Matt Pollard-- Port of Melbourne Development
Matt works for Kreab & Gavin Anderson, a company that does consultancies in financial communication, corporate communication, public affairs and research. This company has had a consultancy with the Port of Melbourne to communicate with stakeholders in the redevelopment of the Port. Matt did not speak on behalf of the Port of Melbourne.
Melbourne is mainly a container port. Swanston Dock is a large international container terminal. Web Dock is used for car imports and exports. Station Pier is used for Tasmanian ferries and cruise ships. There are also terminals covering cement, grain and other specific commodities. The Port has 15,000 employees, services 3000 ship visits per year, and handles 2.5 million containers. It will reach the limit of its capacity in 4-5 years and needs to accommodate growth.
Some of the planned and on-going developments in the Port are:
- Web Dock will be redeveloped into a container terminal.
- Inspection of imported vehicles will be done at the port and then the vehicles delivered directly to showrooms.
- Traffic will be taken out of suburbs and redirected to the M1.
- There will be higher productivity freight trucks which can take two containers at a time.
- There will be greater competition, with 3 stevedore companies rather than 2.
The Port of Melbourne is one of the few remaining city ports in the world. Most have been relocated away from cities. The Port consequently has a lot of adjoining residential properties. These used to be for homes of port workers, but have since become gentrified. There will be further residential development when Fisherman’s Bend is redeveloped for housing. This close proximity means that local communities have to be communicated with in relation to any developments. Development of the Port has been carried out “under the radar” by not engaging in fanfare and only talking to the people directly affected. This means it is less likely to attract criticism.
The redevelopment is only an interim solution. Eventually, the port of Hastings or Bay West will have to be developed as alternatives to allow for expansion. It will take 10 years at least to build this. After 50-60 years, the current port may disappear and the land used for other purposes.