertaken with new legislation to be implemented in order to assist the
Queensland Government's key actions.
The draft strategy will be open to public submissions until 13 December 2013.
A copy of the Queensland Ports Strategy – Draft for Consultation can be found here.
Economic Directions Statement – Queensland Airports
The Economic Directions Statement was released by the Queensland Government to
enable informed planning and investment decisions and strengthen collaboration
between private investors and the Government for the future of Queensland Airports.
The paper focused on 40 airports throughout Queensland which the Government has
marked as strategically significant for economic growth. The paper also focused on the
proposed new airports at Toowoomba and Galilee Basin which will assist in growth of the
resource sector.
Strategic Principles and Priority Actions
The Government has outlined strategic principles to ensure economic development in the
aviation sector. These strategic principles will be implemented through two types of
priority actions – Airport Development and Industry Development.
Airport Development and Industry Development priority actions will assist economic
development by:

providing advice to airport owners, managers and operators around airport
master planning, approval processes and expansion projects

developing tenure arrangements for state reserve and leasehold land on, or
nearby, airports that support economic development

developing consistent and evidence-based vegetation management policies and
processes for land on, or nearby, airports to enable growth

working to remove any obstacles to the growth of passenger traffic in ways that
do not restrict the future growth prospects of general aviation and training
providers

working with local councils to address blockages to growth and ensuring effective
co-existence with local communities and industries

working with airport owners and operators to ensure airport precincts are
business ready by streamlining planning, assessment and approval processes
and by encouraging and assisting airports to develop strong connections to
domestic and international markets
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The Future Development of Ports and Airports in Queensland

facilitating planning approval processes, consistent with state planning policies, to
accelerate the development of maintenance, aviation industry and passenger
infrastructure

working with transport service providers and the private sector to ensure airports
are serviced by effective supply chains and, where appropriate, are part of
integrated multimodal transport hubs.
A copy of the Economic Directions Statement – Queensland Airports can be found here.
If you would like any assistance in drafting a submission on the Queensland Ports
Strategy, please contact Warren Denny or any other member of the Brisbane Real Estate
team.
Authors:
Warren Denny - Partner
warren.denny@klgates.com
+61.7.3233.1244
Tai Laves - Lawyer
tai.laves@klgates.com
+61.7.3233.1256
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