The Port plans ahead

The Port must plan ahead, way ahead. What is known is mixed with the uncertain to prepare the draft 2055 Port Development Strategy.

How much will trade grow over that period? What will Melbourne’s population be? What size will the vessels of the future be? How many cars will be imported in 2055?

These are some of the matters explored in the draft strategy.

The height of the West Gate Bridge limits the size of vessel that can access Swanson Dock.

Webb Dock is not so constrained. The larger vessels anticipated to call at the Port of Melbourne in future will berth at Webb Dock.

Webb Dock can be used more intensively and more efficiently, according to the strategy, meaning that a new Port will not be needed until beyond 2050.

Total container trade volumes are forecast to grow over the long term by 2.5% per annum to around 7.1 million TEU by 2055. Economic and population growth for Victoria are key drivers of growth of container trade at the Port. In 2024, the actual figure was 3.26 million TEU.

All those containers, all those new cars, will leave Webb Dock on trucks.

The strategy seems to walk away from an earlier, stronger, commitment to a rail link from Webb Dock. The statements in the strategy are half hearted.

“Continuing to work with the Victorian Government to preserve the rail corridor for the potential future delivery of the Webb Dock Freight Link.”

Rail is not well suited to short distance freight. ‘Every time someone touches a box’, I remember hearing a Port person say, ‘it increases the cost’. Most of the containers off loaded at Webb Dock are destined for metropolitan Melbourne with the greater share going to the west of Melbourne.

Instead, the strategy proposes more efficient use of the roads making up the Principal Freight Network by moving more freight at night and on weekends.

The strategy proposes a greater use of High Productivity Vehicles which can carry more containers.

The increased freight traffic could be ameliorated by the take up of zero emission freight vehicles.

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The Port is wary about the residential growth anticipated in Fishermans Bend. Residential development will be accompanied by more private vehicle use leading to congestion around the Port. Freight will get caught up in traffic. More expense. More time.

For this reason, the Port supports better public transport in Fishermans Bend.

With load limits on both the Bolte and West Gate Bridge, heavy freight vehicles will continue to need to use Lorimer St. Cement factories supplying the construction industry are also located in Lorimer St.

The Port does not support active transport – riding bikes – along Lorimer St, preferring active transport investment to be made elsewhere in Fishermans Bend.

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Meanwhile, the development known as Port Lane on Todd Rd opposite the port at Webb Dock, approaches completion.

Both Victorian International Container Terminal and Port of Melbourne Operations Ltd objected to the proposal in 2017 on the basis that it could compromise the future workings of the Port.

In supporting the development, the Port Phillip Council’s required that the development incorporate stringent noise attenuation measures and include the following conditions:

All dwellings will be required to contain covenants to be registered on the Title of the property so as to run with the land, and must provide for the following:

1. Confirm that the land is located adjacent to an active, 24 hour per day working port located at the Port of Melbourne;
2. Acknowledge the adjacent Port is projected to expand and increase its operations from circa 1 million standard containers in 2017 to circa six million standard containers in 2040, generally in accordance with the Port Development Strategy 2035 Vision, Port of Melbourne Corporation, August 2009.¹

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Infrastructure Victoria assesses that a new Port will not be needed until 2055 but planning for it needs to begin now. Rail and road connections to a future port at Bay West need to be reserved to enable a future port to operate.

Port Phillip Council report 1 November 2017