Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

One industry in Australia that is strong at the moment is the mining industry, and one commodity that is particularly strong as part of the mining industry is coal. Coal prices have increased very considerably in Australia, but notwithstanding increased demand and increased prices we are having the difficulty of getting volumes of exports up. This is going to the heart of Australia’s national income and to the heart of our trade performance.

The particular port in Australia that is our largest coal exporting port is Dalrymple Bay in Queensland. The bottleneck at this port is costing mining companies $1 billion a year, threatening hundreds of jobs and risking exports as more than 50 ships sit off Dalrymple Bay waiting to be loaded.

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