Glebe Island port closure will be a disaster for Sydney

Hundreds of trucks will pollute Sydney’s roads and motorways if the NSW Government shuts down Glebe Island port and makes the cement industry send its materials by road from Newcastle or Port Kembla.

Sydney can expect another 230 trucks per day to choke its roads and motorways if the NSW Government robs the cement industry of the Harbour City’s last working port.

Cement Australia CEO Rob Davies has sounded the warning and says home construction costs will also escalate due to increased freight costs if the Glebe Island operations are shut down to build high-rise apartments on the site.

The state government continues to deliberate on the future of the historic facility as an alliance of industries reliant on Glebe Island argue the impacts on Sydney will be disastrous if the port is scuttled.

Davies said a litany of facts were available that should make the decision a no brainer to keep the port in operation.

According to Cement Australia, there are currently 500,000 tonnes of cement and associated products landed by ship to Glebe Island each year.

By 2030 it is expected to be 1.2 million tonnes.

Adelie ship Vessel Adelie ports at Glebe island as it unloads construction material brought from South Australian. Picture Thomas Lisson

Materials arrive via cement carrier ships which currently berth on average once every 16 days. By 2030, it will likely be one ship every six days.

Silos at Glebe Island also allow for 65,000 tonnes to be stored while awaiting distribution, with 85 per cent of the cement volume coming into the port being sent to sites within 20km of the inner-city docks.

The Glebe Island arrivals account more broadly for 40 per cent of all cement required for Sydney construction projects.

A government review is considering whether Newcastle or Port Kembla ports are suitable alternatives if Glebe Island is closed and high-density residential built near to a Bays metro station planned for opening in 2032.

Newcastle port is almost 180km from Glebe Island. Port Kembla is a 125km trip.

Cement Australia say moving their product by road from either of those ports will generate an extra 230 truck movements per day.

“At the moment it’s low level impact bringing in cement by sea, while allowing us to support renewal and growth of infrastructure and residential construction,” Davies said.

Glebe Island Silo Terminals Operation Lead Olufemi Adeyemi at the top of Glebe island cement silos. Picture: Thomas Lisson

“If the port closes it will significantly increase congestion on the roads and send the cost of construction materials even higher at a time when the price of houses already has them out of reach for a lot of people. You will also see carbon emissions increase as well.

“This notion that Newcastle and Port Kembla are solutions does not take all that into account. Nor does it consider that Newcastle has issues already. We have a ship waiting 18 days to get into Newcastle and discharge cement for the Hunter Valley.”

Business Sydney is also a member of the Working Port Coalition, with Executive Director Paul Nicolau saying: “We are literally in the process of building a world city and Sydney’s need is huge for the cement and associated products landed at Glebe Island.

Materials arrive via cement carrier ships which currently berth on average once every 16 days. Picture Thomas Lisson

“Closing the last section of Sydney’s working harbour would have a devastating impact.

“Sydney can’t afford to have such an incredible handbrake applied to its economic development and it’s why Business Sydney is part of the coalition urging the Minns Government to retain Glebe Island as a working port.”

The alliance of 24 organisations also includes the likes of Housing Industry Association, Sugar Australia, Business Sydney, Sydney Fish Market, Tourism & Transport Forum, NRMA, Super Yacht Australia and Carnival Corporation.

Individual members of the alliance have been consulting with government for the past two months.

Originally published as Glebe Island port closure will be a disaster for Sydney