Federal ports policy

In contrast to the centralized port-planning framework that is utilized in some industrialized countries, the US relies on a complex and fragmented framework in which responsibility for the planning, development and operation of landside maritime infrastructure rests with State and local governments. It has been argued that the separation of the federal government from port policy was rooted in the port preference clause of the Constitution. This paper is an effort to determine whether the current decentralized port policy in fact stems from the Constitution and, to that end, reviews how over the years the US Supreme Court has construed the port preference clause in the Constitution. It was found that there is no evidence to support the assertion that the port preference clause has restricted the development of Federal port policy. Moreover, the decentralized and fragmented decision-making process that is evident today does not imply the absence of federal impact. Rather, it reflects federal involvement through multiple agencies and regulatory processes and is a conscious effort, consistent with other areas of transport infrastructure development, to retain local decision-making for infrastructure investments. It is concluded by raising the issue whether current federal involvement in ports (that is, existing federal port policy), through dredging, landside transportation improvements or subsidized capital, among other things, needs to be reappraised before a new round of capital intensive investment begins.     

Environmental innovation and the role of stakeholder collaboration in West Coast port gateways

The paper explores the role of stakeholder collaboration in the adoption of innovations as part of the environmental and sustainability agenda of port gateways. We do this through a comparative assessment of the port of Vancouver, British Columbia, and the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California. An inductive research approach is used to identify and assess the initiation and implementation process behind exemplary innovations. Innovation includes new technologies and processes for handling and moving cargo, mechanisms for planning and policy making, as well as financing, implementing, upgrading, managing and operating infrastructure systems. A relatively new arena for competition on the basis of innovation concerns environmental performance. The conceptual framework and empirical evidence suggest that while there may be intense demand for and supply of innovation in port gateways, the complex dynamics of the logistics chain are such that successful innovation requires conscious involvement and collaboration of stakeholders.     

Placing dryports. Port regionalization as a planning challenge - The case of Hamburg, Germany, and the Süderelbe

This paper emphasizes dryports in the context of port regionalization. It specifically deals with dryports as a challenge for planning, policy and metropolitan governance in the vicinity of seaports. The starting point is the ongoing spatial shift of terminals, distribution centres and port related developments towards the hinterland of mainports and the associated planning conflicts, raising negative impacts such as congestion, land consumption, land use conflicts and neighbourhood conflicts. The paper discusses these challenges against the empirical case of the Süderelbe-region in the Southern hinterland of the port of Hamburg, Germany. It focuses on the often neglected yet highly controversial issue of land use and related traffic flows. Further it reveals how these conflicts are being managed at the regional level. The main contention of the paper is that port regionalization triggers substantial planning conflicts different from those that are known from core port areas, due to the associated demand for land and infrastructure and also as a result of the often poorly developed institutional framework to solve these problems.     

Sustainability and national policy in UK port development

Given the private sector character of the UK port system it might well be thought that, so far as port development is concerned, the market ruled. There are of course permissions to be obtained, including planning consent under the Town and Country Planning Acts; but this process has not so far been considered to interfere with market function. Ports are already well used to the process of obtaining approval, to negotiations with objectors and environmental interests, and to mitigating the effects of development when defining projects and seeking approval.

However, as ports policy is being brought into line with transport policy generally, and in particular with Government policy for sustainable development, ports are being faced with a more challenging regulatory framework. The search for sustainable transport is leading Government towards a broader based approach to the approval of development applications in which market need and commercial viability are simply two of a number of considerations which ports must take into account in designing projects which also meet environmental concerns.

There has been a long standing requirement for developers of major projects to carry out Environmental Impact Assessments. In addition Government policy is set out in a number of publications, applying sustainability and the associated “New Approach to Transport Assessment” (NATA) to the ports sector. In a separate and broader initiative it has also considered a radical reform of the planning system and the establishment of national priorities for infrastructure combined with a simplification of the Public Inquiry process. In the event it has been decided not to establish national priorities in the ports sector, although the aim of simplification of the Inquiry process remains.

The aim of this paper is to explore the emerging theoretical and practical issues arising within the development approval process. These are of most concern in the development of major projects for cargoes which have broad hinterlands, and where there are competing locations for new facilities. The most important example of this is in the deep sea container sector where there is a demand for new capacity and a choice of widely spaced locations in the south east of the UK. Some comment will be made on this sector and on the issues arising at the Public Inquiries for the proposed container port developments at Dibden Bay (Southampton) and the London Gateway at Shellhaven on the north bank of the Thames.     

