Victoria opposition still backing Hastings

Opposition ports spokesman David Hodgett, who was Ports Minister in the former state coalition government, has reaffirmed his commitment to a box port on the Mornington Peninsula.

The concept of an alternative to Melbourne was a policy plank of the coalition, which entertained suggestions the port could be operational by the mid-2020s.

Mr Hodgett told a transport conference that his party still supported a Hastings port although he accepted that ship design had moved on, and that the Port of Melbourne might be able to cope for a bit longer because ship drafts had not become as deep as had been predicted a few years ago.

“So Hastings is not as urgent as what we talked about last election,” he said.