PORTS Australia has announced its Biennial Conference, originally scheduled for Brisbane this month, has been postponed until next year.

This is due to COVID-19 and restrictions on interstate travel and health advice regarding social distancing and event holding.

Holding the conference in 2021 will have the benefit of allowing new Ports Australia members from the South Pacific to participate.

The Ports Australia Biennial Conference is the latest event to be impacted by COVID-19. Credit: Ports Australia and YouTube

The event moves around Australia every two years, the last being held in Darwin in 2018.

Ports Australia CEO, Mike Gallacher said his disappointment quickly turned to excitement as planning began for 2021.

“There’ll be so much to discuss when we finally get to meet in 2021, like the resilience shown by the ports sector in the face of a pandemic, or the technological changes that the industry continues to embrace,” Mr Gallacher said.

“At Ports Australia, we’ve got plenty we can’t wait to share, including a world-first Port Sustainability Strategy Development Guide, a Trade Statistics Portal which continues its development, and the endless lessons and opportunities throughout COVID-19,” he said.