The strategic role of ports in regional development: conceptualising the experience from Australia

Regional ports, as infrastructure in regions, influence transport and regional development policies and planning. The interaction and involvement of regional ports with their stakeholders in the region are pivotal. The conundrum on what constitutes a regional port and thus its region has further complicated this limited researched area. In the extant literature, port and region relationship mainly centres on major metropolitan ports, and pays little heed to regional ports. In this context, this study investigates on how the Australian regional ports can be better involved in regional development. The study adopts a qualitative methodology to explore the Australian regional port stakeholders’ perceptions on port’s role in regional development through 38 semi-structured telephone interviews. Thematic analysis of data assisted by a mixture of NVivo software and manual techniques proposes a conceptual model that may assist policy-making. The key findings suggest that symbiotic growths of ports and concerned regions accelerate regional development. To contribute to regional development, the Australian regional ports can be proactive in building collaboration with regional organisations. The findings have major implications for port managers and port policy-makers for developing a region-oriented long-term port planning and for creating environment for Australian regional ports for regional resource configuration.     

Making the Australian flag fleet efficient: dysfunctional policy processes and the 'play of power'

In 1997 the Australian government introduced reform measures aimed at improving the efficiency and cost effectiveneess of the Auistralian maritime sector. These measures are part of an ongoing reform programme initiated in the early 1980s; but despite concerted efforts by a succession of governments and the payout of high labour redundancy costs the problems of inefficiency, high costs and low profitability persist. This paper focuses on the structure and mechanism of the policy making processes that have attempted to deal with the problem of making the Australian national flag fleet efficient and competitive. It does so because it is a fundamental tenet of the paper that it is the process of policy making that so frequently—if not invariably—determines policy content and outcomes.     

Sustainability and national policy in UK port development

Given the private sector character of the UK port system it might well be thought that, so far as port development is concerned, the market ruled. There are of course permissions to be obtained, including planning consent under the Town and Country Planning Acts; but this process has not so far been considered to interfere with market function. Ports are already well used to the process of obtaining approval, to negotiations with objectors and environmental interests, and to mitigating the effects of development when defining projects and seeking approval.

However, as ports policy is being brought into line with transport policy generally, and in particular with Government policy for sustainable development, ports are being faced with a more challenging regulatory framework. The search for sustainable transport is leading Government towards a broader based approach to the approval of development applications in which market need and commercial viability are simply two of a number of considerations which ports must take into account in designing projects which also meet environmental concerns.

There has been a long standing requirement for developers of major projects to carry out Environmental Impact Assessments. In addition Government policy is set out in a number of publications, applying sustainability and the associated “New Approach to Transport Assessment” (NATA) to the ports sector. In a separate and broader initiative it has also considered a radical reform of the planning system and the establishment of national priorities for infrastructure combined with a simplification of the Public Inquiry process. In the event it has been decided not to establish national priorities in the ports sector, although the aim of simplification of the Inquiry process remains.

The aim of this paper is to explore the emerging theoretical and practical issues arising within the development approval process. These are of most concern in the development of major projects for cargoes which have broad hinterlands, and where there are competing locations for new facilities. The most important example of this is in the deep sea container sector where there is a demand for new capacity and a choice of widely spaced locations in the south east of the UK. Some comment will be made on this sector and on the issues arising at the Public Inquiries for the proposed container port developments at Dibden Bay (Southampton) and the London Gateway at Shellhaven on the north bank of the Thames.     

Examining stakeholder participation and conflicts associated with large scale infrastructure projects: the case of Tema port expansion project,Ghana

ABSTRACT

Balancing economic activities with socio-environmental considerations has become a global standard for the construction of large scale infrastructure projects, including ports. In this discourse, stakeholder participation and environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) have been stressed as important tools that can help port managers to co-create values, avoid conflicts and promote inclusive growth. Drawing on qualitative research tools and stakeholder theory, this paper explores whether and to what extent local stakeholders’ inclusion has substantial influence on addressing their socio-cultural concerns and interest. This is illustrated with a case study of an ongoing port expansion project at Ghana’s largest port of Tema. The findings suggest that although the port authority conducted an ESIA and engaged local stakeholders as part of the planning process, this did not translate into preventing the loss of valuable cultural resources of the local communities. The port authority did not place ‘value’ on cultural resources of the local communities that cannot be expressed in monetary terms. Further, lack of good faith engagement with local stakeholders led to conflicts in some cases that triggered a court action and delays. The paper concludes that stakeholder participation if not applied well, can become a ‘post-political’ tool.     

