Victoria’s Commercial Ports
Victoria has four commercial trading ports, declared under the Port Management Act 1995. These are the ports of Portland, Geelong, Melbourne, and Hastings.
Port of Melbourne
The Port of Melbourne is Australia's largest maritime hub for containerised, automotive and general cargo.
It is a key economic asset for businesses and people across Victoria and south-eastern Australia.
Port of Geelong
The Port of Geelong is Victoria's second biggest port, handling more than 10 million tonnes of product annually and dealing with around 600 vessel visits each year.
Its main commodities include crude oil, wood-chip, fertiliser and break-bulk cargo.
Port of Hastings - Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal
The Port of Hastings(opens in a new window) serves major international and domestic shipping movements that import and export oil, LPG, ULP and steel.
It also handles general cargo, project cargo, ship-to-ship transfer, pipe-laying operations and the lay-up and repair of oil rigs and floating platforms.
The Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal will also be established at the Port of Hastings - supporting offshore wind energy production. The terminal will take delivery and assemble offshore wind components ready for transfer to the proposed wind farms off the Gippsland and Portland coasts.
This is subject to planning and environmental approvals, including an independent Environment Effects Statement assessment. An extensive consultation process is underway.
This will ensure Traditional Owners, the community and stakeholders have their say.
More information on the terminal can be found on the Port of Hastings website and offshore wind energy on the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action website.
Port of Portland
The Port of Portland is a deepwater bulk port and the international gateway for the green triangle region, an area with abundant natural resources.
The port specialises in bulk commodities, particularly agricultural, forestry and mining products as well as aluminium and fertiliser.
Victorian Ports Review
The Independent Review of the Victorian Ports System was the first holistic review into the ports system in 20 years and included industry and stakeholder consultation, including commercial port and local port operators.
The review made 63 recommendations, which were supported by the Victorian Government, together with long-term reforms that reinforce open market access to ensure the sustainable economic future of Victoria’s ports.
The full government response addressed these recommendations, while setting out the three main areas of action:
- Establishing Ports Victoria, including creating Ports Victoria’s legislative charter, and outlining key reforms including to pilotage and towage services.
- Developing the Victorian Commercial Ports Strategy(opens in a new window) which will further define the government’s stewardship role and articulating the key steps in ensuring the future of Victoria’s ports.
- Local ports and waterway management reforms that will seek to effectively support the economic and social value of these assets.
The Victorian Government delivered on the review recommendations by creating Ports Victoria - a new state port entity to lead the strategic management and operation of Victorian commercial ports and waterways.
Ports Victoria is headquartered in Geelong, recognising the city’s important role in Victoria’s ports system through GeelongPort and the home of the Spirit of Tasmania.
Ports Victoria commenced operations on 1 July 2021 and is led by the board Chair Howard Ronaldson, with Craig Walker as the Chief Executive Officer.
Vessel management services
Ports Victoria(opens in a new window) manages commercial navigation of the channels in the port waters of Melbourne, Port of Geelong and the Port of Hastings and oversees channel management for the Port of Portland.
It also manages waterside emergency and marine pollution response, and is responsible for the management of Station Pier as Victoria’s premier cruise shipping facility.
Port of Melbourne pricing order compliance
The Port of Melbourne is an economic asset for the whole state, contributing $6 billion each year to Victoria’s economy.
The Essential Services Commission (ESC) has important regulatory responsibilities, including regular reviews of the Port of Melbourne’s pricing order. The Government legislated to provide this important protection for port users and end consumers.
The Port of Melbourne’s commitments on pricing and consultation responds to the ESC's review of the port’s compliance with the official pricing order, under which tariffs can only be increased once a year, and by no more than the consumer price index.
The Port of Melbourne’s package of commitments is expected to put downward pressure on tariffs and provide a clearer process for the port to engage with businesses.
The Victorian Government has accepted the Port of Melbourne’s commitments on pricing and consultation. This will help ensure that the port continues to operate for the benefit of all Victorians.
The Government will continue working with the Port of Melbourne and stakeholders to get the best outcomes for Victorians.
Resources to download
Voluntary Code of Practice
The Voluntary Code of Practice (VCoP) provides a roadmap for navigating disruptions in the landside freight supply chain in the Port of Melbourne.
Extensive consultations with the Container Storage Working Group and other stakeholders have shaped the development of the VCoP, which encourages industry collaboration and a coordinated response during disruptions.
The VCoP gives guidance to counter the impact of disruptions on freight movements and costs within the Port of Melbourne freight supply chain, and includes:
- Detecting and monitoring disruptions.
- Decision-making principles for monitoring and responding to disruptions.
- Possible actions for managing disruptions under industry response plans.
In December 2023, disruptions at the Port of Melbourne were declared under the VCoP due to shipping and landside congestion, and operational challenges caused by Protected Industrial Action at DP World West Swanston Dock.
A temporary Disruption Response Group (DRG) was formed to create and implement a Disruption Response Plan (the Plan) to address the situation.
Below is a summary of the causes and impacts of the disruption, the role of the DRG, and the implementation of the Plan:
Strategic Review of the Victorian Empty Container Supply Chain
The Victorian Government is committed to working with stakeholders including shipping line operators, importers, stevedores, land transport operators and empty container parks to ensure Victoria’s containerised freight supply chain continues to operate efficiently and effectively.
Freight Victoria engaged consultants NineSquared to undertake a review of the empty container supply chain in Victoria.
The purpose of the review was to provide advice on how the empty container supply chain could be considered in work to develop the Voluntary Port performance Model (VPPM).
Industry engagement was integral to developing the report prepared by NineSquared, with 28 industry stakeholders including empty container parks, stevedores, transport operators, shipping lines and industry bodies informing the final report.
