2 weeks Ago By Matthew Kelly
A Coalition government would not seek to reclaim total ownership of the Port of Newcastle as it has proposed for the Port of Darwin. Login or signup to continue reading It comes despite the Coalition and Labor committing to take back the Port of Darwin, which has been totally controlled by Chinese company Landbridge since 2015. China Merchants Group has held a 50 per cent share in the Port of Newcastle since the former Coalition state government privatised the port in 2014.
As the Newcastle Herald reported last week , the major parties have been reluctant to show their hand regarding the Port of Newcastle during the election campaign to date. Speaking in Maitland on Thursday, Opposition leader Peter Dutton said there were strategic differences between Newcastle and Darwin and confirmed that the Coalition would not seek to interfere with the existing arrangements. However, he said Darwin would be taken back in the national interest.
"We have taken that decision, and we have got definite steps to make it happen regardless of what the (Chinese) company says; that will be the outcome under a government that I lead," he said. Mr Dutton, deputy leader Sussan Ley and Hunter Coalition candidates visited the Hunter Trade College following a commitment to contribute $18 million to create a new Australian Technical College on the site. Ms Ley challenged Paterson MP Meryl Swanson to match the funding.
In response, Ms Swanson accused Mr Dutton of "insulting" Hunter communities. "Dutton has come to the Hunter region today, with shallow promises for a centre of excellence but why won't he support Free TAFE?," she said. "We know that Free TAFE works, we know that 7000 new apprentices have been accessing this life changing program across the Hunter region to date.
"If Peter Dutton really cared about the kids and grandkids of the Hunter region, he'd back Free TAFE." Mr Dutton also doubled down on previous remarks where he predicted the Upper Hunter would be dead without a nuclear reactor to support local jobs. "I do think it will be a bleak future under Labor," he said.
"If you want a bright future for your kids and grandkids, these reactors last for about 80 years. They have been used in France to generate 70 per cent of electricity and they are doing it safely." He dismissed safety concerns about regular earthquakes in the region and insisted that the life of coal-fired power stations could be extended until nuclear power stations were built.
"You are already seeing Labor extending the life of coal-fired power stations and I think you are going to see Labor governments extending them more because they know that if they don't the lights are going out," he said. "(Victorian premier) Jacinta Allan is not the greatest advocate for coal-fired generation, but she, along with (Western Australian premier) Roger Cook and Chris Minns and now the new Liberal leader in Queensland David Crisafulli, extended the life of these assets. "Green hydrogen is not being invested in.
It's not scalable, and it's not going to be a replacement for coal." Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018.
In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues. Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years.
He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
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