Intermodal dynamic Down Under
In conversation with Marika Calfas, CEO of NSW Ports in Australia. Things have really moved in the Australian port scene since the day in 1770 that James Cook landed in Botany Bay. At the last IAPH World Conference, held in Abu Dhabi (UAE), the CEO of NSW Ports, Marika Calfas, told Christian Doepgen how the port manager promotes the development of internal rail hubs and the expansion of the railway network to and from the hinterland.
This global port meeting is all about the current position of our industry. Where do you think it stands today?
Our industry’s profile still isn’t high enough in terms of public and political perceptions – and the role of ports even less so. One good thing to come out of the disrupted supply chains during the pandemic is a reassessment of our role. Most countries around the world still have their own overall port development strategies.
How are ports in NSW managed?
NSW Ports is a private company that has long-term leases to manage and maintain Port Botany, near Sydney, and Port Kembla, and two cargo hubs – the Enfield Intermodal Logistics Centre and the Cooks River Intermodal Terminal.
The Port Authority of New South Wales, on the other hand, is the government agency that’s in charge of running shipping and safety on the water.
To put this in perspective – what are your ports’s most recent throughput figures?
With 8 million teu handled, Australia accounts for about 1% of global throughput. Port Botany, our largest NSW gateway, handles around 2.8 million teu a year. Our universal port of Kembla handles more than 1 million vehicles, and dry and liquid bulk cargo.
How well is intermodal hinterland traffic organised around the ports in NSW?
It’s safe to say that the organisation of our intermodal transports is unique in Australia. This is due to the fact that over the past 25 years we’ve created direct rail connections between maritime and inland terminals reserved exclusively for railfreight transport.
In the hinterland, the Cooks River Intermodal Terminal alone has a storage capacity of around 14,000 teu. It can thus help buffer container flows at Port Botany, 8 km away by rail, and relieve the roads of some lorry traffic.
How are these rail links organised?
The Sydney intermodal terminals are designed to handle 600 m shuttle trains and offer direct connections to Port Botany. In 2024 the duplication of the dedicated railfreight track will be complete, adding more capacity to and from the port and making a steady flow of entry and exit traffic possible.
In addition, capacities are constantly being expanded. The 240 ha intermodal Moorebank precinct, for example, about 32 km from Sydney, is building up to an annual of capacity 1 million teu.
What’s your overall intermodal goal?
Our long-term goal is to handle 3 million teu a year in rail transport.
What investments are you making?
NSW Ports has invested in the Enfield intermodal terminal (AUD 250 million) and in additional rail capacity at Port Botany (AUD 120 million in stage 1). The Australian government, in turn, is investing approximately AUD 400 million to expand the capacity of the dedicated railfreight line. Other industry participants are investing in intermodal terminals in metropolitan Sydney.
How do NSW Ports and the public sector cooperate?
We work with the public sector to develop appropriate land use plans for our ports and supply chains. However, much remains to be done, and we, the ports, need to be very vigilant and make our voices heard more clearly.