An elected Dutton Coalition Government will act in the national interest to immediately secure the Port of Darwin by facilitating the return of the Port to an Australian Government-approved operator.
In the current geopolitical environment, it is vital that this piece of critical infrastructure, which is directly opposite to the Larrakeyah Defence Precinct, is operated by a trusted, Commonwealth approved entity.
We will appoint a specialist commercial adviser to work with the Northern Territory Government and officials from the Departments of Treasury, Finance, Defence and Infrastructure to provide advice and engage with potential new operators of the Port.
The Port of Darwin is defined as a critical infrastructure asset under the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018, which was introduced by the Coalition. As such, any action involving foreign investment requires formal Commonwealth approval.
A Dutton Coalition Government would not permit the lease of the Port to any entity that is directly or indirectly controlled by a foreign government, including any state-owned enterprise or sovereign wealth fund.
If a private lease cannot be facilitated within six months of the process commencing, as a last resort, we will act to acquire the lease interest in the Port using the Commonwealth's compulsory acquisition powers. Under this course of action, the Australian Government would compensate Landbridge Group.
The Albanese Labor Government has continued to create uncertainty regarding this important national asset, tip-toeing around the issue while refusing to take concrete action.
Only a Coalition Government will end the uncertainty regarding the Port of Darwin once and for all.
