The Port of Melbourne is the largest port for containerised and general cargo in Australia.[4] 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. Since 1 July 2003, the Port of Melbourne has been managed by the Port of Melbourne Corporation, a statutory corporation created by the State of Victoria.
Most of the port is in the suburb of West Melbourne and should not be confused with the Melbourne suburb of Port Melbourne although Webb Dock and Station Pier, parts of the Port of Melbourne, are in Port Melbourne.
Port Melbourne (or Sandridge as it was known until 1884) was a busy port early in the history of Melbourne, but declined as a cargo port with the development of the Port of Melbourne in the late 19th century. It retains Melbourne's passenger terminal however, with cruise ships and ferries using Station Pier.
Infrastructure Victoria estimate that the Port of Melbourne will reach its capacity in 2055.[5]
In September 2016, the port’s commercial operations were leased to the Lonsdale Consortium for a term of 50 years for more than $9.7 billion.[6][7]
In Melbourne's early days, large ships were unable to navigate the Yarra River, so cargo destined for Melbourne had to be unloaded at either Hobsons Bay (now Williamstown) or Sandridge (now Port Melbourne) and transferred either by rail or by cargo lighter to warehouses which were concentrated around King Street. This was an expensive and inefficient process.
In 1877, Victoria's government resolved to make the Yarra more navigable and engaged English engineer Sir John Coode to devise a solution. His solution was to change the course of the river by cutting a canal south of the original course of the river. This shortened it by a mile and made it much wider. It also created Coode Island, a name still used today although the northern course of the river has long since disappeared.
With these works, ships were now able to sail as far up the river as Queensbridge where a turning basin was constructed.
Coode also oversaw the construction of Victoria Dock in swampland to the west of the city. This opened in 1889.
Over time the docks moved progressively downstream as ships became larger and road bridges were built across the Yarra. The construction of the Spencer Street Bridge in 1928 and the Charles Grimes Bridge in 1975 each closed access to docks to the east. The barquePolly Woodside lying in the old Duke and Orr drydock, the warehouses of South Wharf and the Mission to Seafarers building are now the only reminders of the maritime history of this area.
Development slowed during the Great Depression and World War II but resumed after the war with construction of Appleton Dock (1956), Webb Dock (1960) at the mouth of the Yarra and Swanson Dock, the first container terminal, on what was Coode Island.
Eventually Victoria Dock became too small to handle large container ships and was closed. Its fate was permanently sealed by the construction of the Bolte Bridge, part of CityLink, across its entrance in 1999. It now forms the centrepiece of the Melbourne Docklands redevelopment.
In 1991 a large fire at the Coode Island bulk liquid handling facility blanketed much of Melbourne in toxic fumes. The public outrage forced the government to investigate relocating the facility. Point Lillias near Geelong was considered. However, due to the high cost involved and local opposition the facility has remained at Coode Island.[8]
Recently further controversy has resulted from plans to dredge Port Phillip to deepen shipping channels to allow larger ships into the Port of Melbourne. This process commenced in 2008 and was completed in November 2009. It involved removing more than 22 million cubic metres of sand and silt to provide a minimum 14-metre draught at all times. Opposition to this project stems from potential environmental damage due to silting[9] and loss of amenity for bayside residents due to the noise produced by the dredges. The project was subject to the strictest environmental testing and monitoring requirements in the world at the time. These activities will continue on for many years to help protect the Port Phillip Bay ecosystems.
