Report on proposed lease of Port of Melbourne

This week the much anticipated report into the proposed leave of the Port of Melbourne was tabled in Parliament. The Committee recommends that the Legislative Council support the Bill, subject to proposed amendments.   Some 15 recommendations are included in the report, which address many of the issues raised by the Property Council in its submission. Of particular note are the following recommendations:

• A lease or licence be issued for no more than years and may not be extended;
• Immediately commit to completing the Port Rail Shuttle project;
• Development a comprehensive transport plan on the additional links that Port expansion will require;
• The Bill be amended to prohibit the inclusions in contract of a compensation or refund mechanism; and,
• The full application of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and the Competition Code be applied. 

The Property Council will continue to engage with the Government and other stakeholders to ensure the lease of the Port is part of a state wide freight, transport and logistics strategy that will serve Victorians for years to come. For more info, contact Linda Allison.