Port land shortfall hampers cars plan

JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
GEELONG’S port will be short about 12 hectares of land to accommodate car shipping relocated from Melbourne, a briefing heard this week.
Department of Transport freight policy director John Clareborough said Port of Melbourne used 36.5ha for cars but Geelong had only 24.5ha available,
“We’ll have to look at opportunities to use land outside the port zone because there are extensive storage needs for pre-delivery work.”
Mr Clareborough said the relocation project would have to build two tunnels under Geelong’s bulk grain terminal rail line to use vacant land inside the loop.
Other land adjacent to the port and west of Corio Quay Rd “may be available”, he said.
“The City has indicated that industrial land in the Geelong ring road employment precinct could (also) be used for car storage and pre-delivery work.”
Mr Clareborough said powerful tugs would also be required to guide high-sided car carriers to berths in crosswinds up to 35 knots.
Victorian Regional Channels Authority chief Peter McGovern said computer modelling demonstrated that car carriers could use the port safely even with other ships in Corio Quay berths.
Mr Clareborough said the car trade would handle almost 400,000 vehicles a year, with an extra 350 ships rising to 500 visiting the port.
The trade was expanding to include trucks, buses and farm and construction equipment, he said.
“Freight levels are likely to double in the next 15 years but transport infrastructure won’t.
“It looks like it can be done through Geelong reasonably efficiently but we’re dealing with a complex competitive environment.
“Much of the pre-delivery is done in the western suburbs before vehicles go to dealers.”
Committee for Geelong chair Michael Betts said the car trade could be as significant to the city as the TAC’s relocation.
The feasibility study would make a recommendation to State Government in November, with a decision expected in early 2012.