Tag: Port of Melbourne

Port of Melbourne Reaffirms Expansion Plans

State government's unveiled a billion dollar plan for a new container hub at Webb Dock

The Australian consumer watchdog warns The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC's) annual report on stevedoring operations comes as new terminals are well underway in Sydney and Brisbane.A new entrant, Hutchison Port Holdings, is expected to commence operations at those ports in 2013.The ACCC says the developments will be an important and positive step for Sydney and Brisbane's ports as well as the economies that rely on them.For many years the watchdog had expressed concerns that persistently high profitability and a lack of rivalry on prices meant stevedoring companies Patrick and DP World faced only limited competition.If container numbers continued to increase at current rates the Port of Melbourne could face capacity problems, similar to those observed at Port Botany, by as early as 2015, the report said.The Victorian Government is currently debating how it will provide for future container capacity and increased competition at Melbourne."Opportunities for new entry into Australian stevedoring are rare. This makes them all the more important when they do arise," ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said."We would welcome the Victorian government taking advantage of the need for new investment by introducing a third competitor into the port of Melbourne," Sims said.The ACCC Chairman further called for ...