Port Kembla, New South Wales
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| Port Kembla Wollongong, New South Wales |
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 View of Port Kembla from Hill 60 Park |
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| Postcode: | 2505 |
| LGA: | Wollongong City Council |
Port Kembla is a seaport, industrial complex (one of the largest in Australia) and suburb of Wollongong, in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It is essentially an industrial complex but also covers a small harbour foreshore nature reserve and a small town area with shops. It is situated on the tip of Red Point, first sighted by Captain James Cook in 1770. It is linked to Wollongong by Springhill Road and is notable for its steelworks, with many ships utilising the port.
Port Kembla has a couple of short beaches and headlands. It also has a hill, Hill 60, which is its highest point. Hill 60 overlooks the Five Islands and Red Point. Illowra Battery a World War II coastal gun emplacement on Hill 60 contains 2 Mushroom Tunnels built as lookouts for Japanese submarines in World War II. Both Mushroom Tunnels are steep in decent and have cart tracks used for hauling shells to the guns located at the 2 emplacements. It was originally an aboriginal settlement and was taken by the army during the war. It has remained in the army's ownership but will soon be handed to the public as a lookout reserve.
Port Kembla is home to one of Australia's tallest industrial chimneys, a 198 metre tall chimney built in 1965. Port Kembla Primary School was once located adjacent to it but was closed down due to pollution problems from the chimney including acid rain and soot. A warning alarm was fitted to warn of high toxin levels.[1]
Port Kembla has two railway stations, Port Kembla (near the town), and Port Kembla North, (near the industry complex). Port Kembla also has a large Macedonian minority sitting at around 20% of the total population.
[edit] Industrial Pollution
Port Kembla's industrial heart has caused significant environmental, health and socio-economic problems. The heavy industry of the area has significant emissions of nitrogen oxides and other dangerous gases. Gas emissions also result in the formation of acid rain which has caused spotting of metal surfaces and the rapid corrosion of many structures. The steel works also discharges some industrial waste into the waterways draining into the port. The pollution in some areas is so great that it has been used by the EPA as a case study.[citation needed]
Health problems associated with noxious gases are more common, the area has higher rates of asthma.[citation needed] Fallout has also introduced elevated levels of lead and other heavy metals to the soil around Port Kembla and has formed thick deposits in many buildings and industrial structures.[citation needed]
[edit] References
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