Australian transport industry leader Paul Little has come out strongly against the economics of creating a container terminal in Hastings, as opposed to developing a “Bay West” terminal between Point Wilson and Little River.
Both suggestions are aimed at alleviating container traffic growth pressures on Melbourne, with the “Bay West” option to the west of Melbourne and Hastings around the promontory to the south east.
Mr Little – a former head of the Toll stevedoring and logistics group and still a director – says the western option would be more affordable, effective and efficient. He argues that a Hastings terminal would cause traffic issues in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and would also be a headache for logistics companies with existing bases in the west, close to their customers.
In the longer-term however, he felt Hastings could be a terminal for very large containerships with the port of Melbourne being sold. Hastings argues it has an advantage in its draft capabilities for very large ships, with a naturally-deep shipping channel and 13.6 square kms of additional anchorage up to 21 metres deep north of Phillip Island.
A government-owned entity, the Hastings Development Authority, was established in 2010 to facilitate increased capacity and competition in the container ports sector servicing Melbourne and Victoria.
