Subscribe to RSS feedPort Hedland pulls clear as Australia's biggest port
Trade through Port Hedland and the port of Dampier in Western Australia's Pilbara region reached a record 300m tonnes in the 2008/09 financial year.
Well on track: Port Hedland handled 159m tonnes of trade in 2008/09.
Tonnage at Port Hedland, where iron ore makes up 97% of trade, rose 21.9% from last year to a record 159.4m tonnes.
The result confirms the port as Australia's largest by volume, ahead of the port of Dampier which has held the mantle since 2006/07.
Dampier increased its trade to 140.8m tonnes for the year, up from 133.5m tonnes in 2007/08.
Iron ore makes up 80% of trade at the port of Dampier, with gas products such as liquefied natural gas contributing 15% of total tonnage.
Port Hedland chief executive Andre Bush said growth in mining and construction helped boost volumes handled in the period.
Mr Bush also said the common user berth at Utah Point, with capacity to handle about 18mtpa, is due to be completed by the middle of 2010.
Total imports at Port Hedland rose 27% from a year ago to 1.01m tonnes with general cargo and cement imports rising to 211,445 tonnes from 95,635 tonnes in 2007/08.
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