A new South Australian port could export up to 360,000 tonnes of grain during its first full harvest season
The South Australian government has officially opened the Port of Narungga, a new port with the capacity to process up to half a million tonnes of grain annually.
Built near the existing Wallaroo Port on the west of the Yorke Peninsula, the new port will offer a boost to the state’s agricultural export options and employment across the region.
The first full harvest season could see the Port of Narungga export up to 360,000 tonnes of grain, the SA government says, while supporting hundreds of growers from across the Yorke Peninsula.
Employment at the facility will vary seasonally, however it is expected up to 100 jobs will be supported during peak harvest and export seasons.
“South Australia exports about 90 per cent of its grain via port facilities and as a key producer of wheat, barley and canola, it is important that we have efficient, large-scale port infrastructure to allow us to trade on a global market,” South Australia’s minister for infrastructure and transport Tom Koutsantonis says.
“This new port has the capacity to process up to 500,000 tonnes of grain every year.”
Grain will be transferred from a smaller barge vessel to larger ships offshore, utilising the transhipment method, making for a streamlined process that offers farmers another option at harvest time.
Wallaroo Harbour has been divided into two sections – the Flinders Ports-operated Wallaroo Harbour and the new T-Ports-operated Narungga Harbour – to ensure safe and efficient operations.
T-Ports also operate from a grain facility out of the Port of Lucky Bay, on the eastern side of the Eyre Peninsula.
The Port of Narungga has been named after the traditional custodians of the area, the Narungga people, and is the first time a harbour and a port in Australia have been named in honour of traditional custodians of sea and land.