Category: Foreign Trade

WHEN Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took his full ministry to Port Hedland in February, the focus was on the importance of the resources sector. It was an opportunity for Mr Albanese and his east coast colleagues to see first-hand the enormous scale of iron ore export operations from the port. Port Hedland Mayor Peter Carter had a more complex agenda. “We have always maintained that Port Hedland is an economic powerhouse for our nation, but we also face numerous challenges as we try to prosper as a community,” Mr Carter said. Mr Carter welcomed the prime minister’s announcement that $565 million would be invested into Pilbara ports but said this needed to be supported by investment in social infrastructure. “The state and nation need a thriving port to drive our economy, but the port also needs a thriving Hedland to succeed,” Mr Carter said.