MN Memorial Canberra
Melbourne Ports Corporation - Past present & Future

Merchant Navy

MN Memorial - Canberra

In Honour of those of the Australian Merchant Navy who gave their lives for their Country and have no grave but the sea. They will be remembered for evermore.

The Annual Memorial Service was held at the Merchant Navy Memorial at the Lakeside in King's Park, Canberra on 20th October 2002. It was attended by approximately 180 former and present Merchantmen, families and guests many of whom had travelled interstate to attend the service. The address was given by the British High Commissioner's Aide as the Commissioner had to fly to attend the Bali tragedy.

MELBOURNE PORTS - PAST PRESENT & FUTURE.

Mr. Chris Whittaker, CEO of the Melbourne Ports Corporation (MPC) - Guest Speaker at Combined Company of Master Mariners' & INST. OF NAV Dinner, Wed. 25 September 2002.

Firstly, a book The Long & Perilous Journey was described, having been commissioned two years ago by MPC. It tells of many aspects of the Port of Melbourne, from discovery to the present. Williamstown; Port Sandridge; The Falls, the Gold Rush, Coode's works, and a general social history , including Dame Nelly Melba singing to the strikebreakers, floods, sewage and black fumes problems, and more, when the environment was not an issue. The launch of the book is scheduled for next Wed. at the Flying Angel Mission.
From the PAST to the PRESENT.
Melbourne is called by some' Australia's Premier Port', and is one of the country's largest for general cargo.
There are three parts to it
- the MPC,
- the Vic Channels Authority (VCA) and
- the services provided by the private sector.
In the year to June 2001 the port handled 1.4 million teu's, (or 40% of Australia's total) while Sydney handled 1,000,900.
The port's success is due largely to its geography.
It is placed centrally within the triangle joining Adelaide, Sydney and Hobart that contains 70% of Australia's agriculture and manufacturing.
Roads and railways radiate out from Melbourne. Cargo handled produces $60 billion, or $125,000 a minute, it provides employment for 18,000 people, which fact generates $3 billion a year in wages.
Among the cargoes that pass through, the largest volume of anyone is of rice. Among the commodities shipped out from Melbourne is at least one from every State; for instance,
- meat from Queensland,
- wine from W .A.
- the single largest group of customers is the NSW rice growers.
We have over forty shipping lines that use the port, and they distribute our trade to 200 ports worldwide.
Our balance of exports and imports slightly favours imports (52% to the 48% of exports.
In Sydney there is a considerably bigger predominance of imports.
Melbourne port's growth of trade is good. Of motors the port brings in a ratio of 2 for imports to 3 of exports.
Mitsubishi in South Australia ship containers through Melbourne. And amongst all the port's cargoes handled there are grain, cement, steel and liquids especially. If any part of the port becomes congested, there are problems.
We have very good freeways that avoid having heavy vehicles passing through inner suburbs. There are good rail connections, and Swanson Dock is only 600 to 700 metres from the Dynon Road/Rail complex.
There are stress areas, such as truck congestion in the streets, and general people- and freight- movements Linkages exist with matters further afield; the deepening of channels is one.
Ships are limited to 11.6 metres, but when the Under Water Clearance system is operating they are able to increase their draught by up to 40 centimetres.
A new generation of Eastbound, 4,200 teu container ships will mean further developments, for their Summer Draught is about 12.5 metres. They Carry 1,300 reefer containers.
THE FUTURE.
We aim to continue growing, and to be handling 2.8 million teus by 2020, and ten years later to make it 5 million.
The State government wants the port to be under the one governing body, not the MPC plus the VCA. There's mistrust between Geelong and Melbourne.
Geoff Kennett apparently wanted to sell the port to private interests, who then would be in the trade. We now need integrated planning, with a new concept, not just repair of two separate bodies amalgamated.
The depth required in 20 years will be sufficient to take ships with about 14 metres of draught, carrying 7,000 teus. This may come in stages.
There are a few high spots to remove from the Heads, and the whole deepening process there will at worst increase water levels in Port Phillip by 2cm.
If the channels are not deepened, then imports will become more expensive, and exports will too.
We have to develop an all-round transport concept, with sea transport, road and rail systems that are environmentally correct.
Moving goods by rail is renascent, with connections to Victoria Dock and to Webb Dock being planned. Level crossings have to be avoided, so Footscray Road, for instance, will have to go over the railway.
The Dynon Precinct has to be up-graded, and the port reconnected to the people.
Very few people ever see the docks.
The port has a challenge of how to deal with its physical features, the environment and the communities. It is a stewardship role.
BUT 34% of Melbourne's trade is contestable, much of it coming from or going to interstate. Melbourne is Australia's premier freight link. (Brisbane handles about 400,000 teus per annum.)
Q's and A's.
The Fish Market and all the markets there will have to be moved from Footscray Road. As regards the Growling Grass Frog, there is no evidence of any of them near West Gate Bridge, a site for development. The world's frog expert was brought in, and he studied it at length, satisfying the frog lovers.
The main ports' rivalry is between Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney & Brisbane.
The Darwin railway will have very little effect-too costly per container, by some hundreds per cent, relative to a direct sea haulage here.
In winning trade from other ports, the margins are down to five cents a ton to win contracts. We handle empties free, but Sydney. does not. Our wharfage fees are the lowest in Australia, at $27 a teu (Sydney's over $40). As of 1 July 2003, there will be no Melbourne berth charges.
We own 500 hectares of land, and our income is half wharfage, half rentals. There is a certain return to Treasury. Financial pressures will decrease. The State got $10m from the port last year. The Shipping trend is to use fewer ports.
I foresee that: In 10 years, there may be only two, Sydney and Melbourne;there will be much greater coastal shipping.
There is no thought whatsoever of downgrading the Harbour Master's role whereas the public have little chance to know about shipping, and the papers say nothing on the subject, we need to run awareness courses for the young and the old. We will work through schools and elsewhere, have ship adoption, an overcome the industry's failure to communicate.
In expanding to 5 million teu annually, there's room for some expansion of both sides of Swanson Dock The distribution of cargo outside the port is being worked on. The greater expansion will be in imports, and exports may suffer.