Investigating the strategies for Australian regional ports' involvement in regional development

The growth of regional ports (in sub-national context) and their host regions is conditional upon one another. A regional port requires a vision for growing its business as well as its region. To achieve this goal, it is essential for regional ports to initiate effective strategies. This paper explores the pertinent factors and strategic initiatives for effective involvement of Australian regional ports in regional development through a questionnaire survey to Australian regional port stakeholders. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, this study suggests that Australian regional ports undertake multiple strategies when involved in regional development, including collaboration to create supply chain efficiency, collaboration with regional organisations for regional growth, playing a proactive role in the regional innovation system, and being pro-active for port’s environmental and social responsibility.