# Darwin Port buyback could cost Australian taxpayers over $500m

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-500m-china-mistake-as-taxpayers-could-face-huge-bill-to-bring-darwin-port-back-into-aussie-hands/
- Published: 2026-11-05T00:35:20+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T00:47:20+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16266637/darwin-port-landbridge-china-cost-australia-albanese-mistake.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Asia, Business, Companies, Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Darwin Port’s 99-year lease could be costly to buy out.
- Landbridge may seek compensation through World Bank arbitration.
- The lease has 88 years left, with no sale timeline announced.

## Summary

Australian taxpayers may face a bill exceeding $500 million if the government buys back the Port of Darwin from Chinese-owned Landbridge. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to return the strategically important port to Australian ownership, but experts warn that doing so could cost more than the original sale and lead to lengthy legal proceedings.

Landbridge secured an 80 per cent stake and full operational control under a 99-year lease agreed in 2015 for $506 million; the Northern Territory retained 20 per cent. Associate Professor Colin Hawes said any compulsory acquisition would require fair compensation, likely based on current market value, and could add millions in legal fees. Landbridge owner Ye Cheng has taken the dispute to a World Bank arbitration tribunal, which could order compensation if it rules in the company’s favour. Two government reviews found no national security grounds to terminate the lease, which has 88 years remaining.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.