Port of Brisbane facts for kids

Port of Brisbane Brisbane, Queensland
Fisherman Island and the Port of Brisbane from space
Postcode:	4178
Location:	22 km (14 mi) from Brisbane GPO
LGA:	City of Brisbane (Wynnum Manly Ward)
State District:	Electoral district of Lytton
Federal Division:	Division of Bonner
Suburbs around Port of Brisbane: Bramble Bay Moreton Bay Moreton Bay Pinkenba Port of Brisbane St Helena Island Pinkenba Lytton Green Island

Port of Brisbane is the shipping port and suburb of Brisbane, on the east coast of Queensland, Australia. It is located in the lower reaches of the Brisbane River on Fisherman Island, an artificial island reclaimed from the smaller Fisherman Islands group at the mouth of the river. It currently is the third busiest port in Australia and the nation's fastest growing container port. It includes the main shipping channel across Moreton Bay which extends 90 kilometres (56 mi) north to Mooloolaba and is dredged to maintain a depth fourteen metres at the lowest tide.

Queensland's next two largest ports are the Port of Gladstone and the Port of Townsville.

According to the former Queensland Department of Primary Industries the Port of Brisbane was the most likely entry point of the South American fire ant to Australia.

About 60% of the coal transported through the port originates from the New Acland Mine.

Facilities

View from Pinkenba, 2015

View from Redcliffe, 2016

The port is managed by the Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd (PBPL) under a 99-year lease from the Queensland Government. The Port of Brisbane has 29 operating berths including nine deep-water container berths and three deep-water bulk berths as well as 17 bulk and general cargo berths. In total the port facilitates more than 2,600 ships each year and transports more than 28 million tonnes of cargo each year.

There are two cruise ship wharves for Brisbane, with differing facilities. Portside Wharf was completed in 2006 and is an international standard facility for cruise liners, offering restaurants, coffee shops, gift shops, and more. However, due to the height restrictions of the Gateway Bridge, the larger oceangoing cruise liners must dock further down the river at the more industrial standard Multi User Terminal at the Port of Brisbane. Multi User Terminal is managed by the Port of Brisbane.

The port accommodates a visitors centre and in 2005 a shorebird roost was constructed. The bird roost is the largest site built specifically for migratory shorebirds on the east coast of Australia.

Dredging

Deposits of silt and sediment in the ports channels and berths have caused delays of up to five days in the delivery of cargo including oil supplies. This has occurred in 2011, 2013 and 2014. Millions of dollars is spent on dredging annually.

Transport links

The Port of Brisbane Motorway is a short road linking the Gateway Motorway to the Port of Brisbane.

In 1980, the narrow gauge (1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)) Fisherman Islands line was opened between the port and a junction near Lindum on the Cleveland line. This was converted to dual 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+¹⁄₂ in) / 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge in 1997 under the Keating Government's One Nation program.

Expansion

Berth	Year opened	Length	Usage	Occupier
9	-	317	containers	Patrick Corporation
10	2009	372	containers	Patrick Corporation
11	2012	350	containers	Hutchinson Ports Australia
12	2014	310	containers	Hutchinson Ports Australia

The Port of Brisbane is currently under a large upgrade and extension spending A$50 million on infrastructure and a further A$100 million on equipment including over 25 automated straddle carriers owned by Patrick Corporation.

In January 2008, Port of Brisbane Corporation signed an agreement with Brisbane Container Terminals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hutchison Port Holdings, subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa, which Hutchison will operate berths 11 and 12 for 42 years.