After paying a $13 million compensation bill, the Port of Newcastle can now move ahead with plans for container terminal.
The long-running issue dates back to 2013 when the former state government signed off on a deal which imposed penalties on the port if it exceeded 50,000 container movements per year, which were put in place to prevent competition with Botany and Kembla.
The controversial deed has been debated in the years proceeding and finally came to a head when Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper introduced legislation to unshackle the Port of Newcastle from that agreement.
Last month, the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal determined the compensation amount to be $13 million that will need to be paid to proceed.
The Port of Newcastle has now confirmed that payment has been made and plans are continuing to establish the terminal.