Effective corporatization of ports is a function of effective legislation: legal issues in the existing paradigm

Almost a decade since port corporatization was introduced in Australia it is becoming clear that initial objectives are not being realized. This paper explores some of the legal and legislative causes, the effect on port operation and investigates what necessary conditions are required to deliver an effective corporatized port business. The paper argues that effective corporatization is a product of effective legislation—one which, while emulating private sector business practices—can deliver a business model that is innovative, entrepreneurial, commercially oriented and free from self-serving political constraints.

The legislation and corporatized artifacts in Australian mainland ports have failed, in general, to deliver this. Arguably, the legislation has, in fact, created a model with inherent flaws and serious contradictions. The legislation enacted is such that while it has set in place a model that articulates commercial objectives, the model created is in fact one in which political objectives may override commercial ones; where strategy may be determined by a bureaucratic elite without the requisite skills and insights, and the resultant strategy appears ad hoc; and a corporate culture that frequently has failed to transcend that of the statutory authority and public utility model. This paper will test these assertions against the developments in the port of Melbourne.     

临港物流园区规划布局

建设临港物流园区有助于拓展和完善港口功能,为临港产业集聚和城市发展提供强有力的支撑。通过对全国主要港口后方临港物流园发展现状的梳理,发现部分园区存在定位不明晰、基础设施不足和与港口功能协同不力等问题。通过对问题成因的分析,梳理临港物流园区规划布局的重难点和对策,从园区定位、选址及规模和功能布局三方面,提出规划布局的基本方法。园区定位要与港口发展、产业布局、城市规划结合,做到港、产、园三位一体联动发展;选址充分考虑公路、水运、铁路等集疏运条件,以促进多式联运为出发点;功能布局要以进出港货物为切入点,结合周边关系、交通衔接、地块条件等因素统筹考量。研究成果为临港物流园区规划建设提供参考依据,并以连云港徐圩港区临港物流园区为例进行分析。     

Norwegian port connectivity and its policy implications

The importance of a seaport depends on how well it is connected in a transportation network. A port’s connectivity is therefore one of the key issues in determining its competitiveness and developments in regions and countries. We construct a port connectivity index for major Norwegian ports based on a unique dataset derived from the automated identification system (AIS) for multiple vessel types over a 7-year period. Port connectivity is evaluated empirically by the number of unique vessel visits, vessel sizes, and cargo sizes. The research has implications for port authorities and policy makers in the areas of port planning, infrastructure investment, short sea shipping promotion, and environmental policies. The contributions of this research are twofold. First, the methodology linking the AIS vessel-tracking system with port connectivity is a pioneering empirical application of maritime big data. Second, the port connectivity index is constructed for multiple vessel types and regional port groups, which is an improvement from the current literature where conceptual measures are constructed based on hypothetical and usually too simple optimization rules. The methodology can be easily expanded to other regions in the world.     

Assessing the economic significance of port activity: evidence from ABP Operations in industrial South Wales

The paper seeks to improve the evidence base surrounding regional ports and their economic impact. The paper reveals that industries dependent on the port infrastructure are actually key regional players, often operating in relatively fast growth sectors, and contributing to the economic and social needs of the local economy. The focus in the case element of the paper is the operations of Associated British Ports (ABP) plc in industrial South Wales. In examining the direct and indirect consequences of the port activity the paper adopts an input–output framework of analysis. A better contextualization of the economic impact of ports is shown to be necessary in the devolved policy-making environment in the region.     

Assessing the economic significance of port activity: evidence from ABP Operations in industrial South Wales

The paper seeks to improve the evidence base surrounding regional ports and their economic impact. The paper reveals that industries dependent on the port infrastructure are actually key regional players, often operating in relatively fast growth sectors, and contributing to the economic and social needs of the local economy. The focus in the case element of the paper is the operations of Associated British Ports (ABP) plc in industrial South Wales. In examining the direct and indirect consequences of the port activity the paper adopts an input-output framework of analysis. A better contextualization of the economic impact of ports is shown to be necessary in the devolved policy-making environment in the region.     

Port competition in Latin America and the Caribbean: the role of concessions and competition policy

Appropriate port regulation and competitive forces tend to be related to higher levels of operational and economic performance of ports. From a policy-making perspective, pursuing efficiency and securing competition in ports to reach a level playing field is a two-step process requiring (1) ex-ante regulations to set the rules that maximize the competition for the market, especially when the policy objective is to attract private operations to ports on competitive concession processes and (2) ex-post competition policy to monitor and preserve competition in the market. This paper studies port regulation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) from a competition perspective, analyzing both ex-ante and ex-post policies implemented in the region. The analysis reveals that the competitive environment in LAC is low, giving room for possible anticompetitive practices in the LAC port sector. Since the end of the 1990s, approximately 80% of container terminals in the region were granted to only five companies. Chile and Mexico have been found to be the best practices in the region, with better conditions assuring robust competition in the market. The main policy implication from this analysis is the need for a stronger involvement of antitrust agencies throughout the port concession processes.     

