PORT OF THURSDAY ISLAND
The Port of Thursday Island is a community port located in a natural harbour in the Torres Strait at the most northern part of Australia. Ports North owns the wharf facilities, which are established on both Thursday Island and Horn Island.The port services to needs of the two islands and also operates as a major transhipment point for the supply of essential cargoes to other islands of the Torres Strait.
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.
Cruise Liner Schedules
Please click on the link below for the adobe Acrobat version of our Cruise Liner Schedules.
2010
2011
2012
2013 Schedule
2014 Schedule
2015 Schedule
Environment
Coral reefs occur along the coastlines of some areas of Thursday and Prince of Wales Islands, and in the channel between Thursday and Horn Islands. These communities typically contain high diversities of benthic invertebrates, which in turn support communities of fish. The channel between Thursday and Horn Islands also contains pearl oyster beds, which contribute to local commercial aquaculture operations.
Extensive and diverse seagrass meadows are located throughout a large proportion of the port area. Eleven species of seagrass in 33 individual meadows were identified in a 2002 survey, with a total of 1503 +/- 240 hectares of seagrass mapped. The majority of the seagrass area (1,057 ha) had between 10-50% cover of seagrass. A further 386 ha had greater than 50% cover. The remaining 60 ha had less than 10% cover. The majority of seagrass habitat was found on sand/mud/shell sediments. The maximum depth at which seagrass was found was 10.4 metres below MSL.
The Port of Thursday Island reportedly contains some of the best examples of seagrass meadows that have been identified in Queensland, featuring 11 of the 15 currently recognised seagrass species in Queensland.
The seagrass meadows in the region are a source of food for turtles and dugong. The area is an important area for dugong in Australia.
Six species of turtle have been recorded in the port area. These are the Green turtle (Chelonia mydas), Flatback turtle (Natator depressus), Hawksbill turtle (Eretomochelys imbricatta), Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) and Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta). Green, Flatback and Hawksbill turtles have been recorded nesting on some islands in the Torres Strait, however they have not been recorded on Thursday Island itself.
Dugong and turtle form part of the traditional diet of the Kaurareg and islander peoples. They are still hunted in the region. Green turtles are the predominant species of turtles captured.
The coastline within port limits comprises a diversity of habitats featuring coral and rocky reefs, mangrove communities, bird rookeries, seagrass meadows, spawning grounds and offshore fisheries.
Environmental initiatives at the Port of Thursday Island include:
- development of oil spill response and emergency response plans;
- marine resource mapping;
- development of a port environmental management plan; and
- a cultural heritage survey.
Port Map
Port Limits
Related Downloads
Port of Thursday Island Long Term Seagrass Monitoring Report - February 2011
Port of Thursday Island Land Use Plan
Port of Thursday Island Development Guidelines
Port Handbook
Environmental Management Plan
Port of Thursday Island Long Term Seagrass Monitoring Program February 2010
Port of Thursday Island Port Rules and Charges 2012
Port of Thursday Island Port Rules and Charges 2013