In the future the Victorian Government will redevelop the Port of Melbourne to better integrate it with other modes of transport. The Melbourne wholesale fruit and vegetable market was relocated to Epping in 2013. Footscray Road is planned to be raised so that port users will have improved access to the rail facilities at South Dynon.[10]
Webb Dock East 2 is managed by Searoad for general Tasmanian cargo.[11]
Webb Dock East 4 & 5 is utilised for containerised cargo, is managed by Victoria International Container Terminal, a division of ICTSI[12][circular reference]
From May 2003 till May 2004, approximately 3,400 ships from 42 different lines called at the Port of Melbourne. The port handled 64.4 million tonnes of cargo, including a throughput of 1.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of cargo. In 2006-07 it became the first Australian port to handle two million TEU in a year.[13]
Rail access
Railway goods sidings serve both Swanson Dock East and West, permitting the transfer of shipping containers between sea and rail transport. Originally provided in the 1960s with the development of the port, they were later removed and not restored until 2003 as a 1500 metre long siding.[14][15] Rail sidings at Appleton Dock reopened in 2000 to serve a new export grain terminal at the port.[16] Dual gauge access is provided to the majority of sidings in the area. Extensive sidings once served the Victoria Dock area,[17] as well as Webb Dock which had a dedicated line.[18]
^"Promise Delivered: Port Of Melbourne Leased To Remove Level Crossings And Create Thousands Of Jobs". 19 September 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
^"Chinese fund takes 20% of $7.3bn Melbourne port".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^"Aynsley Kellow, University of Tasmania - 'Balancing Risks to Nature and Risks to People: The Coode Island/Point Lillias Project in Australia'". Retrieved 29 July 2007.[dead link]
^"ABC - 'Port Phillip Bay dredging hits obstacle' - 31 March 2005". Retrieved 29 July 2007.
^"The Age - 'Growth of Australia's largest port essential' - December 18, 2004". Melbourne. 18 December 2004. Retrieved 26 July 2007.
^"Melbourne joins ranks of top 50 global box ports". Lloyd's List Daily Commercial News. Informa Australia Ltd. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2008.[permanent dead link]
^. Port of Melbourne. portofmelbourne.com. Archived from the original on 16 March 2004. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
^. dpc.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
^. minister.infrastructure.gov.au. Archived from the original on 29 July 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
^"Wongm's Rail Gallery - Victoria Dock". wongm.railgeelong.com. 11 July 2009. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
^"Wongm's Rail Gallery - Webb Dock Line". wongm.railgeelong.com. 26 October 2008. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
External links
Port of Melbourne website
Electronic Navigation Chart for Port of Melbourne
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Port of Melbourne.
January 01, 1970
port, melbourne, confused, with, port, melbourne, victoria, corporation, largest, port, containerised, general, cargo, australia, located, melbourne, victoria, covers, area, mouth, yarra, river, downstream, bolte, bridge, which, head, port, phillip, well, seve. Not to be confused with Port Melbourne Victoria or Port of Melbourne Corporation The Port of Melbourne is the largest port for containerised and general cargo in Australia 4 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 Since 1 July 2003 the Port of Melbourne has been managed by the Port of Melbourne Corporation a statutory corporation created by the State of Victoria Port of MelbourneContainer crane and ship at Swanson Dock EastLocationLocationWest MelbourneCoordinates37 51 S 144 54 E 37 850 S 144 900 E 37 850 144 900 Coordinates 37 51 S 144 54 E 37 850 S 144 900 E 37 850 144 900 1 UN LOCODEAUMEL 2 DetailsBuilt1889Operated byDP WorldPatrickSize143 000 m2No of berths31 1 Draft depth14 7 m 1 No of platforms16Rail gaugeDual gaugeStreet accessDocklands HighwayStatisticsAnnual TEU3 02 million 3 Websitewww wbr portofmelbourne wbr comMost of the port is in the suburb of West Melbourne and should not be confused with the Melbourne suburb of Port Melbourne although Webb Dock and Station Pier parts of the Port of Melbourne are in Port Melbourne Port Melbourne or Sandridge as it was known until 1884 was