| Port Darwin | |
|---|---|
.jpg) East Arm Port facilities | |
 Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Darwin, Northern Territory |
| Coordinates | 12°28′15″S130°50′54″E / 12.4708°S 130.8483°E /-12.4708; 130.8483 |
| Details | |
| Operated by | Darwin Port Operations |
| Type ofharbour | Coastal natural |
| No. ofberths | 5 |
| No. ofwharfs | 4 |
| Statistics | |
| Website https://www.darwinport.com.au/ | |
Port Darwin is theport inDarwin, Northern Territory, and is the most northerly port in Australia. The port has operated in a number of locations, includingStokes Hill Wharf,Cullen Bay, and East Arm Wharf.
Since 2015, the port has been controlled by the Chinese-owned Landbridge Group, having been granted a 99-year lease by the federal and territory governments. The transaction has since ignited significant national security concerns and political controversy, with considerable bipartisan appetite to return the port to Australian ownership.[1]
Stokes Hill Wharf operated as the main location of Port Darwin, and has had three wharves.
East Arm Wharf opened in 2000.Panamax sized ships of a maximum length of 274 metres and aDWT of up to 80,000tonnes are able to use the location.[2]
Following the 2012 election of theCountry Liberal party, the Territory sought to raise funds for unspecified purposes through the sale of public assets, including the Territory Insurance Office and Darwin Port.[3] In order to accomplish the latter, the Territory made a request for expressions of interest in late 2014 and early 2015, resulting in thirty-three companies signalling their interest.[4][5]
In October 2015, the Chinese-owned Landbridge Group won the bid for a lease of Port Darwin.[6] The then Country Liberal-controlledNorthern Territory Government under then Chief MinisterAdam Giles granted the company a 99-year lease for $506 million.[7][8] The contract price was more than 25 times the profit the port had earned over the preceding two years, and Landbridge also promised to invest $200 million over a 25-year period.[9] Shandong Landbridge Group is a privately held company with headquarters in the city ofRizhao,Shandong Province, China, which is owned by Ye Cheng, a billionaire with close ties to theChinese Communist Party.[9][10][11]
The details of the unsuccessful bids were not disclosed, with the government citing commercial-in-confidence reasons, but sources conflicted over the nature of these bids. Some sources stated that the bid from the Landbridge Group was the highest by a significant margin, while others stated that two bids, one from a European company and another from an Australian company, were comparable.[4] It was hoped that Landbridge's bid would result in newtrade routes opening up for the Territory's cattle, mining, and gas industries.[12]
Concerns have been expressed over this leasing arrangement due its strategic significance as part of China'sBelt and Road Initiative.[13][14][15][16][17] Concerns have also been expressed over the proximity of the port to a base whereUnited States Marines are stationed on a rotational basis and to theDarwin International Airport, which is used jointly for military and civilian purposes.[9][18]
In June 2019, development of a port atGlyde Point, 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Port Darwin, to be utilised by both military and commercial interests, was suggested as a 'counterbalance' by FederalLiberal Party MP and chair of theParliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and SecurityAndrew Hastie.[19]
In August 2019, a proposal was launched by FederalLabor MPNick Champion to re-nationalise the port, thereby ending Chinese control.[20]
A 2021 review of the leasing arrangements found there were nonational security grounds to overturn the lease.[21] In October 2023, the federal government announced it would not cancel Landbridge's lease after another review.[21] The announcement brought to an end to an eight-year saga regarding Chinese control of the port.[21]
During the2025 Australian federal election campaign, both theCoalition and theAustralian Labor Party pledged to return the port to Australian ownership if elected.[22][23]
Australian cruise terminals | ||
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| New South Wales |
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| Northern Territory |
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| Queensland |
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| South Australia |
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| Tasmania |
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| Victoria |
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12°28′15″S130°50′54″E / 12.47083°S 130.84833°E /-12.47083; 130.84833
