Port of Hastings legislation passed by State Parliament
18-August-2011
Development of a second Victorian container port was officially given the green light with legislation enabling the appointment of a Port of Hastings Development Authority passing through State Parliament last night, Member for Hastings, Neale Burgess said today.
Minister for Ports Denis Napthine said the passage of the Bill through both houses with bipartisan support indicated that Victorian Labor recognized it had made a mistake when they merged Hastings with the Port of Melbourne Corporation in 2010.
“This legislation reverses Labor’s short-sighted vision for the future of the Victorian freight industry and will allow for an independent Port of Hastings Development Authority to begin the preliminary work for this vital project,” Dr Napthine said
“With the Port of Melbourne rapidly approaching capacity, a second container port is vital to the long term productivity and economy of Victoria.
“The development of Hastings will give Victorian businesses and exporter’s confidence in the long-term efficiency of freight movements in our state.
Mr Burgess said the Legislation Amendment (Port of Hastings Development Authority) Bill 2011 passed through the Legislative Council last night unopposed after winning the support of Labor and the Greens.
“With the passage of this legislation the Coalition Government will soon seek expressions of interest for the Port of Hastings Development Authority Board,” Dr Napthine said.
“Once appointed, the Board will initiate a number of assessments including economic, social and environmental impact studies. The Victorian Coalition Government will work closely with all stakeholders and the Hastings community to ensure the best possible outcome is achieved.”
Mr Burgess said the development of Hastings would be a great economic boost for the south-east.
“Already the Port of Hastings accommodates 200 vessel visits every year with the port handling about five million tons of cargo. Developing Hastings will deliver fantastic economic benefits and more jobs to my community,” Mr Burgess said.