PORT OF THURSDAY ISLAND

OVERVIEW

The Port of Thursday Island is a community port located in a natural harbour in the Torres Strait in the northern-most part of Australia. Wharf facilities are established on both Thursday Island and the neighbouring Horn Island.

The port services the needs of these two islands and also operates as a major transhipment point for the supply of essential cargoes to other islands of the Torres Strait. Due to its strategic location, the port also serves as a base for a number of government agencies, including Customs and Fisheries Patrols.

TRADE

In 2007–08, general cargo trade of 77,875 tonnes passed through the port.

PORT OF THURSDAY ISLAND LAND USE PLAN RELEASE

The Port of Thursday Island has a new Land Use Plan.

It is a requirement of the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994 (TIA) that Land Use Plans are prepared to facilitate the appropriate and sustainable development of our ports.

In the 2007-08 financial year, PCQ undertook the processes required for approval of a new Land Use Plan for the Port of Thursday Island.

The process involved the formulation of a Statement of Proposals document and draft Land Use Plan. These documents had significant consultation periods, and both the community and Government stakeholders were engaged to provide feedback.

The final Land Use Plan for the Port of Thursday Island was approved by the Minister for Transport on 8 October 2008 (Notified in the Queensland Government Gazette on 24 October 2008).

Operating in conjunction with the Land Use Plan is a separate Development Guidelines document which includes Codes against which development on strategic port land at the Port of Thursday Island is to be assessed. These Codes address issues including built form, environmental management, infrastructure provision, and site design and landscaping.

Both the Land Use Plan and the Development Guidelines must be consulted when planning for new development on strategic port land at Horn Island and Thursday Island.

MONTHLY ACTUAL THROUGHPUT

	2006/07	2007/08	2008/09
JUL	15,449	5,614	5,189
AUG	8,784	6,095	11,071
SEP	5,807	5,239	6,589
OCT	6,691	7,979	7,640
NOV	12,787	6,632	5,312
DEC	4,546	5,007	6,010
JAN	0	6,266	5,189
FEB	0	7,712	2,605
MAR	7,089	6,325	655
APR	8,782	7,656	14,529
MAY	11,496	5,418
JUN	16,800	7,933
TOTAL	98,231	77,876	64,789