West Australian Business Eyes Darwin Port Bid for Aussie Ownership
Synopsis
West Australian marine infrastructure business is seriously considering placing a bid for Darwin port, currently leased to the Chinese Company Landbridge. The interest in investing in the port comes as the federal government looks…
West Australian marine infrastructure business is seriously considering placing a bid for Darwin port, currently leased to the Chinese Company Landbridge. The interest in investing in the port comes as the federal government looks to return control of the port to Australian hands, which is the key election promise made by both major parties.
Australian Company Signals Serious Interest
Andrew Natta, the founder of Broome’s two $500 million Kimberly Marine Support Base and Onslow Marine Support Base, confirmed that his business is evaluating a potential bid. The two projects, running as separate entities, share Natta as a confounder and have overlapping investors.
“If you look at what our business has done in Western Australia, it makes sense for us to consider this opportunity,” says Natta. “We’ve got the capability and the capacity to consider it.”
Controversial Chinese Lies Near the Tipping Point
The Darwin port was released for 99 years to a Chinese-owned Landbridge in 2015 by the Northern Territory government, a move that has drawn scrutiny of national security concerns, despite no official evidence of wrongdoing.
As public and political pressure builds up, the government has promised to return the port to Australian control and is now in talks with interested parties. However, it is not yet confirmed who those bidders are.
Natta said he has not met with Federal and NT government officials, but expects discussions to happen soon. He added that if his company were to acquire the port, the focus would be on long-term sustainable development and also enhancing the port’s capability.
Other Firms in the Run
The report suggests that several other parties are circling the deal. US-based private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, with ties to the Trump administration, is said to be working on a joint bid with Toll Group, though neither party has confirmed anything.
Superannuation funds are also reportedly part of the discussion, while Landbridge has denied actively seeking to sell the lease. Federal and NT officials have remained tight-lipped on the negotiations, citing commercial sensitivities.
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