So, the man who helped lease the port to Landbridge then went to work for Landbridge, and was involved in selling the 20 per cent stake, which the new NT Government ended up taking over in 2017 for no cost. He says that, even if the sale took some federal ministers by surprise, If it had been handled intelligently, they would have said, 'Hang on, let's pause and we will have a look at this'". How long is the lease on the Port of Darwin? "It's quite possible many decades in the future if there is a serious war, where this becomes a serious problem for us, people will wonder whether the decision wasn't just a stupid one, but whether the people doing it hadn't looked seriously at the concept and laws surrounding treachery.". "In a serious crisis, the last thing you would want to do is escalate it by taking the port back by the private lessee, if the private lessee is from a country that is very likely to be causing the strategic crisis in the first place. Adam Giles's government made little secret of its intention to lease the port of Darwin. It has also worked with state-owned companies like China National Petroleum Corporation, which supplies oil to Landbridge and allows it to sell fuel at retail pumps. Fact Check made in partnership with RMIT University, IFCN Fact-Checkers' Code of Principles Signatory. To join the conversation, please Landbridge group He notes laws are now in place to permit the Commonwealth to intervene on the basis of national security concerns. But for years, the Federal Government didn't see its potential or at least not enough to invest in it. THE Federal Government failed to properly assess the Chinese-owned company leasing the Darwin Port before signing off on the deal, the head of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute claims. Which government sold the port of Newcastle? Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia 2K followers 500+ connections Join to view profile City of Palmerston. Landbridge Industry Australia is a subsidiary of Shandong Landbridge Group, which has interests in port logistics, petrochemicals, timber and real estate development in China. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The Morrison government has asked the Department of Defence to review the Northern Territory's 99-year-lease of the Port of Darwin to the Chinese-owned company Landbridg e - a deal that has unsettled national security figures in the federal government since it was signed six years ago. Which government sold port of Darwin? The Port of Darwin was controversially leased by the Giles government in 2015, to Chinese company Landbridge. Southern contestants on Millionaire Hot Seat don't typically get questions about Darwin correct. The City of Palmerston is a local government area of the Northern Territory of Australia. According to an announcement by the NT government in October 2015, the Darwin Port was leased for 99 years to the Landbridge Group, a private company based in Rizhao city in eastern Chinas Shandong province. What happens if 2 teams finish on the same points in La Liga? Anthony Albanese has flown to Victoria to start campaigning for an upcoming by-election where hes already made a big prediction. In October 2015, the Northern Territory government, led by the Country Liberal Party, solda 99-year leaseover land and operations of the Port of Darwin for $506 million toLandbridge Group, the Australian subsidiary of a Shandong-based energy and infrastructure group owned byChinese billionaire Ye Cheng. However, this has always required assistance from the federal government and a significant, coordinated effort among state, federal, and local governments. (Landbridge Darwin Port/Handout via Xinhua) LOCAL RECOGNITION According to an announcement by the NT government in October 2015, the Darwin Port was leased for 99 years to the Landbridge Group, a private company based in Rizhao city in eastern China's Shandong province. ABC News, March 12, 2019, ABC News, Chinese company Landbridge to operate Darwin port under $506m 99-year lease deal, October 13, 2015, Helen Davidson, Chinese company secures 99-year lease of Darwin port in $506m deal, The Guardian, October 13, 2015, Katherine Murphy, Malcolm Turnbull shrugs off US concern over Darwin port lease to Chinese firm | Australian politics, November 19, 2015, Anthony Galloway, Port of Darwin's Chinese ownership under review by Department of Defence, The Age/Sydney Morning Herald, May 2, 2021, Joe Kelly, Defence ticks Chinese lease of Darwin Port, The Australian, December 28, 2021, Andrew Greene, China's grip on Darwin Port looks shaky as Australia grapples with regional security changes, ABC News, May 4, 2021, Francis Keany, Port of Darwin: Malcolm Turnbull plays down Barack Obama's concerns over lease to Chinese company, ABC News, November 19, 2015, Tom Lowrey, Federal Government asks for advice on controversial Darwin port lease to China, ABC News, May 3, 2021, Andrew Tillett, Port of Darwin's Chinese owner suffers double blow, AFR, July 5, 2021, Primrose Riordan, Dennis Richardson regrets 'oversight' on Darwin port lease, AFR, December 15, 2015, Susan McDonald, Matthew Doran, Andrew Greene, Port of Darwin: Concerns about lease to Chinese company 'alarmist' and 'absurd', says Defence Secretary Dennis Richardson, ABC News, December 15, 2015, Helen Davidson, Darwin port deal with Chinese group poses no threat, says defence official, The Guardian, December 15, 2015, Eliza Borrello, Andrew Robb blames former Coalition leaders for toxic' relationship with China, ABC Radio AM, March 12, 2019, Gabrielle Chan, Foreign investment: Joyce says Robb has questions to answer on Landbridge role, The Guardian, June 7, 2017, Paul Kelly, Darwin Port a test for China policy, The Australian, May 8, 2021, Brendan Nicholson, Final say for ADF in