Targeting market opportunity for port growth: a CART-based decision support system

Complex decisions, such as those facing port managers when targeting market opportunities for growth, are multifaceted and follow complex patterns of sequential and iterative decision subsets that are not well captured nor represented by current parametric modelling approaches. Nonetheless, understanding how such decisions are made and the patterns they follow have important implications for policy formulation and execution. This paper uses a classification and regression trees (CART) framework—a non-parametric decision trees modelling approach-and develops a decision support system to assist port managers in making effective decisions about market opportunities they should pursue for growth. The CART-based decision support system reveals the predictive structure and complex patterns that the market opportunity selection process follows. It also advances our knowledge and understanding of the interaction and behaviour of the key decision variables and the decision makers in a port context.     

Economic policies and seaports: Are port authorities necessary?

This paper first presents arguments for having public sector port authorities. They can deal, flexibly and permanently, with property rights within their own areas. They can plan and regulate port areas comprehensively. They can provide 'public goods'. They can deal, in various ways, with externalities. They can promote efficiency, whether their own (if they operate as a comprehensive port) or that of the private sector (if they are largely landlords). For example, if their policy is to rely on the private sector to produce efficiency through competition then they can see to it that there actually is competition and not any kind of cartel or monopoly. Examples are cited where this last function has not been performed. The exception for single-user ports is noted.

Against them are the general disadvantages of public authorities (or bureaucracies)—though examples are cited where port authorities had very small staffs. The common instances of 'market failure' may thus be contrasted with those of 'government failure'. Finally, a pragmatic approach is advocated, tailored to the needs and resources of the country in question. The increasing effect of the economies of scale in port technology, and its limitation on competition, is, however, noted and to be discussed in the next paper.     

散货港区的智慧港口规划

本文结合某港散货港区智慧港口规划项目,介绍了该港南作业区智能化项目的核心在于构建一套适应现代散杂货港口发展趋势、突破传统散货港口作业模式的全新港口智能化系统.本次规划将物联网、大数据技术、AI人工智能、5G等新型基础设施与生产业务融合,创新生产作业流程及资源配置,显著提高港口的作业运营能力、物流协同能力、口岸支持能力、...     

Influential factors in the design of port infrastructure tariffs

ABSTRACT

The main aim of this article is to examine the factors influential to the practical process of port infrastructure tariff design. The analysis is based on the survey data of 67 seaports representing the Australasian, East Asian, European, North American and South American regions. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was first carried out to identify the factors influential to the selection of the infrastructure tariff design model. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the relationship between the variables. The findings showed that demand, knowledge about pricing theories, the dynamics of port and shipping sectors (including competition and ship size), pricing objectives and port cost consideration are influential factors in infrastructure tariff design. Most ports use a mix of pricing approaches including price discrimination, cost-based pricing and market-based pricing. Ports are aware of the basic pricing approaches but have limited knowledge of their application. Based on the results of analysis, policy implications for port management in designing port infrastructure tariffs, limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.     

Safety, security, the environment and shipping: The problem of making effective policies

This paper examines where problems of shipping policy jurisdiction between international, supra-national and national levels have occurred. These range across the issues of public goods — safety, security and environment— and show up inadequacies in the current shipping policy-making processes. New frameworks — commonly termed “polycentric governance” and “multi-level governance”— sensitive to the complexities of the maritime industry and its associated political structure urgently need to be adopted. The paper is based upon research work recently carried out across the European Union supported by a number of publications and will include examples from Greece, the United Kingdom, Spain, France and also the new member states. Suggestions for improvements in policy-making structures will be made and recommendations put forward for consideration by policy-makers in the maritime sector at all jurisdictional levels     

港口代际的本质特征及其演化规律

以代际的概念描述港口功能的转变,体现了港口发展的历史进程,也反映出在生产力发展不同阶段中港口所具有的作用。深刻理解港口不同代际的内涵,把握港口未来的发展趋势,对于港口规划、建设和经营具有重要的现实意义。针对不同港口代际的本质特征及其演化规律进行重点剖析,并从横向扩展和纵向延伸两个方面对港口功能的转变进行研究,供决策者制定港口发展规划时参考。