PORT OF MELBOURNE PLANNING SCHEME

21.01 PORT PROFILE

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21.01-1 Strategic Location

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The Port of Melbourne is located at the centre of a triangle that joins southern NSW,
Adelaide and Hobart and encompasses the nation’s manufacturing and commercial heart. It
is close to major transport operators and container parks and has direct links to the State’s
extensive freeway network, together with the national and intrastate rail networks. These
links facilitate excellent access to country Victoria, South Australia, regional New South
Wales and the remainder of the Australian mainland. Melbourne is also the primary
mainland port for the transfer of Tasmanian cargo.

By virtue of being a ‘city port’, the Port is surrounded by a variety of land uses including
residential, industrial, commercial, recreational areas and the Melbourne Central Business
District. The boundary of the Port of Melbourne Planning Scheme is shown in Figure 1.

The Port includes land in the following municipalities:

 Melbourne
 Port Phillip
 Hobsons Bay
 Maribyrnong.
Each of these areas has different land uses which raise issues and strategic priorities which
require different approaches to management of the Port’s interface.

21.01-2 Trade and Economic Contribution

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The Port of Melbourne is the largest container and one of the largest general cargo ports in
Australia, with over a third of the nation’s container trade. The Port’s operations contribute
directly to the State and local economies, providing a gateway for trade into and out of
Victoria and the nation. This trade is vital to ensure continued growth of a key component
of the State’s economy.

The Port is one of Victoria’s major assets. It handles some $90 billion in trade each year
and contributes around $5.4 billion to the Victorian economy annually. It employs around
18,500 people directly and over 60,000 indirectly. It supports annual wages/salaries of
almost $1 billion. The flow-on effects from the operation of the Port are significant for
many sectors of the Victorian economy.

Forty-five container shipping lines, as well as a number of other general cargo carriers,
make around 3300 ship calls a year to Melbourne and provide services to ports of call in all
major parts of the world.

The main containerised commodity exports through the Port of Melbourne, in mass tonnes,
are dairy products, miscellaneous manufactures, cereal grains, fruit and vegetables, meat,
stockfeed, wool, beverages, paper and newsprint, and malt.

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The main containerised commodity imports, in mass tonnes, are paper and newsprint,
miscellaneous manufactures, miscellaneous food preparations, chemicals, fruit and
vegetables, raw plastics, vehicle parts, ceramic goods, machinery and electrical equipment.

21.01-3 Role of Port of Melbourne Corporation

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Note: On 5 May 2014, the Victorian Government announced it would offer a lease of the
operations of the Port of Melbourne to the private sector (Transaction). The Delivering
Victorian Infrastructure (Port of Melbourne Lease Transaction) Act 2016, authorising the
Transaction, received Royal Assent on 22 March 2016. The Transaction will be by way of
a 50 year lease. From 1 July 2016 references to the Port of Melbourne Corporation
(PoMC) need to be read in light of changes to the entity responsible for managing the
relevant land as a result of the Transaction’.

Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) is a Victorian State Government owned business

enterprise, with objectives and functions as defined in the Port Services Act 1995. The
PoMC commenced operations on 1 July 2003 to fulfil the Government’s objective that the
Port of Melbourne be managed by a strategic port manager with functions and powers to
undertake the integrated management and development of the land and maritime functions
of the Port and its integration with the broader freight and logistics systems. The
predecessor entity of PoMC was the Melbourne Port Corporation.

The PoMC manages the land and channel assets associated with the Port of Melbourne in
the interests of the providers and users of port services, the State Government and the
community. One of its key roles is to plan and coordinate future development of the Port
and make the land and infrastructure available to port service providers.

The PoMC has a strategic focus in securing the Port of Melbourne as the principal national
gateway for Australia’s international and domestic sea freight by facilitating improved
transport links to and from the Port and cargo handling capacity for cargo owners and
shipping lines.

To achieve this, PoMC’s physical services relate to the provision and use of specialised,
high quality port land and facilities. PoMC also provides the road, rail and associated
infrastructure within the Port and develops this infrastructure to offer long-term security for
port customers and opportunities for business growth. It also provides trade development
services, which includes providing customised facilities within the Port, logistics advice and
facilitating cost-effective transport solutions.

The Minister for Planning is the planning authority and responsible authority for the Port of
Melbourne Planning Scheme. PoMC works in partnership with the Department of
Sustainability and Environment to achieve the land use vision and strategic outcomes for the
Port. It also works in partnership with a range of other Government and community
stakeholders.

