Following the horrific and fatal explosion of 2700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate at the Port of Beirut this week, it was relieving to receive the swift confirmation by major industrial operators at Port Kembla that there are no such stockpiles held there.
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Nobody should be more relieved than the communities that reside directly beside Wollongong's famous port, but when I was there earlier this week the locals I spoke to on Wentworth Street seemed completely relaxed. And they should be. As somebody who represents many of these operators, as well as the port's owner, NSW Ports, and its harbourmaster, the Port Authority of NSW, I'm regularly updated on operations there and there is no doubt that safety is put ahead of all else by both operators and regulators.
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Port Kembla continues to serve as our region's key economic asset; its functions continuing to evolve from humble beginnings as a coal jetty to what will eventually become the state's second container terminal around 2040.
A vibrant community sprung up in parallel with the fortunes of our port through the 1950s, and we welcomed migrants here by their thousands. Back in the day, the town boasted five banks, three pharmacies, a post office and one of the Illawarra's two Woolworths. One of Port Kembla's sons, General David Hurley, currently serves as our Governor-General, and expresses fond memories of his days growing up amid the thriving industrial suburb of the 1960s.
The downturn in steelmaking depressed the area, if not its residents, and the development of a Westfield shopping centre in Warrawong helped bring about a decline of Port Kembla's high street. Wentworth Street was always vulnerable, as an impractically-long shopping strip that is easy to bypass; unlike most others in the Illawarra that sit astride major local roads.
But Port Kembla's beautiful coastal location, with our region's best beaches and proximity to Wollongong, was never going to see it become a backwater. The more recent revitalisation of the suburb has been largely an organic movement, and the evidence of this is in the eclectic shops and cafes that are scattered down its main street.
A vibrant community sprung up in parallel with the fortunes of our port through the 1950s, and we welcomed migrants here by their thousands.
In 2013, the state government's decision to lease a series of major public assets, including Port Kembla, gave it the capital it needed to invest in new infrastructure, as opposed to going into debt as other states have.
However, it left Port Kembla locals asking what they would receive in return. In March 2016, the Port Kembla Community Investment Fund was announced, which would see $100 million from the $6.7 billion sale of the ports of Botany, Port Kembla and Newcastle invested in community projects over 99 years.
The Illawarra Business Chamber has always seen the opportunity inherent in this kind of small-scale investment in Port Kembla, which has long-enjoyed a strong local business chamber to advocate for its small businesses. Local projects often make a greater impact on small communities than larger ones like highways, and the distribution of this fund has mirrored the character of Port Kembla in its eclectic nature and social consciousness. Through each new round of the fund we have argued successfully for refinements and are proud to hold a position on the assessment panel. In 2018 we lobbied for an increase to the size of the fund to finance more significant projects in the area, which saw it lifted from $1 million to $4 million for Round Three.
Last year we argued that a greater emphasis should be placed on projects that will enhance the local economy and lead to job creation. Now that COVID-19 is upon us, there's no more important time for this to occur. We want to see an active workforce existing within a thriving Port Kembla.
The fund has also been refined so that projects that may take longer to deliver can be funded (up to three years), and bids by government agencies and businesses must be matched dollar-for-dollar as a true co-investment. Round Four of the fund has just been announced, with applications open on 1 September and closing on 31 October.
Now is the time to get involved. It is vital that over the coming weeks Port Kembla businesspeople, entrepreneurs and locals think carefully about how they could work together on game-changing projects for the district and come forward with their proposals. As the locals I spoke to this week reminded me, this is the community's money, and so it's vital that the community provide the ideas and the applications for how it must be spent.
For further information: https://www.nsw.gov.au/port-kembla-community-investment-fund
Adam Zarth is the Executive Director of the Illawarra Business Chamber and Illawarra First.
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