The Australian Government is inviting the Norfolk Island community to provide feedback on the draft Norfolk Island Port Strategy (the Strategy), with a 'Have Your Say' process open from Monday 1 June to Tuesday 16 June 2026.
The draft Strategy is the culmination of extensive community engagement and technical analysis. It builds on feedback from the 2022 Have Your Say process on long-term shipping needs, as well as ongoing consultation, including face-to-face engagement on the island.
Your input will help ensure the Strategy reflects the current and future needs of the Norfolk Island community and supports a coordinated approach to future infrastructure planning. It will also help align longer-term port development with existing Australian Government investments, including upgrades underway at Cascade Pier.
Community input has been central to shaping the draft Strategy and will remain critical to its finalisation. The department will review all submissions to inform the final Strategy and will publish a summary of key themes after consultation.
This process reflects the Australian Government's commitment to working in partnership with the Norfolk Island community to deliver practical, sustainable and locally informed infrastructure solutions.
The Strategy sets out a clear, long-term pathway to support a safe, reliable and sustainable shipping solution for Norfolk Island.
It outlines coordinated short-, medium- and long-term actions to improve port infrastructure, governance and compliance, supported by a phased pipeline of projects. The Strategy provides a strong evidence base to guide future government investment and decision-making, ensuring port operations align with Australian law and contemporary international standards.
The Strategy is designed to address 2 key challenges:
- the current limits on the types of vessels and cargo handling Norfolk Island can support, largely due to existing infrastructure constraints
- the need to strengthen governance, oversight and operations to ensure a safe, secure and efficient port.
The approach focuses on staged, incremental and cost-effective improvements. These changes will deliver immediate gains in shipping efficiency while progressively lifting port capability to meet modern standards.
Over time, these improvements are expected to support more flexible and resilient shipping arrangements. They may also enable access to a broader range of competitive freight services.
Submissions open on Monday 1 June and close on Tuesday 16 June 2026. For more information, including how to access the draft Strategy and provide feedback, visit Have your say – Draft Norfolk Island Port Strategy.
The need for better port infrastructure, governance and secure and safe shipping arrangements has been discussed with the Norfolk Island community over many years. The draft Strategy reflects what has been heard through that process and demonstrates the Australian Government's commitment to listening and to taking practical, long-term action to deliver improved, reliable and sustainable port infrastructure for the island.
The Australian Government encourages all community members, businesses and stakeholders to have their say.
Media contact media@infrastructure.gov.au | (02) 6136 8112