Growth plan hits harbour ‘hurdle’

MICHELLE HERBISON
PORTARLINGTON’S harbour must be redeveloped to accommodate a mussel industry expansion of up to 700 per cent, according to an industry representative.
Mussel farmer Lance Wiffen said the harbour was “full”, with no room available for additional boats.
But local mussel farmers wanted to expand trade through the harbour from an existing 1000 tonnes a year to 5000 then 7000, he said.
Portarlington community and industry groups have been pushing for a safe harbour in the town for more than five years.
The previous Labor government finalised a master plan estimating the project’s cost at $26 million for stage one and $58 million in total.
Mr Wiffen said the industry also planned to expand with other shellfish production and exporting and processing of products.
“The pier is only just coping at the moment and it will need substantial repairs sometime soon. Money will have to be spent sooner or later.”
Bellarine Ferry and Safe Harbour Group Committee’s John Rae said Parks Victoria carried out works in 2009 for the pier to continue handling mussel trucks until this year.
Mr Rae said Ports Minister Denis Napthine pledged in a recent meeting with the committee to run a cost-benefit analysis on the project’s first stage.
“A safe harbour will assist both the industry and the township greatly. We want the mussel industry to expand and see opportunities for growth of oysters and scallops.”
Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville said the Baillieu Government had “sat on their hands for the past 15 months”.
“It’s only because of some local pressure they’ve started to move it along a bit. When in opposition they claimed this would be a priority, so now they need to move it forward as a matter of urgency.”
A Government spokesperson said the safe harbour project would be considered in future budgets.
“When the coalition came to Government in 2010 it found that Labor had not included any funding for Portarlington in the forward estimates and a number of other local port facilities were also in need of capital works,” the spokesperson said.
A Parks Victoria spokesperson said works of greater scope than the 2009 fix required “significant funding”.
“Parks Victoria is currently progressing funding bids. The project has to compete with many other Government priorities and funding will be determined through normal budget processes.”