Tasmania’s forestry export capacity is set to receive a boost, new Infrastructure Minister Kerry Vincent says, with a $15 million investment in a new ship loader for the Port of Bell Bay.
The project will support the state’s $1.2 billion forestry industry and the more than 3,000 jobs it creates.
The new loader will enable faster and more efficient loading of larger vessels that now regularly visit Bell Bay, ensuring smoother operations and reduced wait times.
It will also feature advanced automation, increased capacity and improved biosecurity measures, including an automatic chip sampler that will replace the current manual sampling process.
The investment follows the recent completion of an $82 million project to replace the minerals ship loader at the Port of Burnie.
“The present one [from] 1992 is due for replacement and during next year, tenders will go out for the construction of the new ship loader,” Vincent said.
“During 2026, it will be commissioned and put in place and that will allow for much more efficient loading of the wood chips here at Bell Bay.”
Tasmanian Forest Products Association chief executive Nick Steel welcomed the project, describing it as long overdue.
“For years, the TFPA has been pushing for the construction of the new loader. In fact, we started lobbying for its construction as part of our 2021 state budget submission,” he said.
“Forestry relies on the state’s main ports, as they are essential in receiving and sending forest and wood products to interstate and overseas markets.”
“There is huge demand for Tasmania’s sustainable and responsibly sourced forest products, including our wood chips.”
