port hedland defies claims mining is declining

Port defies claims mining is declining


ABC Rural
By Stephen Stockwell

Posted 5 hours 31 minutes ago

Horizontal crane pumping ore into ship in Pilbara Photo: Iron ore being loaded into a bulk carrier moored at the Port Hedland port. (Stephen Stockwell)

Audio: John Finch from the port explains the record (ABC Rural)

Map: Port Hedland 6721
Claims the mining industry is slowing aren't being reflected at Australia's biggest iron ore port.

Instead, Port Hedland, in north-west Western Australia, posted a 17 per cent rise in exports over the last 12 months.

The port exported over 280 million tonnes of iron ore last financial year, up by 40 million tonnes on the year before.

John Finch, the Port Hedland Port Authority's general manager of operations, says the exports don't show any sign of slowing.

"We're expecting further targets, uptrends for the next year and we're forecasting about 320 million tonnes of port throughput for the 2013/ 2014 financial year."

Mr Finch says demand from port users continues to rise.

"We're still fielding a lot of enquiry for demand. Not only have we got the large iron ore players BHP and FMG in the port at the moment, but we've got Hancock Prospecting and the North-West Infrastructure Group planning their new developments for the next few years ahead as well."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-03/nrn-port-hedland-record/4795838