How planning for new port develops

Jim Mynard
THE Port of Hastings Corporation (PoHC) was established about mid 2005 and the Federal Government’s SouthEast Development (SED) was among the first visitors to discuss the development process the corporation would oversee.
SED chairman Charles Wilkins then said the visit gave his members an excellent appreciation of current and future potential of the Port of Hastings.
“Now that the State Government has indicated a clear framework and action plan for port development we can reflect this in our own plans,” he said.
The corporation in April 2005 met the Victorian Freight and Logistics Council (VFLC) at Hastings.
Port corporation chairman John Warburton then said the corporation was in the early stages of preparing a strategic port land use and transport corridor access plan and involvement of the VFLC would be of vital significance.
During June 2005 the port corporation held its first meeting with the port’s Community Reference Group (CRG). Former MP Bob Chynoweth chaired the CRG.
Neither organisation revealed the possibility of the port corporation building a railway through the Casey and Cardinia municipalities.
Also of concern, is the fact that the City of Casey and Shire of Cardinia were represented at early meetings concerning development of port rail access but their representatives failed to report the possibility of the eastern rail corridor.
However, a port corporation working paper was posted on the web about September 2005 that indicated the possibility of a rail route through Clyde.
The community reference group and the Port Technical Working Group (TWG) assisted in preparation of this paper but it was not widely publicised.
Casey mayor Colin Butler said one reason for this was that the reference group membership consisted mostly of selfinterest groups and did not strongly represent community concerns.
He said, however, that the corporation was obligated under its guidelines to advise all affected residents by mail about the proposals.
“This was not done.”
Just before Christmas residents began hearing about the rail proposal that would come from the Fisheries Road area to Clyde and turn across toward Cardinia, then toward Officer and Pakenham.
Port corporation chief executive Ralph Kenyon said the alignment was a long way from being finalised, but was expected to pick up the existing railway line at Clyde and follow a route generally along Ballarto Road and swing toward the PakenhamOfficer area before crossing Cardinia Road.
He said it was not expected to have an impact on the Cardinia township.
The freight line would join the Gippsland line about where Cardinia Road joins the railway line.
In response to complaints that property values were dropping because of the proposal, Mr Kenyon said he was also hearing that developers were moving into the area offering higher prices in order to capitalise on the plan.
He said the Gippsland link would become more important from 2025 and it was important for the port corporation to develop planning certainty.
Cr Butler said the City of Casey would write to residents along the Western Port corridor and also those along the proposed Clyde corridor so that they would in future be fully advised of the proposal.
He said also that in response to the protest meetings Mr Kenyon had asked the City of Casey to conduct a series of residents’ forums on the issue.
“We will consider this,” he said.
Cardinia Shire mayor Kate Lempriere said the shire was now in the process of gathering as much information as possible on the plan.
She said, however, that the State Government could override any decision by the councils.
“This is bigger than local government, this is a State Government issue. Responsibility for this lies with State Government and it should be leading the way with public meetings in order to fully explain what its intentions are with the Port of Hastings.”
Residents have until Saturday 3 March to submit comment on the proposal outlined in the port corporation consultation draft Port of Hastings Land Use and Transport Strategy.