AN ENHANCED Port of Karumba can facilitate growth in the export of minerals and agricultural products, Gulf Savannah Development chief executive Neil O’Brien says.
Port of Karumba is an isolated multipurpose in the southeast of the Gulf of Carpentaria that services the fishing industry, the Century Zinc mine and previously the live cattle sector.
Mr O’Brien, who spoke at the Developing Northern Australia Conference in Cairns, said the port could maximise the significant potential of the Gulf region “that largely remains unrealised”.
The processing of zinc tailing is expected to end around 2027, meaning the port needed new opportunities.
“The Port of Karumba is in an incredibly strategic location in northwest Queensland being the only port in the North West Minerals province," he said.
A full program of works for the port is still to be identified however it is likely to require money for dredging.
Mr O’Brien said essential goods were supplied to Karumba from Townsville by road and/or rail and this lack of connectivity was impeding further mineral developments.
“The people we are working with on phosphate in the North West Minerals province; if we can’t get Port of Karumba working, then there is no way they can get their product out. They have already ruled out the Port of Townsville,” he said.
“We have miners with product in the ground and have markets already identified but they can’t get the product out.”
Mr O’Brien said they were working to identify the exact potential of the port, gauging current and future opportunities and what it would cost to invest.
He noted little progress during the past half century with government reports from the 1980s describing similar issues.
A steering committee has been organised involving not only the state government but also regional councils and Ports North.
“We have never known what could be achieved by investing in the Port of Karumba, but we are doing that now,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Since the 1980s, about 13million tonne of phosphate has been identified as a potential export. But there has been no scoping investigation [until now].”
Mr O’Brien also noted the port’s potential role in the export of cotton.
Back in 2019 Cotton Australia mentioned the Gulf of Carpentaria catchments as having production potential but also identified transport connectivity as a limiting factor.
“Every ship that enters or leaves Karumba carries not just minerals, or cargo or seafood, it also carries the hopes and dreams of our region’s economic development,” Mr O’Brien said.
Gulf Savannah Development (GSD) is the facilitating organisation for the Gulf Savannah Region that drives innovative economic and agriculture development projects and initiatives.