Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Report - Essay Example SWAT and Porter analysis demonstrates that the strategy of development adopted by the company for the next two decades is fully in line with the key strengths, opportunities, and competitive forces the Corporation is likely to face in the future. The Port of Brisbane Corporation is a Government Owned Corporation that manages and controls the operations of the third busiest container port in Australia. First small exports through Brisbane were made during the early years of European settlement, and only in the second half of the 19th century it emerged as the main commercial centre in Australia. During only 35 years from 1850 to 1885 net tonnage through Brisbane grew from 8,128 tons to 690,883 ton. In 1888 the Port started to trade frozen beef adding it to the dominant exports of coal and rural products (POB 2007). World War II became the next major milestone in the Port's development. Disruption of normal maintenance dredging activities made the main channel's depths unsuitable for further exploitation by 1949. Construction of Cairncross Dockyard to meet the demand for ship repair facilities was only the first step in the long series of developments in the Port. As a result, total tonnage through the port reached 2.6 million ton in 1961 (POB 2007). The 1960s were marked by two other developments that had essential impact on further operation of the Port. Firstly, the discovery of the Moonie oil fields led to construction of two large refineries at the mouth of the Brisbane River. Secondly, the growth of containerized exports led to a modification in cargo handling technology: the Brisbane's first container terminal was constructed in the Hamilton Reach of the river in 1969 (POB 2007). The Port of Brisbane Corporation was established as a statutory authority in 1976. In 1994 it was corporatized under the Government Owned Corporation (GOC) Act 1993, and on the 1st of July this year the Port of Brisbane Corporation changed from a statutory to a company GOC, listed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Currently, the PBC is a publicly owned organization that operates on a commercial basis and in a competitive environment and manages Australia's fastest growing container port. The Corporation also leases and manages land for port-related purposes and maintains navigable access to the port for commercial shipping. Currently, the Port of Brisbane is the largest general cargo port in the region of Queensland. Annually, more than 2,600 ships exchange over 26 million tons of cargo over the Port's wharves. The exchange is expected to reach 50 million tons by 2025 (POB 2007). Factors of Success The progress made by the Port of Brisbane over less than a decade is impressive. Rapidly developing infrastructure of the Port provides effective transport networks, logistics options, and ensures convenient location of warehouses and other facilities. Currently, the Port's trade consists of a range of containerized, bulk and break-bulk cargoes: it leads the industry in beef and cotton exports holding approximately 50% of Australia's total market in this section (POB 2007). Financial