Feedback from the industry has identified a confluence of factors causing issues being experienced in the empty container supply chain.
The Department will determine how to implement the report’s recommendations. Further industry consultation will be undertaken on how to expand the VPPM to cover the empty container supply chain.
This will build off the second quarterly report for the Voluntary Performance Monitoring Framework, which was published in September 2021 and included the first indicator on the empty container supply chain, the load discharge ratio.
This measures whether trade is generating or removing surplus empty containers and will help monitor the level of empty containers in Melbourne.
Resources to download
- Accessible versions of the report are available upon request.
Port of Melbourne Container Logistics Chain Study
Port of Melbourne, alongside the Victorian Government, commissioned the 2020 Container Logistics Chain Study(opens in a new window), the first comprehensive study of Port of Melbourne container movements in over a decade to inform industry and the government on the container supply chain and the transport networks that underpin it.
Container management is important because 75 per cent of the Port of Melbourne’s trade is containerised, representing about 3 million containers annually.
The study provides a current picture on container movements along the supply chain across Victoria and interstate, examining the port’s container flow, trends and changes since the last study in 2009, and the impact and nature of growth in container volumes.
The strength of the transport, manufacturing and logistics sector in Melbourne’s outer western and outer southeastern suburbs is clear, with the study showing the area receives more than two thirds of the state’s container imports.
The report also outlines the importance of the planning system in both protecting and enabling industrial land use and supply chain efficiency, while managing this impact on residential amenity.
The information will support policy and investment decisions as Victoria prepares for an expected increase in the freight task to 900 million tonnes by 2051.
The Port Rail Shuttle Network and the proposed Western Interstate Freight Terminal at Truganina(opens in a new window) will be critical to improve the efficiency of our ports and freight network and ensuring the efficient operation of the wider transport network and reduce truck movements on local streets.
Projects like the West Gate Tunnel, the Port Rail Transformation Project and the redevelopment of the former Melbourne Market site on Footscray Road for freight purposes will all have a big impact on the container supply chain and the way containers move around Victoria, particularly around Melbourne.
Resources to download
Empty Container Park Trial Report
Empty container parks (ECPs) play a vital role in the freight supply chain to the Port of Melbourne, and they impact the cost of freight transportation across the state.
We’ve released the report on the ECP Trial - Moving towards paperless and contactless truck arrival at Melbourne’s empty container parks (2023).
The report provides an overview of the truck arrival processes at ECPs, details of the trial, and outcomes of data analysis.
It also highlights industry feedback and opportunities for improvement.
The report outlines the efficiency improvements available from paperless and contactless truck arrivals at ECPs.
This approach promises a host of benefits that will support the freight industry in Victoria.
Key benefits of automated truck arrivals include improved truck servicing times, increased truck cycles per day, reduced futile trips, and improved driver safety.
The trial has led to the inclusion of two new performance indicators for ECP performance in the Voluntary Performance Monitoring Framework quarterly reporting dashboard.
View the Voluntary Performance Monitoring Framework quarterly reporting dashboard
Resources to download
Container Storage Working Group Industry Guide
In early 2022, the Victorian Government asked the Department to convene the Container Storage Working Group.
The Container Storage Working Group included representatives from across the container freight supply chain, including container transport operators, stevedores, shipping lines, the Port of Melbourne, peak bodies, and Government.
It was formed to provide an understanding of the current pressures on storage of shipping containers and to identify emerging themes and possible solutions.
It achieved a shared understanding of the challenges all parties in the supply chain faced.
The Container Storage Working Group’s input has contributed to the development of an Industry Guide, a collection of insights and feedback from the industry, key roles, responsibilities, and relationships in the flow of containers, and potential voluntary solutions to address disruption in the container supply chain.
Find out more by viewing the:
Port Rail Transformation Project at the Port of Melbourne
We're moving more containers onto trains and reducing the number of trucks on local roads with the Port Rail Transformation Project (PRTP) at the Port of Melbourne (PoM).
The $125 million investment in new rail infrastructure interfacing with the container terminal at East Swanson Dock is part of the Victorian Government’s work to continue driving the economic success of the port, which currently contributes $6 billion to the Victorian economy each year and is a crucial part of the state’s agriculture supply chain.
It’s a win for our exporters who have been paying high “last mile” costs when their goods arrive at the PoM and reduces congestion at the port gate.
The PRTP is a key component of our plans for a rail freight network to the port, including the Port Rail Shuttle Network initiative, the intermodal terminals at Truganina and Beveridge, signal automation at the Geelong Port and investments in the regional freight network.
We’ll keep looking at ways to improve port pricing and access, keeping Victoria’s regional exports cost-competitive and growing the state’s economy.
Resources to download
Support for international seafarers
Australia has one of the largest shipping tasks in the world with over 99 per cent of Australia’s international trade carried by sea. Victorians are dependent on global shipping and the seafarers that undertake shipping activities.
The Victorian Government is doing more to support the hard-working seafarers that dock in Victoria every single day.
This support package delivers wi-fi access for visiting seafarers to connect them with families and friends, catch up on their banking or download a movie while they are on ships in the Victorian ports of Melbourne, Geelong, Hastings, and Portland.
We've also introducing mental health and wellbeing programs in port to support seafarers because we know their job is tough and being away from home isn't easy.
Station Pier - Victoria’s gateway for cruise shipping
Station Pier is Victoria’s heritage cruise shipping facility, hosting visiting ships and navy vessels.
In recognition of the vital role that Station Pier plays as Victoria’s cruise shipping gateway, more than $70 million is dedicated to maintenance and upgrades over the next four years.
This work protects the pier’s heritage and maintains it as an operational shipping and cruise facility.
For an accessible version of the fact please email freighvictoria@transport.vic.gov.au
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