NSW Ports Minister Duncan Gay has officially opened the new operations centre for Newcastle Port Corporation today.

The $3.5 million dollar centre has been completed on time and on budget next the the Pilot Station at Newcastle East. The 3 storey centre features the latest state-of-the-art equipment to help port staff guide the hundreds of vessels which arrive in and out of the port of Newcastle each year.

The Minister also announced another record trade figure has been set by the port over the past financial year. More than 128-million tonnes of cargo has been exported, 121-million of that being coal. The total value of trade was just over $20 billion, up by 15 per cent overall on the previous year.