"Recent News Headlines involving Port Kembla Harbour and/or the Environment"

Our Vision, Mission and Objectives Members

Australia is an isolated island continent with a long coastline. So naturally, shipping and ports constitute a major use of its coastal waters.  The marine transport industry is probably worth more in economic terms than any other use, including fishing and tourism.  Each year there are around 12,000 overseas shipping calls to Australian ports, and around 350 million tonnes of freight is carried.  In terms of tonnage carried and distance travelled, Australia ranks as the fifth ­largest user of shipping in the world.

Shipping and port operations present significant potential for environmental impacts to the marine environment.  For example, over 2,000 large ships transit the sensitive Inner Route of the Great Barrier Reef each year, and around 1,800 use Torres Strait.  Shipping generates several sources of 'operational' pollution, including potentially contaminated ballast water, sewage, garbage and waste oil, and presents the potential for accidental spillage of fuel oil and hazardous cargoes such as oil and other chemicals.  In addition effects such as propeller­wash suspension of bottom sediments may cause deleterious environmental impacts.

Ports are amongst the most polluted areas in Australia.  The impacts of port operations include disturbance and transport of marine sediments from dredging and dredge-spoil disposal operations, physical alteration of the coastal environment from port expansion and generation of chemical pollution.

Under the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, ships have the right of 'innocent passage' (i.e. not prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal state) across territorial and international waters.  International conventions have been established to ensure these ships do not pollute the international or territorial waters.

Business and population growth since World War II has increased urban coastal development and brought about a corresponding rise in coastal pollution and environmental degradation. By the end of the 20th century, over 75% of the Australian population resided and worked in coastal areas. Stress from concentrated population has degraded or threatens to degrade many coastal environments.  Coastal communities are being called upon to review past and current practices that are out of sync with natural systems and processes.

Residents, businesses and government agencies depend on research and outreach for sound science-based solutions to many urban port and coastline problems. Port Kembla Harbour fits into this category, and we have responded by focusing on environmental quality, pollution, habitat loss, introduced species, coastal erosion and sedimentation. This research is particularly important for heavily used harbours like Port Kembla.

What do we do?

The Port Kembla Harbour Environmental Group has been has met regularly since 1990.  The Group is comprised of representatives from the local community as well as  industry surrounding the port including BHP Steel, Port Kembla Coal Terminal, Graincorp, Sydney Water, Incitec, Metal Manufacturing, Port Kembla Copper, Port Kembla Port Corporation, Wollongong County Council, University of Wollongong,  and the Environment Protection Authority.  

The Group's main thrust has been to promote and improve the environment in and around the Harbour.  A large number of significant improvements have been made in the management of wastewater streams, air and land pollution since the Group's inception, however these have not been well documented.

The Port Kembla Harbour Environmental Group’s Website presents the first substantive effort to fully document information on the status of the harbour and its surrounding environment. It provides a firm basis for providing educational information to the community, as well as providing a basis for planning and prioritising environmental activities that are needed to further improve this important area of the Illawarra region.