Darwin Port

[Black Orchid]

A Labor MP has become the first federal politician to call for the controversial Chinese lease on Darwin Port to be scrapped, so it can be placed back into Australian control.

South Australian backbencher Nick Champion is leading the charge to "nationalise" the strategic northern access point, but the ABC has spoken to others across the political divide who share his concerns.

"I think there was not enough consideration of the national interest in that particular privatisation of this port," Mr Champion told the ABC.

In 2015, the Northern Territory Government announced Chinese company Landbridge had been awarded a 99-year lease of Darwin port in a $500 million deal.

Concerns over Beijing's steady military build-up in the Indo-Pacific region have since prompted renewed concerns about the foreign ownership of Australia's northern-most port.

At top-level talks in Sydney over the weekend, the Australian Government again joined the United States in expressing alarm over reports China is moving to establish a new military base in a Cambodian port.

Mr Champion, who is the deputy chair of Federal Parliament's Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee, believes the Commonwealth should now consider buying Darwin Port back.

"It's a very important port because we have significant defence facilities in the Northern Territory and that's the part of the world I guess we have to pay a great deal of attention to," he said.

"We should look pretty clearly at making sure that that port is in government hands, and it's for those reasons I think it should be nationalised."

The ABC has spoken to several MPs on both sides of politics who privately share concerns about Darwin Port's foreign ownership, but unlike Mr Champion, they are not yet prepared to go public.

"His concerns are spot on, but right now Beijing holds some pretty powerful economic levers against Australia, so any move that could annoy the Chinese Government is pretty dangerous," one Coalition MP told the ABC.

Mr Champion has, however, rejected suggestions that moving to nationalise Darwin Port would unnecessarily anger Australia's largest trading partner.

"Given that we're entering into really the most uncertain strategic environment since the 1930s that we should be prudent, that we should be rational and the best way to be prudent and rational is to bring it into government hands".

Neil James from the Australia Defence Association has welcomed the renewed focus on the foreign ownership of Darwin Port.

"It just goes to show how sensible people grasp the sovereignty and security implications," he said.

"The idea of nationalising it is a good one — but it may be better to spend the money on purpose-designed facilities elsewhere."

The ABC revealed in June that secret talks had begun on a new port facility just outside Darwin, which could eventually help US Marines operate more readily in the Indo-Pacific, but the Defence Department has consistently denied involvement in any such proposal.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-05/ ... t/11382422

So buy back Darwin Port or build a new one? Either way the NT Government should be held to account.

[cods]

its only a lease....

its money in our govts BAnk...

they can always be thrown out at the drop of a hat..

[Black Orchid]

The Chinese can do a lot in 99 years Cods and it's not money in 'our government's bank'. NT government frittered the money away almost immediately. I agree it can be taken back and that would be extremely messy but the point is the NT government should never have been able to do this without federal approval or without PUBLIC approval.

This needs to be fixed and set as an example. Port Darwin is strategically important for our whole nations safety and security. So what if the NT got a few dollars in kickbacks to waste up there?

[cods]

seriously BO I doubt any State can just lease land to a foreign country without any input from the feds..

first America now Chinese....

I dont know how we can find out but it doesnt sound reasonable to me....


every land lease has 99 years on it ........

[Black Orchid]

seriously BO I doubt any State can just lease land to a foreign country without any input from the feds..

From everything I have read that is exactly what they did.

[brian ross]

The Northern Territory Government did get federal government approval. Indeed, the Department of Defence even commented on it, pointing out that it was not concerned by the lease. Some people however are quite, well strange about the Chinese investing in Australian property. Joh Bjelke-Petersen once remarked that the Japanese couldn't put the land they were investing in Queensland in their back pocket and take it home with them. Same applies to the British, the Americans, the Chinese or anybody else who decides that Australia is a good investment. Some people are just Xenophobic. All the Chinese can do is actually development Darwin's commercial port better than what it is at the moment. Anything else would be foolish and make them a loss on the deal.

[Black Orchid]

No-one thinks they are going to take it home for crying out loud.

[brian ross]

No-one thinks they are going to take it home for crying out loud.

So why then are you crying about it, Black Orchid?

Oh, 'cause it is the Chinese doing it, right? Sinophobe.

[Black Orchid]

No-one thinks they are going to take it home for crying out loud.

So why then are you crying about it, Black Orchid?

Oh, 'cause it is the Chinese doing it, right? Sinophobe.

Brian you are nothing but a ...

[brian ross]

No-one thinks they are going to take it home for crying out loud.

So why then are you crying about it, Black Orchid?

Oh, 'cause it is the Chinese doing it, right? Sinophobe.

Brian you are nothing but a ...

A person who asks difficult questions. Right?

So, why are you crying about it, Black Orchid?

You claim you're not worried about the Chinese taking Darwin Port home in their back pockets.

You seem to be inferring there is some other reason. So what is it?