Ports Corporation (GA660)

The South Australian Ports Corporation (Ports Corp) is a statutory body established under the South Australian Ports Corporation Act 1994, replacing the Department of Marine and Harbors.

Under the Act Ports Corp is charged with providing and maintaining public ports' assets (channels, wharves, cargo handling facilities, etc.) As well as wharves at Inner and Outer Harbour (Port Adelaide), Ports Corp maintains wharves in country locations at Kingscote, Cape Jervis, Klein Point, Penneshaw (Hog Bay), Port Giles, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, Thevenard and Wallaroo.

Activities include the control and direction of shipping in all ports; the promotion of trade through cost efficient and reliable service, the encouragement of port related industries in lands adjacent to the ports, and seeking increased shipping/usage to the ports by importers and exporters.

Ports Corp also establishes and maintains navigational aids for the merchant fleet in consultation with the Department of Transport, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and private organisations. It also administers the agreement between the Minister for Transport and Adelaide Container Terminal Sea-Land (Australia) Terminals Pty Ltd for the operation of the Adelaide Container Terminal.

In the promotion of shipping services through Port Adelaide it works in consultation with Sea-Land (Australia) Terminals, the South Australian Employer's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the South Australian Shipping User Group and individual shippers.

Ports Corp also works closely with the Department of Transport in identifying transport and operational issues which impact on the movement of goods to and from their ports.

Ports Corp also convenes a Ports Service Working Party with representation from all port service providers, addressing issues of port productivity and service. Ports Corp has a Board of Directors (consisting of five members) including a Chairman (2001 Geoffrey Fry). A General Manager (2001 P H Edmonds) reports to the Board.

On the 31 October 2001 Ports Corp was divested to Flinders Ports Consortium.

As at 2001 a small portion of the function of Ports Corporation remains under the Minister for Government Enterprises which is carried out by DAIS - Government Business Group.

As at 2014 responsibility for the residual assets of the Ports Corporation, including its records and those of its predecessors, rested in the Government Enterprises and Market Projects Branch (GA 1849) of the Department of Treasury and Finance.