8 commercial ports: Hay Point, Abbot Point, Lucinda, Mourilyan, Cape Flattery, Skardon River, Weipa and Karumba 2 community ports: Thursday Island and Quintell Beach 3 non-trading ports: Maryborough, Cooktown and Burketown
The trading ports handle bulk export commodities, while the community ports supply neighbouring populations with essential general cargo and fuel. The non-trading ports are held for strategic purposes should a commercial need emerge.
Bulk export shipments include: coal, bauxite, zinc, silica sand, sugar and molasses, in addition to live cattle and general cargo.
Coal is by far the main commodity handled, but each port and each commodity is important in its own right.
PCQ is primarily focused on strategic planning, operational issues and infrastructure development within its ports, as well as security and emergency response planning and protection of the environment.
Maintaining navigable port depths is a PCQ responsibility, while pilotage and port navigation is controlled by Queensland Transport.
PCQ is one Australia's largest port authorities by tonnage throughput and more than half of Queensland's exports, by tonnage, pass through PCQ's ports.
PCQ bulk export ports handled 121.1 million tonnes of product in 2006/07, estimated in value at about $15 billion.
The Port of Hay Point is the world's largest coal export port, handling over 86 million tonne in 2006/07.
Ports Corporation of Queensland Limited ACN 126 302 994
