Newcastle local and former NSW Nationals State Director, Ross Cadell, has joined Port of Newcastle at a critical time for the diversification of the Hunter economy and its international trade gateway.

Ross begins as Special Projects Director on 3 February, leading the political and regional stakeholder engagement efforts as the Port works alongside all levels of government to advance key infrastructure projects that will future-proof the local, state and national economies.

Port of Newcastle CEO, Craig Carmody, welcomed Ross’ unique blend of experience in business and politics, coupled with local knowledge, as the Port prepares to push ahead with projects such as the $1.8 billion privately-funded Multi-purpose Deepwater Terminal (MDT) with government support.

“Ross recently finished as the Nationals Campaign Director for both the 2019 NSW and Federal elections, having previously acted as regional co-ordinator for the Nationals,” Craig said.

“Ross brings a wealth of experience with him and is ideally placed to argue the case for the MDT and forge closer relationships with the many regional NSW stakeholders that will benefit from the competition this facility will bring to NSW.

“I am confident that Ross will work productively with NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet to deliver this critical infrastructure and unlock the many benefits for the state.,” he continued.

Ross, a locally born-and-bred Novocastrian raising his children in the city, said he was focused on ensuring the region continued to have a strong industrial presence as the economy transitions.

“For the longest time BHP underpinned our town,” Ross said.

“We all remember too well what happened when we lost the steelworks, but this is a great opportunity for the Port to power our economy for generations to come and put that site to productive use again.”

With strong working relationships with key government stakeholders, including NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro, Ross committed to leaving no stone unturned in the development of the MDT.

“The Nationals in government have strongly supported the development of this project, with members voting at the last conference to formally endorse it, and I will work with them to get it done,” he said

IMAGE | Vacant land being targeted for the new MDT proposal