a busy port early in the history of Melbourne but declined as a cargo port with the development of the Port of Melbourne in the late 19th century It retains Melbourne s passenger terminal however with cruise ships and ferries using Station Pier Infrastructure Victoria estimate that the Port of Melbourne will reach its capacity in 2055 5 In September 2016 the port s commercial operations were leased to the Lonsdale Consortium for a term of 50 years for more than 9 7 billion 6 7 The Lonsdale Consortium comprises Global Infrastructure Partners 40 China Investment Corporation 20 NTS a Korean pension fund 20 Future Fund 20 Queensland Investment Corporation 20 Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System 20 Contents 1 Facilities 2 History 3 Expansion 4 Facts and Figures 5 Rail access 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksFacilities EditThe Port of Melbourne consists of several major man made docks on the Yarra River and Port Melbourne including from upstream to downstream Victoria Dock Appleton Dock South Wharves Swanson Dock Maribyrnong Berth Yarraville Wharves Holden Oil Dock Webb Dock Station PierHistory EditIn Melbourne s early days large ships were unable to navigate the Yarra River so cargo destined for Melbourne had to be unloaded at either Hobsons Bay now Williamstown or Sandridge now Port Melbourne and transferred either by rail or by cargo lighter to warehouses which were concentrated around King Street This was an expensive and inefficient process In 1877 Victoria s government resolved to make the Yarra more navigable and engaged English engineer Sir John Coode to devise a solution His solution was to change the course of the river by cutting a canal south of the original course of the river This shortened it by a mile and made it much wider It also created Coode Island a name still used today although the northern course of the river has long since disappeared With these works ships were now able to sail as far up the river as Queensbridge where a turning basin was constructed Coode also oversaw the construction of Victoria Dock in swampland to the west of the city This opened in 1889 Over time the docks moved progressively downstream as ships became larger and road bridges were built across the Yarra The construction of the Spencer Street Bridge in 1928 and the Charles Grimes Bridge in 1975 each closed access to docks to the east The barque Polly Woodside lying in the old Duke and Orr drydock the warehouses of South Wharf and the Mission to Seafarers building are now the only reminders of the maritime history of this area Expansion Edit Three container ships berthed at Swanson Dock West Train loaded with containers at Swanson Dock East Development slowed during the Great Depression and World War II but resumed after the war with construction of Appleton Dock 1956 Webb Dock 1960 at the mouth of the Yarra and Swanson Dock the first container terminal on what was Coode Island Eventually Victoria Dock became too small to handle large container ships and was closed Its fate was permanently sealed by the construction of the Bolte Bridge part of CityLink across its entrance in 1999 It now forms the centrepiece of the Melbourne Docklands redevelopment In 1991 a large fire at the Coode Island bulk liquid handling facility blanketed much of Melbourne in toxic fumes The public outrage forced the government to investigate relocating the facility Point Lillias near Geelong was considered However due to the high cost involved and local opposition the facility has remained at Coode Island 8 The Port of Melbourne was also the scene of a watershed industrial battle in 1998 between Patrick and the Maritime Union of Australia MUA Recently further controversy has resulted from plans to dredge Port Phillip to deepen shipping channels to allow larger ships into the Port of Melbourne This process commenced in 2008 and was completed in November 2009 It involved removing more than 22 million cubic metres of sand and silt to provide a minimum 14 metre draught at all times Opposition to this project stems from potential environmental damage due to silting 9 and loss of amenity for bayside residents due to the noise produced by the dredges The project was subject to the strictest environmental testing and monitoring requirements in the world at the time These activities will continue on for many years to help protect the Port Phillip Bay ecosystems In the future the Victorian Government will redevelop the Port of Melbourne to better