Port of Melbourne Corporation
Encyclopedia
The Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) is a statutory body established by the Victorian Government. The Corporation commenced operations on 1 July 2003, when it took over the management of the Port of Melbourne
Port of Melbourne
The Port of Melbourne is Australia's busiest port for containerised and general cargo. It is located in Melbourne, Victoria and covers an area at the mouth of the Yarra River, downstream of Bolte Bridge, which is at the head of Port Phillip, as well as several piers on the bay itself...
from Melbourne Port Corporation. On 1 September 2010, it came under the Transport Integration Act
Transport Integration Act
The Transport Integration Act 2010 is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia. The Act is the prime transport statute in Victoria, having replaced major parts of the former Transport Act 1983....
and also took over management of the Port of Hastings, in Western Port Bay.
Port operations
The Port of Melbourne Corporation administers the Yarra RiverYarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
downstream of Bolte Bridge
Bolte Bridge
The Bolte Bridge is a large twin Cantilever bridge in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It spans the Yarra River and Victoria Harbour in the Docklands precinct to the west of the Melbourne CBD...
, and operates several wharfs and piers on the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
and Port Melbourne that comprise the Port of Melbourne
Port of Melbourne
The Port of Melbourne is Australia's busiest port for containerised and general cargo. It is located in Melbourne, Victoria and covers an area at the mouth of the Yarra River, downstream of Bolte Bridge, which is at the head of Port Phillip, as well as several piers on the bay itself...
.
The Corporation also managed the Port Phillip Channel Deepening Project
Port Phillip Channel Deepening Project
The Port Phillip Channel Deepening Project began on 8 February 2008 to deepen the shipping channels leading to Melbourne, Australia, in Port Phillip to draught allow greater access for container ships. An estimated A$969 million, was to be spent on the works, with $150 million funded by taxpayers...
, a dredging project to deepen shipping channels in Port Phillip Bay to 14 metres (46 ft). The project commenced in February 2008 and was completed in November 2009, ahead of schedule.
Since 1 September 2010, the Port of Melbourne Corporation has been part of the transport integration framework in Victoria and has also been given responsibility for administration of the Port of Hastings.
Initial establishment
The Corporation was initially established on 1 July 2003 under the Port Services Act 1995 (Victoria) to manage the Port of MelbournePort of Melbourne
The Port of Melbourne is Australia's busiest port for containerised and general cargo. It is located in Melbourne, Victoria and covers an area at the mouth of the Yarra River, downstream of Bolte Bridge, which is at the head of Port Phillip, as well as several piers on the bay itself...
, a port for containerised and general cargo located in Melbourne, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The Corporation took over management of the Port of Melbourne from the Melbourne Port Corporation, which ceased operations on 30 June 2003. On 3 November 2003, it took over responsible for the port waters and channels from the Victorian Channels Authority.
Recent developments
The Port of Melbourne Corporation was re-established with a new corporate charter from 1 September 2010, following the commencement of the Transport Integration ActTransport Integration Act
The Transport Integration Act 2010 is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia. The Act is the prime transport statute in Victoria, having replaced major parts of the former Transport Act 1983....
and changes made to that Act by the Transport Legislation Amendment (Ports Integration) Act 2010.
The Transport Integration Act establishes a framework for an integrated and sustainable transport system in Victoria and empowers key Victorian Government agencies with responsibility for the State's land and water transport system.
The Act provides that Port of Melbourne Corporation's primary object is to manage and develop its ports consistent with the vision statement in the Act and system-based objectives which emphasise transport integration and sustainability.
The 2010 legislative changes abolished the Port of Hastings Corporation and transferred its responsibilities for the Port of Hastings to the Port of Melbourne Corporation.
Future developments
The new Government is reversing the merger of the Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) and the Port of Hastings Corporation which occurred in late 2010. The Government through Ports Minister Dr Denis NapthineDenis Napthine
Denis Vincent Napthine is an Australian politician for the Liberal Party in the state of Victoria. He is a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, representing the electoral district of South-West Coast.- Early life :...
recently presented legislation to the Victorian Parliament - the Transport Legislation (Port of Hastings Development Authority) Bill 2011 - to establish a Port of Hastings Development Authority (POHDA) to oversee the development of the port as a competitor in container trade to the PMC. The legislation was passed by Parliament on 16 August 2011 but is not yet in force. The default date for the commencement of the new Act and hence the establishment of the POHDA is 1 January 2012.
See also
- Transport Integration ActTransport Integration ActThe Transport Integration Act 2010 is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia. The Act is the prime transport statute in Victoria, having replaced major parts of the former Transport Act 1983....
- Department of TransportDepartment of Transport (Victoria, Australia)The Department of Transport or DOT is the central Government agency responsible for the coordination, integration and regulation of the transport system in the State of Victoria, Australia...