Third stevedore plan for port

[lbrown2@bigpond.com (Brown Family)]

The Age newspaper at:
http://www.theage.com.au/business/2001/02/26/FFXULDSLLJC.html

Of rail interest is the following:

"In a wide-ranging speech, Ms Broad (Minister for Ports, Candy Broad)
unveiled a number of initiatives. These included:

"An agreement with Graincorp to spend $3.6 million to deliver
standard-gauge rail access to the bulk grain wharf at the Port of
Geelong. This should be completed in 12 months time.

"A $3.7 million government commitment to provide a berthing structure
for the Coode Island chemical storage depot. Work should be completed
by March next year.

Support for a number of suburban and regional inland ports.

Funding of $300,000 to increase the number of commercial vessel
surveys.

The appointment of Bill Russell to head a review of port reform in
Victoria.

In the next few weeks, a summary report will be released on community
and industry response to the Victorian Ports Strategic Study.

A final report on the feasibility of establishing a common user
terminal for containerised cargo at the Port of Melbourne should be
released by the middle of the year.

A committee has been set up to develop an integrated Victorian freight
and logistics strategy by the end of the year.

Ms Broad said the government was supporting private sector investment
in inland ports. "These distribution hubs will streamline the sea
freight transport chain and relieve port congestion and pressure on
limited port land," she said.

Four were already under development at Altona North, West Wodonga,
Morwell and Merbein, and commercial investors had earmarked Mangalore,
Somerton, Mooroopna, Echuca and Warrnambool as possible inland port
developments.

"In Altona North, CRT is scheduled to open for business within four
months. It will have the capacity to handle 13,000 TEUs per annum and
will be serviced by both road and rail," she said. "A single shuttle
will run to East Swanson Dock five days a week, 52 weeks a year."

"Ms Broad said the government's improved access regime for rail
freight users opened the way for more innovative projects, like
alternative intermodal transport hubs such as that planned for Echuca.

"The government would also soon have the final report of an
independent review of rail standardisation options and priorities.
"Access to the ports of Portland and Geelong is the obvious priority,"
she said.

"Ms Broad said that work had begun on the Dynon Hub Study to identify
infrastructure upgrades and operational changes that would improve
productivity at the three Dynon terminals".

Double-stacking from CRT to East Swanson Dock and other inland ports
also on the agenda?

I wonder

Les Brown