Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne)
The Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne) (VPCM) is a statutory authority of the Government of Victoria created to succeed the Port of Melbourne Corporation as the government regulator of shipping in Port Phillip Bay after the lease of the Port of Melbourne in 2016. In 2021, it was merged with the Victorian Regional Channels Authority into a new agency, Ports Victoria.
| Authority overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1 November 2016 |
| Preceding authority |
|
| Dissolved | 30 June 2021 |
| Superseding agency |
|
| Type | Statutory authority |
| Headquarters | 530 Collins St Melbourne |
| Employees | 59 (June 2018) |
| Minister responsible |
|
| Authority executive |
|
| Parent department | Department of Transport |
| Key document | |
| Website | vicports |
| Agency ID | PROV VA 5216 |
| Footnotes | |
| [1][2][3][4] | |
History edit
In mid-2015, the government of Premier Daniel Andrews announced that the Port of Melbourne would be leased to a private operator, in order to fund a program of level crossing removals, with the government remaining the landowner.[5]
In August 2016, with negotiations on the lease underway, the Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne) was introduced as the agency which would perform the government's remaining functions in the operation of the port, including management of the shipping channels in Port Phillip Bay, waterside emergency services, and the operation of the Station Pier facility for cruise shipping. The government appointed Rachel Johnson, formerly of Transport for NSW as the VPCM's inaugural chief executive officer and announced that she would report to the Port of Melbourne Corporation until it was privatised.[6][7] On 19 September, the government finalised the 50-year lease of the port to a corporation comprising the Queensland Investment Corporation, the Future Fund of the Australian government, the Canadian firm OMERS and the United States fund manager Global Infrastructure Partners for an upfront payment of A$9,700,000,000.[8]
Minister for Ports Luke Donnellan announced the appointment of a board of directors on 3 November 2016.[9]
With the establishment of Transport for Victoria in mid-2017, VPCM became one of its subsidiary agencies.[10] In May 2017, after the release of a report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau into the breakaway of the Spirit of Tasmania II from its moorings at Station Pier, the VPCM announced a new weather warnings service on its traffic management radio channel.[11]
The role of VPCM was examined by a review of the Victorian port system in 2020. In March 2021, the state government announced that VPCM would be merged with the Victorian Regional Channels Authority into a new agency, Ports Victoria, to provide channel management and regulatory services across all Victoria's commercial ports.[12]
Operations edit
The VPCM is required to promote and market the Port of Melbourne, in addition to its function as the regulator and provider of navigation services within the port.[13] This role includes the employment of a Harbourmaster to oversee port operations,[10] and the engagement of other maritime contractors.
References edit
Footnotes edit
- ^ "About us". Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne). Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ "Governance". Transport for Victoria. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ "Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne)". Agencies. Public Records Office Victoria. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ Annual Report 2017, p. 115.
- ^ Preiss, Benjamin; Gordon, Josh (27 May 2015). "Port of Melbourne up for 50-year lease to pay for level crossings". The Age. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ "Inaugural Chief For Victorian Ports Corporation". Premier of Victoria. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ "New Chief of Victorian Ports Corporation announced". Prime Mover Magazine. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ Gordon, Josh; Willingham, Richard (19 September 2016). "Labor secures $9.7b Port of Melbourne windfall, but claims federal funds fall short". The Age. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ Cella, Lauren (4 November 2016). "Victorian Ports Corporation's new board | Infrastructure Magazine". Infrastructure Magazine. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ a b Annual Report 2017, p. 9.
- ^ Kempton, Helen (11 May 2017). "ATSB releases report into breakaway of Spirit of Tasmania II at Melbourne's Station Pier". The Mercury. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ Independent Review of the Victorian Ports System: Initial Government Response (PDF). Department of Transport. 2 February 0201. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
- ^ Annual Report 2017, pp. 12–13.
Bibliography edit
- Annual Report 2016–17 (PDF). Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne). 29 August 2017.