21.01-4 Port Facilities

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The PoMC manages over 500 hectares of land, most of which is currently held in freehold
title, and facilities which include berths, buildings, roads, railways, plant and equipment. Of
the land, 39 hectares are used for transport infrastructure such as roads and rail tracks, while
91 hectares relate to non-commercial uses such as public access and open space.

The Port of Melbourne provides four types of commercial facilities:

 Container terminals

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 Multi-purpose terminals (including break bulk, motor vehicles and coastal trade)
 Dry bulk berths and storage
 Bulk liquid berths and storage.
There are currently thirty-one commercial berths at five docks and at river wharves. The
berths service two modern, purpose-built international container terminals as well as multi-
purpose terminals.

Multi-purpose terminals handle cargoes ranging from timber, paper, iron and steel to motor
vehicles. They include common user berths, which are required for transient vessels and for
cargo not handled by the main stevedoring companies.

There are specialised berths for dry cargoes including cement, grain, sugar, soda ash and
gypsum, and facilities for a variety of liquids from petrochemicals and crude oil to
molasses.

As Victoria’s premier sea passenger terminal, Station Pier accommodates visiting cruise
ships, navy ships and tall ships. The TT-Line Tasmania service, operating between
Tasmania and the mainland, utilises the inner east berth.

The location of Port facilities is shown in Figure 2 and includes the following:

 Webb Dock East

The east side of the dock consists of five berths and a terminal stacking area of
approximately 38 hectares. Berths 1 and 2 serve the coastal trade to Tasmania. Berth 3 is a
general purpose berth, used as a car terminal, and Berths 4 and 5 as heavy duty general
cargo berths, equipped with one container crane able to accommodate container, break-bulk
or pure car carrier vessels.

 Webb Dock West

Webb Dock West is a purpose-built car terminal, dedicated to the handling and processing
of import/export motor vehicles, providing around 18 hectares of car terminal facilities.

 Swanson Dock East

The east side of Swanson Dock, covering around 40 hectares, has a berth length of 884
metres, and is serviced by six container cranes. This terminal has on-dock rail facilities and
can accommodate the largest container vessels trading with Australia.

 Swanson Dock West

The west side of Swanson Dock, covers 34 hectares with the potential to expand as trade
grows. It has a total wharf length of 944 metres and is serviced by seven container cranes.
Swanson Dock West can accommodate the largest container vessels trading with Australia.

 Maribyrnong No. 1
Maribyrnong No 1 berth operates as a hazardous and non-hazardous liquid bulk berth,
servicing the Coode Island tank storage facilities.

 Yarraville/Gellibrand Pier/Holden Dock

Yarraville bulk cargo berths handle a range of dry bulk materials including sugar, gypsum
and fertiliser as well as sulphuric and phosphoric acids. Gellibrand Pier handles crude oil
and Holden Dock handles refined petroleum products.

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 Victoria Dock
No.24 Victoria Dock is a common user facility for conventional general cargo vessels.
There are two large cargo sheds on the back-up area behind the berths. The reclaimed area
behind the dock is currently being redeveloped as a value added logistics park.

 South Wharf
Some 13 hectares of Port land lie alongside Berths 26 to 33 South Wharf. South Wharf
provides facilities for break-bulk general cargo trades such as timber, iron & steel and paper
products at common user berths 28 and 29. Berths 26, 27 and 33 are used for bulk cement
materials, and the remaining berths are currently used for port ancillary services and port-
related activities. Sheds at Berths 27 and 31 accommodate cargo warehousing and freight
forwarding.

 Appleton Dock
Appleton Dock comprises five berths and is 980 metres long.

Berths B, C and D are next to the Swanson Dock East Container Terminal and are operated
by P&O Ports (Bulk & General). These berths, with six hectares of back-up land, are
regularly used to handle a range of break-bulk and roll-on/roll-off vessels. Berths B, C and
D all have large capacity cargo sheds behind the berth. Berth E is used for Bass Strait trade
in containers. Berth F is used for grain and other dry bulk cargoes.

 Station Pier
Station Pier comprises 4 berths and is utilised as the Melbourne sea passenger terminal and
is the principal cruise liner facility in Melbourne. The inner east berth is used by TT-Line
Tasmania service, which operates the Bass Strait passenger and freight ferry service
between Tasmania and the mainland. Visiting naval vessels also make significant use of
Station Pier.

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