China port lease in Darwin, The Australian, November 18, 2015, Peter Jennings, Darwin: storm in a port, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, November 6, 2015, Peter Jennings, Time to end China's lease on the Port of Darwin, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, May 4, 2021, Geoff Wade, Landbridge, Darwin and the PRC, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, November 9, 2015, Luke Gosling, Port of Darwin Review Welcome, But Tread With Care Australian Institute of International Affairs, May 13, 2021, David Moore and Melissa Lai, All foreign investors now need FIRB clearance to acquire critical state-owned infrastructure, Minter Ellison, March 17, 2016, Foreign Investment Review Board, Annual Report 2015-16, Senate Economics References Committee, Foreign investment review framework, Final report April 8, 2016, Senate Economic References Committee, Public hearings: 15 December, 2015; 10 March, 2016, Senate Economic References Committee, Submissions received from the Treasury, Department of Defence, Attorney-General's Department and Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation, Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975, Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Regulations 1975, Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018, Department of Home Affairs, Protecting Critical Infrastructure and Systems of National Significance, US military asset to be linked to controversial Port of Darwin via fuel pipeline, All parties should heed ASIO warning against national security weaponisation, Liberal senator says, China behind foiled attempt to bankroll federal election candidates, Rare sighting of bird 'like Beyonce, Prince and Elvis all turning up at once', 'What else is down there?' That team included director of major projects Ann Tan; Tourism NT chief executive Alastair Shields, then under-treasurer Jodie Ryan, head public servant Gary Barnes, former Queensland head public servant Jon Grayson and John Watkinson, who sat on the Port Corporation's board. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Under questioning by Senator Nick Xenaphon during a parliamentary hearing into the ports lease, ASPI executive director Peter Jennings said he did not believe proper due-diligence was done. Is paralegal higher than legal assistant? He has since beensharply criticalof his former Coalition colleagues and Australia's security agencies, arguing they had fostered "toxic" anti-China sentiment. China Investment Corp. is part of a consortium that bought the Port of Melbourne in 2016. He says Mr Morrison's claim is false and amounts to "language chopping and logic chopping". document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 FAQS Clear - All Rights Reserved Your email address will not be published. The answer was Darwin. The issue was raised in 2017, when reports surfaced that Landbridge was trying to use the port as collateral for a loan, given its failing cash revenues. While the word "authority" could suggest the narrow reading, later in the same media conference Mr Morrison also used the word "power". "This is an alarmingly simplistic argument," he said. "It was a seriously dumb idea by a government that really hadn't thought through the consequences, and even if it had, was prepared to ignore the long-term costs, both financial and strategic, they were inflicting on the rest of the country. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Stokes Hill Wharf operated as the main location of Port Darwin, and has had three wharves. "It specifically recognises contingencies and defence's rights in the event of contingencies. For years, the NT had lobbied the Commonwealth to invest millions in developing the rinky-dink Darwin Port that was only turning over a few million dollars annually in cattle, mining and gas interests. In a broad sense, it could be taken as referring to the government's ability or power to find a way to stop the deal proceeding. He quit parliament at the July 2016 election, and almost immediatelyaccepted a job as an adviser to Langbridge. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. ", At the same press conference, he said: "[T]he Australian government did not authorise it, did not approve it, did not have the power to approve it.". The rules were ultimately changed to not let this happen again. In 2016, Port of Melbourne Operations Pty Ltd was awarded a 50-year lease of the Port of Melbourne by the Victorian Government. . Yet the federal government in 2015 did not, apparently, exert any political pressure over the Northern Territory to try to sway its decision. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The Adelaide-Darwin railway line is a railway line in Australia, between the South Australian town of Tarcoola and the Northern Territory city of Darwin. That raises questions about whether the federal government, knowing the deal was being negotiated, could have fixed the problem before it was finalised in October 2015. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Michael Buble Melbourne 08 Dec 2022 Tickets. How do you write a good story in Smash Bros screening? "The easiest way to avoid this problem is to not do the lease in the first place.". There is some ambiguity to Mr Morrison's claim. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Darwin, the Australian gateway to Asia, is located in the tropical north of Australia. "That's a long way of saying, if the defence/military found a valid reason that the Port of Darwin [deal] was contrary to our defence interests, then parliament could make a law preventing such a transaction occurring or giving a power to the Commonwealth government to be able to take action.". According to an announcement by the NT government in October 2015, the Darwin Port was leased for 99 years to the Landbridge Group, a private company based in Rizhao city in eastern China's Shandong province. Airport Development Group Pty Ltd The NT government never commented on the move. What is the benefits of aloe vera flower? But Mr James said there were other risks, including China's operations in the South China Sea and how Australia's strategic power to respond has been put at risk through the lease of the port. How many biogeographical classification of India. The port has operated in a number of locations, including Stokes Hill Wharf, Cullen Bay and East Arm Wharf. Contact Us for better cruising. The port of Darwin was leased to the private Chinese company, Landbridge in 2015. Using the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) measure of total agricultural land area in Australia, the . Treasury's January 2016 submission to the committee said it was aware early in the process that the lease of the Port of Darwin to private foreign investors could be exempt from the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975, depending on how the Northern Territory Government chose to structure the lease. A range of options for the future of the port, which was sold to Chinese government-owned Landbridge group in 2015 for $506 million, have been canvassed in recent months. The Federal Government has ordered a review of Chinese company Landbridge's 99-year lease over the Port of Darwin. The then Country Liberal-controlled Northern Territory Government under then Chief Minister Adam Giles granted the company a 99-year lease for A$506 million. ", "How the sale of Darwin port to the Chinese sparked a geopolitical brawl", "Chinese Port Lease Near U.S. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. A couple of questions have been raised over how the deal was executed. Most acquisitions or investments in Australia by foreign individuals or entities must be vetted by theForeign Investment Review Board, which advises the Treasurer if the deal may be contrary to the national interest'. how to check recipient account number in xoom; twilight wedding packages manchester The Port of Darwin came into the frame after Foreign Minister Marise Payne cancelled two Victorian government agreements with China that were under that country's Belt and Road Initiative.. which government sold the port of darwin. In an interview in Beijing in 2016, Mr Ye said the Darwin Port investment fit the company's strategy to expand its shipping and energy interests and served China's foreign policy goal known as One Belt, One Road an initiative the Australian Commonwealth has still not signed up to, citing security concerns raised by intelligence agencies. Mr Richardsontold The Australianin November 2015 that the defence department had examined the matter "thoroughly" and it was "amateur hour" to suggest the Chinese would use the lease as a cover to spy on naval vessels. "The Commonwealth government enjoys enormous economic, political and legal powers with respect to almost everything. 5 The Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978 established the Northern Territory as a body politic under the Crown, with responsibility for most state-type functions. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Dredging crews uncover waste in seemingly clear waterways, Emily was studying law when she had to go to court. More recently, Mr Turnbull took a different view. How will Australia meet its 2030 emissions reduction target? Asked recently about the Darwin port transaction, Mr Morrison claimed: "There was no authority for the federal government to reject, approve anything in relation to the leasing of that asset. He said the Defence Department and other authorities spent months assessing the proposal. You can review this standard and your rights under it Here. Some sources stated that the bid from the Landbridge group was the highest by a significant margin, while others stated that two bids, one from a European company and the second from an Australian were comparable. FIRB chairman Brian Wilson told the committee he had become aware of the deal in late 2014 and asked for a response from Defence and intelligence agencies a few times in 2015, but was repeatedly told that Defence had no issue with the deal. However, the site is adjacent to the established Vopak terminal, the largest fuel storage facility in the Northern Territory. the Commonwealth of Australia Spurgeon. The Foreign Investment Review Board determined in 2015 that it had no authority to examine the Darwin port deal because it fell under exemption provisions of the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 at that time. Either way, it doesn't add up, Mr James said. Copyright 2023 Fdotstokes.com Powered by Customify. Anthony Albanese has been asked to weigh in on fresh claims about a leadership contest that could have cost him the top job. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Mr Jennings said he believed only a minimal assessment of the company was carried out. The Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act of 1978 established the Northern Territory as a self-governing entity. Don't have an account? similarities between praying mantis and grasshopper . During the election campaign, Albanese blasted the 2015 decision to lease the port for 99 years to Landbridge for $506 million. The trio had met when Darwin took a five-year voyage around the globe, observing geology around the world. PsychoKlown 10 yr. ago. S65 - notice of closed waters and authorisation Port of Darwin, Bladin Point PDF (89.5 KB) Regional harbourmaster's direction for under keel clearance requirements DOCX (71.0 KB) Regional harbourmaster's direction for under keel clearance requirements PDF (165.6 KB)
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