Labor under pressure to fund Newcastle container terminal

Looking for support: It is estimated the container terminal would attract $1.8 billion of private investment and generate more than 19,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Hunter.

The federal government has labelled the Morrison government's plans to spend $250million to establish a container terminal at the port of Newcastle as a "cruel hoax", as it comes under pressure to financially support the project.

Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development minister Catherine King was briefed on the project last week.