Logistics News

Victoria opens port review paper for comment

First effort at examining port issues in 20 years

 

The Victorian government is seeking stakeholder involvement in its Victorian Ports Review Discussion Paper.

According to the state government, it is the first time in almost 20 years such a “comprehensive review” of the state’s ports has been conducted, “providing industry and the public with a chance to have their say on major issues by responding to the review’s recently released discussion paper”.

Since then, the sector has undergone significant changes, including the introduction of a third stevedore in 2015 and leasing of the Port of Melbourne in 2016.

 “Victoria is the biggest exporter of agricultural and manufactured goods in Australia,” ports and freight minister Melissa Horne says.

“We’ve commissioned this independent review because we know a thriving economy must be supported by an efficient and smart ports and freight system.

 “This is the first holistic review into the ports system since 2001 and since then the system has gone through significant change – so it’s critical we get it right.”


Read about the Port of Melbourne container logistics study, here


Topics covered in the discussion paper include port pricing and access arrangements, regulation of key port services, development of coastal shipping and industry governance.

Ports in Victoria are currently managed through a mixture of private and public sector bodies. There are four major commercial ports – Hastings, Melbourne, Geelong and Portland – and 14 smaller local ports.

The independent review is being led by Mark Curry, who has in-depth knowledge of governance and policy issues, including 15 years working in marine, ports and freight strategy.

The independent review began earlier this year and is on track to be presented to the government by the end of 2020.

More detail on the discussion paper and how to respond can be found here.

 

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