NATIONAL NEWS

Breaking point

SHIPPING Australia (SAL) has sought to raise a hue and cry over the shabby treatment of breakbulk shipping with a critical report released this week.

POTA, Gutnick seal phosphate transport deal

P&O TRANS Australia (POTA) is on the verge of sealing one of its most lucrative deals ever.

LNG plant site secured

AUSTRALIA Pacific LNG has secured the Laird Point site on Curtis Island for its Gladstone liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, Origin Energy announced on Tuesday.

PB Towage turned around and now pulling strongly

HONG KONG’S Pacific Basin Shipping has reported explosive growth in its Australian-based PB Towage subsidiary, including a substantial turnaround in profitability.

Asciano shares rally before retreating

PRICES for Australian transport and mining stocks had steadied this week after last week leading a market rally on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Rio scorns ore price play

RIO TINTO has rubbished claims that Fortescue Metals Group’s acceptance of a 35% iron ore price cut this week will establish an industry precedent.

Port Hedland floats future with big plans for one-tide sailings

PORT Hedland Port Authority (PHPA) was planning for a raft of initiatives as it built towards 470m tonnes-a-year throughput in the next three to five years, chief executive Andre Bush told Lloyd’s List DCN.

FedEx Express boosts freight cover

FEDEX Express has expanded its international packages and freight shipping portfolio, the FedEx Corp subsidiary said last week.

Tauranga, stevedore dispute goes to court

PORT OF Tauranga is taking New Zealand’s NZL Group to the country’s High Court to resolve a dispute over the transport and logistics firm’s efforts to re-establish container stevedoring operations at the port.

Two remain in market bid process

THE LONG-awaited project which will see Melbourne’s new horticulture logistics centre established on the city’s northern outskirts has come down to two proposals.

Centennial is confident on coal capacity

DESPITE a court finding that it should give up port capacity to fellow miner Xstrata, Centennial Coal was confident of its coal export allocations through Newcastle, the company said last week.

Hay Point protest hold up raises security concerns

THE QUEENSLAND Resources Council (QRC) is calling for prompt action on port security measures following the Greenpeace protest that brought coal operations at Hay Point Coal Terminal to a standstill earlier this month.

Townsville still open to ocean terminal

PORT OF Townsville was still open to the prospect of having an ocean terminal complex built in the future after existing plans were scrapped this month.

Report probes coal port option for Barry Beach

THE MAJOR proponent of the use of Barry Beach as a clean-coal export terminal hopes a report on the project will get the planning process moving.

Watchdog’s pay penalty

THE FAIR Work Ombudsman (FWO) is seeking to prosecute the operators and director of Melbourne’s Exclusive Food Houses for allegedly underpaying a delivery truck driver more than $32,000.

Rail body to support proposed ‘user pays’ system for road taxes

THE AUSTRALASIAN Railway Association (ARA) has backed “user pays” road-pricing options contained in a paper to the Australia’s Future Tax System Review Panel.

The last POST for breakbulk’s troubled trader

LONG-STANDING Asia-Australia breakbulk operator Pacific Orient Sea Transport (POST) has succumbed to the economic downturn and ceased trading.

Final tick for Magellan lead to go through Fremantle

IVERNIA will spend up to six months exporting its Magellan mine lead carbonate concentrate stockpile after gaining Western Australian Government clearance to use the port of Fremantle as an outlet.

Australia seeks spill liability increase

AUSTRALIA is seeking international support to raise shipowner liability limits for bunker spills, a spokeswoman for federal transport minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed.

Petronet sources Australian LNG

PETRONET LNG has become the first Indian customer to buy Australian liquefied natural gas under a long-term deal, and is also keen to import the fuel from a project in Papua New Guinea.