The Port of Townsville’s philosophy is simple: we understand that the impact of our actions and operations affect our customers, clients, employees, and the broader community. We take our commitment as a corporate citizen seriously and participate in community activities to build relationships with our stakeholders.

Financial sponsorships and donations are assessed in accordance with our Sponsorship and Donation Policy, which incorporates elements of, and is consistent with, the Queensland Government Sponsorship Policy (August 2003).

In 2006/2007 the Port of Townsville spent over $250,000 on donations and sponsorships to local charities, local business activities, regional development bureaux, cultural events, trade events, tourism, and mining activities. Some of these are detailed in the following table.

Summary of 2006/2007 Donations and Sponsorships

• Townsville Enterprise Limited annual sponsorship/membership fee
• Townsville Maritime Museum annual sponsorship
• Townsville Enterprise Limited contribution to base metal processing investment
• North Queensland Tourism Awards sponsorship
• Camp Quality donation from annual corporate golf day
• Townsville Region Export Awards sponsorship
• 2007 Mount Isa Mining Expo
• Dragons Abreast sponsorship for breast cancer association dragon boat
• Thuringowa City Council Economic Development Conference sponsorship
• Townsville and James Cook University Rowing Club employee team sponsorship
• Mission to Seafarers donation
• Townsville Sailing Club donation to junior sabot sails
• Pearl Divers Festival sponsorship
• James Cook University academic prizes
• Rotary Club of Townsville donation to Rotary Park
• Asian Market Forum sponsorship
• Sunfish NQ donation for junior angler education
• Endeavour Foundation Christmas appeal
• Ronald McDonald House donation

Consultations and Contributions
The Port of Townsville maintains our membership and active involvement with a number of regional development organisations including Townsville Enterprise Limited, Townsville Chamber of Commerce, Burdekin Shire Chamber of Commerce, and Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Zone (MITEZ).

We are also a major sponsor of the Townsville Maritime Museum where the Port’s rich maritime history can be enjoyed.

Mission to Seafarers
The Corporation is also a major benefactor of the Mission to Seafarers by providing space to the Mission for their chapel and services to seamen.

Corporate Golf Day
For the past eleven years, the port community has joined together at its annual Corporate Golf Day in a fundraising effort for various charities in Townsville. In August 2006 the beneficiary was Camp Quality and in July 2007 it is the Cancer Council Queensland to build a Townsville Hospice and Palliative Care Centre.

The Port of Townsville has raised over $100,000 for various charities since our golf days began eleven years ago.

Junior Sails
In March 2007 the Port of Townsville helped Townsville Sailing Club to purchase new junior sabot sails. The new sails replaced the old ones that have served a flotilla of junior seafarers for more than 30 years. There are approximately 30 children aged from 8–15 participating in learn-to-sail classes this year who will benefit from this new equipment.

Dragons Abreast
The Port of Townsville and BHP Billiton Yabulu (formerly Queensland Nickel) have donated $5,000 each towards a new dragon boat for Dragons Abreast in Townsville.

The boat, which is scheduled to be ready for racing in August, will bring the total dragon boat number in Townsville to two - and enable the city’s rowing team Twin Titties to race against each other.

The action of paddling in a dragon boat helps reduce the incidence of lymphoedema in breast cancer patients. What started out as a medical study has grown into a worldwide movement, with over thirty Dragons Abreast teams in Australia alone.

The Dragons Abreast association offers hope and inspiration to women faced with a diagnosis of breast cancer.

Supporting the Red Cross
The Port community rolls up their sleeves when the Red Cross mobile blood van visits the Port as part of a regular and ongoing donation program.

The Port community plays host to the Red Cross on a quarterly basis, with employees and members of the Port community taking time to assist the Red Cross in its blood drive.

Since visits began in April 2003 the port community has donated almost 250 litres of blood.

Reef HQ Aquarium Exhibition
The Port of Townsville joined forces with Reef HQ Aquarium to launch a new exhibit in Reef HQ in an effort to educate the public about the important links between our waterways and the Great Barrier Reef.

The exhibit contained decaying items recovered by the Corporation dredging program in Ross Creek. It shows a range of items including shopping trolleys, plastic bags and bottles, and communicates through a graveyard theme the length of time each product takes to break down.

Port of Townsville Wooden Boat Festival
The Port of Townsville's Wooden Boat Festival was once again held on the banks of Ross Creek, Palmer Street in September 2006.

Celebrating wooden boats and Townsville's historic maritime past, the bi-annual event attracted thousands of visitors keen to soak up the atmosphere, inspect the Museum, boat displays, and enjoy the entertainment during the two-day event.

Export Awards
Each year the Port of Townsville is the major sponsor of the Townsville Region Export Awards. The annual awards aim to recognise local companies that excel in their exporting fields, with categories in the Townsville event including agribusiness, large advanced manufacture, tourism, and the Port of Townsville Exporter of the Year Award.

Clean-Up Australia Day
Port community members and local residents took to the streets in February to clean up land surrounding Ross Creek and the Port of Townsville as part of the Business Clean Up Australia Day.

Some of the materials collected include bicycles, old cans, plastic bags, tyres, old carpet, and shopping trolleys, all of which can cause enormous damage to our water systems and environment.

The Port of Townsville began participating in the event in 1998.

Red Shield Appeal
The Port of Townsville supported the Salvation Army's Red Shield Appeal by making a $5,000 donation for the fifth time in the past six years.

The Salvation Army Townsville provides a vast range of humanitarian services to those in need in the Twin Cities and the Port of Townsville is proud to once again contribute to their annual fundraising drive.

Mount Isa Mining Expo
Each year, The Port of Townsville participates in the Mount Isa Mining Expo. Over 150 exhibitors attend the annual event which is sponsored by Xstrata.

National Tree Day
The Port of Townsville takes part in National Tree Day each year by planting trees, shrubs and groundcover plants at the Port of Townsville Environmental Park.

Local residents, Port employees and Port community members enthusiastically participate on the day helping to make the planting a great success and fun day out.

Duyfken Visit
The Duyfken visited the Port of Townsville in August 2006 as a part of its 400th anniversary voyage along Australia's coast. The Port of Townsville was instrumental in bringing the Duyfken to Townsville and was a major sponsor for the visit, contributing $5,000.

The Duyfken, a replica of the vessel which carried Dutch sailors to the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1606, is celebrated as the first known European contact with Australia.

James Cook University Scholarship Program
The first Port of Townsville scholarship was awarded in July 2007 to a final year Bachelor of Economic student. Tracey is now working with the Corporation on a part-time basis.

The program commenced in 2007 and awards $5,000 dollars to a full-time student in an undergraduate degree course at James Cook University.

It focuses on disciplines likely to contribute to improved management in the mining, metallurgical or maritime transport and logistics industries in North or North-Western Queensland. It is awarded annually. Eligible students must be from the Mt Isa-Townsville Economic Zone (MITEZ).

The Scholarship will be administered by James Cook University on behalf of the Port of Townsville.