Port of Melbourne’s ability to cater for larger vessels will be enhanced

Port of Melbourne’s ability to cater for larger vessels will be enhanced following an announcement by the manager of Australia’s busiest container port to proceed with the Webb Dock East Berth 4/5 extension – a project that will deliver benefits for the port-related supply chain and Victorians as a whole.

The Webb Dock East Berth extension restores operating capacity and efficiency at the port in response to the impact of an increasing number of large vessels coming into Australia’s busiest container port.

The project forms part of a 30-year, $1.5 billion Port Development Strategy that maps out an extensive investment program designed to ensure that Melbourne remains a world-class port capable of servicing the trade needs of all Victorians.

Port of Melbourne CEO Brendan Bourke said the project will enable Webb Dock East to operate across two berths, as was always intended.

Mr Bourke said:

“There has been an increasing incidence of vessels longer than 300 metres calling at the Port of Melbourne. This trend is likely to continue. When vessels longer than 300 metres in length berth at Webb Dock East, the terminal is regularly constrained to operating as a single berth terminal. These works will involve the removal of a redundant concrete structure at the northern end of the berth and extending the berth by 71 metres, thereby improving operational efficiencies.

“Restoring operating capacity and achieving greater efficiency at the terminal will help to drive down costs across the port-related supply chain for trade activity into and out of Melbourne, which accounts for more than one-third of the nation’s container trade. This is good news for our exporters and agricultural producers given that the works ultimately will allow goods to move more quickly through the port to market, supporting growth and Victoria's export economy.”

The terminal at Webb Dock East is operated by Victoria International Container Terminal Ltd (VICT). Port of Melbourne has engaged with a broad range of stakeholders as input to the decision to proceed with the Webb Dock East project.

The Port Lease Transaction in 2016 established a comprehensive framework for investment decisions at the Port of Melbourne, which are the responsibility of Port of Melbourne Operations Pty Ltd. Since then, Port of Melbourne has continued to make significant investments in maintaining and developing the port for the benefit of all port users.