Port of Albany
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The Port of Albany or Albany Port is an Western Australian port located on the south coast of the state.
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[edit] Location
It is located on the northern shore of Princess Royal Harbour, a natural harbour, that is part of King George Sound. The city of Albany is located next to the port facilities. A dredged shipping channel that has a width of 145 metres (476 ft) and a minimum depth of 12 metres (39 ft) provides an approach to the port from King George Sound.[1] The channel to the port has Point Possession to the South and Point King at the base of Mount Adelaide to the North, the body of water between these two points is called Ataturk entrance.
The Albany Port takes up a total land area of 80 hectares (198 acres), a mixture of crown and freehold land that is managed by the Albany Port Authority.[2]
[edit] Facilities
Facilities at the port consist of 4 berths that are currently operational with a site that is ready to develop into a fifth berth when it is required. The port is able to accommodate panamax size vessels with a maximum laden draft of 12 metres (39 ft), a deepening of the channel is being proposed to allow capesize vessels entry to the port.[3]
The port has two tugs (The Elgin and the Wandilla) available for steerage, a 50 tonne public weighbridge , two mobile cranes (5 tonne and 12 tonne capacity), three forklift trucks (2 tonne, 4 tonne and 9 tonne capacity) and a large cold storage facility with volume of 98000m3 at the rear of Berth No. 1.
The port has direct rail access from the Mirambeena Industrial Estate 12 kilometres (7 mi) from, Albany that allows woodchips from the Albany Plantation Export Company's woodchip mill to be transported directly to the port by rail instead of road.[4] The rail line is narrow gauge and continues in a northerly direction to Perth.
| Berth | Length (m) | Depth (m) | Max. Draft (m) | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berth No. 1 | 209 | 10.4 | 9.8 | Passenger and cruise ship berth and General and Bulk Cargo |
| Berth No. 2 | 172 | 10.4 | 9.8 | Passenger and cruise ship berth and General and Bulk Cargo |
| Berth No. 3 | 227 | 12.2 | 11.5 | Bulk Cargo loaded via 3 mechanical shiploaders also for container cargo and Ro Ro vessels |
| Berth No. 5 | To be completed 2008-2009 Bulk Cargo for Woodchips | |||
| Berth No. 6 | 216 | 12.3 | 11.5 | Bulk Cargo for Woodchips [5] |
[edit] History
Albany Port was the first deep water point in Western Australia and the main port in the state until the Port of Fremantle was opened in 1900.[6]
The first settlers arrived in Albany in 1826 when Major Edmund Lockyer arrived at the harbour aboard the brig Amity. The Port started from humble beginnings when a finger jetty was built between 1862 and 1864 in Princess Royal Harbour. The construction was extended in 1874 and fitted with a T-shaped head and had gas lighting installed.[7]
Dredging and land reclaimation around the port area commenced in 1893, with a further five dredging operations taking place between 1901 and 1979.[8] Albany was an important arrival point for migrants and settlers in Western Australia with over 40,000 people arriving between 1839-1925.[9]
In 2004 2,685,000 metric tonnes of cargo passed through the port and in 2005 2,990,000 metric tonnes of cargo was achieved. During this time woodchip exports increased by 105%.[10]
A huge drug seizure was recorded in the Port area in 2004 when the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Customs Service recovered 100 kilograms (220 lb) of powder cocaine , worth over $45 million, was recovered from a local beach after being buried in the dunes. The drugs were imported on a bulk grain carrier Marcos Dias having come from South America via South East Asia, three men were arrested as a result.[11]
In 2005 grain handler and exporter CBH, proceeded with a $130 million upgrade of their grain handling and loading facilities at the port.
The Albany Port Authority won the national Lloyds Port of the year award in 2006[12] for it's development of new technology used to restore degrade load-bearing concrete piles without disrupting cargo handling activities.[13]
The port was visited by the Queen Elizabeth II passenger liner in February 2008 as part of it's final world trip. Albany was the only regional port that was visited during the Australian leg of the voyage.[14]
The largest vessel ever handled by the Port was the Bulk carrier 71,749 dwt Maritime Grace which was partly loaded at the port.
[edit] War legacy
During dredging in 2000 to expand the harbour, a large amount of unexploded munitions was found a the bottom of the harbour so that the Worksafe demanded that dredging cease until the harbour was made safe again. It was consequently found that the ordinance had been spilt during loading of excess munitions to be disposed of at sea in 1947 and 1948 by the Australian Army and Navy.[15] Tha Albany Port Authority took the Commonwealth government to court to pay for the clean-up of the munitions.[16] The Commonwealth lost the case and were ordered to pay $5.25 million dollars for past and future clean-up costs and an additional $1 million for legal costs. Some of the ammunition that has been found included a 250 pound aerial bomb, 18 pound artillery shells and rifle ammunitions.[17]
[edit] Port Trade
The port handles a variety of goods that are imported and exported through the harbour. Products that are commonly imported through Albany port are manufactured fertilizers, fertilizer raw materials, petroleum feuls and fish. Products most commonly exported through the port are woodchips, wheat, silica sand, barley, canola and oats.
| Year | Imports (tonnes) | Exports (tonnes) | Total trade (tonnes) | Vessels entering port |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 244,205 | 1,429,206 | 1,673,454 | 89 |
| 2002 | 160,401 | 1,434,123 | 1,594,524 | 86 |
| 2003 | 147,778 | 1,813,468 | 1,961,271 | 104 |
| 2004 | 156,396 | 2,684,629 | 2,841,066 | 116 |
| 2005 | 156,065 | 2,834,170 | 2,990,385 | 120 |
| 2006 | 121,794 | 2,538,167 | 2,660,834 | 91 |
| 2007 | 92,599 | 3,408,478 | 3,501,877 | 119 |
Woodchips were first exported from Albany Port in 2002 [18] and by 2007 made up in excess of 40% of the total tonnage exported. The Port contirbutes significantly to the economy of the Great Southern Region estimated to be in excess of $160 million per annum. [19]
[edit] References
- ^ Albany Waterways Resource Book (2002). Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Albany Port Authority - Statement of Corporate intent 2005 to 2006 (2006). Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
- ^ Western Australia's Port Handbook (2005). Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Labor's plant to buid trade (2004). Retrieved on 2008-05-26.
- ^ Marine Yellow Pages - Albany Port (2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-16.
- ^ WA Museum History of the Albany Port (2002). Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ LandCorp - Albany Waterfront Heritage Impact Statement (2007). Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Grange Resources - Albany Port Expansion Proposal (2002). Retrieved on 2008-05-16.
- ^ WA Museum History of the Albany Port (2002). Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Albany Port Authority - 2004-2005 Annual Reprt (2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
- ^ Australian Federal Police National media release - Major cocaine seizure in WA (2004). Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
- ^ Maritime Union of Australia - Maritime Workers Journal 2007 (2007). Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
- ^ The Hindu - Albany port ready to share berth restoration technique with India (2007). Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
- ^ ABC News - Albany port gears up for historic QE2 visit Port (2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ The Australian - Harbour stoush a legal minefield (2007). Retrieved on 2008-05-20.
- ^ ABC News - Court told State Government approved bombs being shipped out of Albany (2007). Retrieved on 2008-05-20.
- ^ The West Australian - Another military shell found in Albany harbour (2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-20.
- ^ ABC Rural - First woodchips sail out of Albany port (2002). Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
- ^ Albany Port Authority - Statement of Corporate intent 2005 to 2006 (2006). Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
