The Port of Melbourne has defended itself against criticisms from wide-ranging sources of its Port Licensing Fee which is expected to be implemented later this year.
The Victorian parliament in December passed legislation to replace the old Freight Infrastructure Charge imposed on trucks with fees charged against visiting ships from July.
Shipping Australia Limited chief executive Llew Russell said shipping lines were “very much opposed” to the fee and that it was an administratively costly way of raising funds.
Mr Russell queried the fact that there is no end date for the operation of the charge and that it appeared to offer no efficiency incentives, particularly for trucking companies to work at off-peak hours.
He questioned whether the charge would make Melbourne uncompetitive with other ports and suggested that money raised from it should be ring-fenced for Melbourne port infrastructure, not spent on projects elsewhere in the state such as Geelong.
The Victorian opposition has said the fee would ultimately raise prices for import goods. Victorian premier Ted Baillieu responded by defending the licensing fee, saying it was more efficient than the previous Freight Infrastructure Charge.
He said the old charges were clumsy and ineffective whereas this fee had a simple structure.
