PORT of Newcastle (PON) declined to comment to the Newcastle Herald when asked about an industrial subdivision approved by City of Newcastle council next to the port's container terminal site ("Jobs bonanza for $225 million project", Herald 17/10).
The decision to develop a container terminal now relies on the state extinguishing the container penalty. Any amount paid to extinguish this penalty must be sufficient to cover the cost of NSW paying NSW Ports for containers handled above the unlegislated cap at the Port of Newcastle; otherwise, the taxpayer picks up the difference.