integrate it with other modes of transport The Melbourne wholesale fruit and vegetable market was relocated to Epping in 2013 Footscray Road is planned to be raised so that port users will have improved access to the rail facilities at South Dynon 10 Facts and Figures Edit Roll on roll off ship at Webb Dock Container Straddle carriers at Swanson Dock The Port of Melbourne is made up of the following Swanson Dock West has four berths and is used for containerised cargo managed by DP World Swanson Dock East has four berths and is used for containerised cargo managed by Patrick Appleton Dock berths B C and D are used for general cargo managed by DP World Appleton Dock E is used for general cargo destined for or from Tasmania Appleton Dock F is used for bulk dry cargo Maribyrnong Coode Island is a bulk liquid facility Webb Dock West is a roll on roll off facility for motor vehicles managed by Toll Stevedores Webb Dock East 1 is managed by Toll Domestic Forwarding for Tasmanian general cargo Webb Dock East 2 is managed by Searoad for general Tasmanian cargo 11 Webb Dock East 4 amp 5 is utilised for containerised cargo is managed by Victoria International Container Terminal a division of ICTSI 12 circular reference Gellibrand Pier is operated by ExxonMobil Australia and has a direct pipeline to the Altona Refinery Holden Dock handles refined petroleum products South Wharf berths 26 to 33 handle general cargoFrom May 2003 till May 2004 approximately 3 400 ships from 42 different lines called at the Port of Melbourne The port handled 64 4 million tonnes of cargo including a throughput of 1 9 million twenty foot equivalent units TEU of cargo In 2006 07 it became the first Australian port to handle two million TEU in a year 13 Rail access EditRailway goods sidings serve both Swanson Dock East and West permitting the transfer of shipping containers between sea and rail transport Originally provided in the 1960s with the development of the port they were later removed and not restored until 2003 as a 1500 metre long siding 14 15 Rail sidings at Appleton Dock reopened in 2000 to serve a new export grain terminal at the port 16 Dual gauge access is provided to the majority of sidings in the area Extensive sidings once served the Victoria Dock area 17 as well as Webb Dock which had a dedicated line 18 See also EditPort Phillip Channel Deepening Project Port of GeelongReferences Edit a b c Port of Melbourne Australia www findaport com Shipping Guides Ltd Retrieved 8 October 2020 UNLOCODE AU AUSTRALIA www unece org UNECE Retrieved 8 October 2020 Trade performance www portofmelbourne com Retrieved 26 March 2021 Quick facts www portofmelbourne com Retrieved 11 November 2017 Securing Victorias Ports Capacity PDF Promise Delivered Port Of Melbourne Leased To Remove Level Crossings And Create Thousands Of Jobs 19 September 2016 Retrieved 23 September 2016 Chinese fund takes 20 of 7 3bn Melbourne port cite web CS1 maint url status link Aynsley Kellow University of Tasmania Balancing Risks to Nature and Risks to People The Coode Island Point Lillias Project in Australia Retrieved 29 July 2007 dead link ABC Port Phillip Bay dredging hits obstacle 31 March 2005 Retrieved 29 July 2007 The Age Growth of Australia s largest port essential December 18 2004 Melbourne 18 December 2004 Retrieved 26 July 2007 SeaRoad keeping Tasmania connected International Container Terminal Services Melbourne joins ranks of top 50 global box ports Lloyd s List Daily Commercial News Informa Australia Ltd 8 August 2008 Retrieved 8 August 2008 permanent dead link Road amp rail development Port of Melbourne portofmelbourne com Archived from the original on 16 March 2004 Retrieved 30 March 2008 Media Release RAIL ACCESS RETURNED TO SWANSON DOCK WEST AS TRADE RECORD ANNOUNCED dpc vic gov au Archived from the original on 19 May 2011 Retrieved 30 March 2008 SECOND STANDARD GAUGE RAIL LINE IMPROVES ACCESS TO MELBOURNE PORT minister infrastructure gov au Archived from the original on 29 July 2008 Retrieved 30 March 2008 Wongm s Rail Gallery Victoria Dock wongm railgeelong com 11 July 2009 Retrieved 8 November 2009 Wongm s Rail Gallery Webb Dock Line wongm railgeelong com 26 October 2008 Retrieved 8 November 2009 External links EditPort of Melbourne website Electronic Navigation Chart for Port of Melbourne Wikimedia Commons has media related to Port of Melbourne Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Port of Melbourne amp oldid 1114436384, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
