Port of Geelong

The Port of Geelong is located on the shores of Corio Bay in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The port is the sixth-largest in Australia by tonnage. [cite web| title =City of Greater Geelong:Transportation - Sea | publisher =City of Greater Geelong | year =2006 | url =http://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/Accessing_Council/Transportation/Sea/ | accessdate =2008-02-08]

Major commodities handled by the port include crude oil and petroleum products, export grain and woodchips, alumina imports, and fertiliser. [http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/geelong-port-contributes-500mn-a-year-to-victoria/2005/09/11/1126377204533.html The Age: Geelong port contributes $500mn a year to Victoria - September 12, 2005] ] Major port industries include Alcoa's Point Henry smelter, AWB Limited's grain elevator, and Shell Australia's Corio oil refinery.

The Port of Geelong handled $5.6 billion worth of bulk cargo in 2004-05, made up of 12 million tonnes of cargo from 543 ship visits.

History

Before the initial settlement of Geelong, a sandbar across the bay from Point Lilias to Point Henry prevented ships from entering the inner harbour. Ships were required to drop anchor in the bay, and cargo was brought into Geelong on small barges. At times it was possible to walk across the bay on the sandbar at low tide. [cite web
url=http://www.zades.com.au/bellhs/bellpen.html
title=The History of the Bellarine Peninsula
accessdate=2007-08-02]

The first channel through the sandbar was started in 1853, providing less than 4 metres draught for ships. This channel was straightened out and dredged at a depth of 6 metres in the 1860s. In 1881 a new channel started that took 12 years to complete. It was named the Hopetoun Channel after Lord Hopetoun who opened it on December 20, 1893. [cite book
last = Begg
first = Peter
title = Geelong - The First 150 Years
publisher = Globe Press
date = 1990
isbn = 0-9592863-5-7 ]

By the early 1900s shipping traffic has increased and the existing piers in the city area were inadequate. As a result new port developments were started in the North Geelong area.

Management

Management of the channels and port of Geelong was the responsibility of the Geelong Harbour Trust that was formed in December 1905. [http://www.access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewAgency&entityId=1425 Public Record Office Victoria - Agency VA 1425] ] In addition, the Authority was responsible for the associated ports at Queenscliff, Barwon Heads, Lorne and Apollo Bay.

In 1981, the trust was reconstituted as the Port of Geelong Authority as an attempt to follow modern practice with the naming of organisations responsible for ports operation throughout the world. The authority was privatised by the State Government, being sold to TNT Logistics for $49.6 million on 1 July 1996.cite web
url=http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/doi/doielect.nsf/2a6bd98dee287482ca256915001cff0c/9db05d5823e38074ca256be9000d0835/$FILE/PortReform02_chap1.pdf
title=DoI - THE REVIEW OF PORT REFORM IN VICTORIA
accessdate=2007-08-02] The port was later rebranded as Toll GeelongPort after the acquition of TNT by Toll Holdings. Today the port is now branded as GeelongPort, a part of Asciano Limited after the demerger from Toll Holdings.

In 2008 the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission(ACCC) revoked Asciano's exclusive equipment contract with the Port of Geelong. The ACCC found that the compulsory use of Asciano cranes for dry bulk and fertiliser unloading was anti-competitive, and that the negative effects of the arrangement outweighed any productivity improvements derived from use of a single equipment type. [cite news|title =ACCC seeks to revoke dictated Geelong Port equipment use | work =Lloyd's List Daily Commercial News | publisher = | date =2008-02-08 | url =http://www.lloydslistdcn.com.au/informaoz/LLDCN/home.jsp?source=wire&var_sect=News&art_id=1202338727484 | accessdate =2008-02-08 ]

Facilities

Major piers in the Port of Geelong include:
* Cunningham Pier: opened as the Railway Pier in the mid 1850s. [cite web
url=http://www.railgeelong.com/lineguide.php?line=cunningham
title=Rail Geelong: Cunningham Pier Line
accessdate=2007-08-02] Disused by the 1980s, currently occupied by a Smorgy's restaurant.
* Moorabool Street Wharf: located at the end of the street of the same name. Main terminal for bay cruises until demolished in the 1950s.
* Yarra Street Pier. Destroyed by fire in 1988 and mostly removed, but has seen a number of rebuilding proposals since. [cite web
url=http://www.shipmate.com.au/file/doc_file_15.pdf
title=Shipmate News
date=February 07
publisher=www.shipmate.com.au
accessdate=2008-06-29]

By the early 1900s shipping traffic has increased and the existing piers in the city area were inadequate. As a result new port developments were started in the North Geelong area.
* Corio Quay. Construction started in the 1900s, and the wharfs are still in use today for woodchip and bulk cargoes. [cite web
url=http://www.railgeelong.com/locations.php?name=Harbour%20Trust%20Sidings
title=Rail Geelong: Harbour Trust Sidings
accessdate=2007-08-02]
* Grain Pier. Built to export grain from the adjacent grain elevators in 1937.cite web
url=http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/doi/doielect.nsf/2a6bd98dee287482ca256915001cff0c/9db05d5823e38074ca256be9000d0835/$FILE/PortReform02_chap1.pdf
title=DoI - THE REVIEW OF PORT REFORM IN VICTORIA
accessdate=2007-08-02] Replaced by a newer pier to the north in the 1990s.
* Lascelles Wharf. Caters for general cargo, as well as minerals and fertiliser for the adjacent phosphate works.
* Refinery Pier. Opened by Shell in 1953 to cater for their nearby oil refinery.cite web
url=http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/doi/doielect.nsf/2a6bd98dee287482ca256915001cff0c/9db05d5823e38074ca256be9000d0835/$FILE/PortReform02_chap1.pdf
title=DoI - THE REVIEW OF PORT REFORM IN VICTORIA
accessdate=2007-08-02]

There are also a number of special purpose piers on Corio Bay:
* Point Henry Pier. Established by Alcoa at Point Henry for alumina ore imports for their Point Henry smelter
* Point Wilson Pier. Established for the import of explosives that are then stored at the adjacent reserve. [cite web|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/pwc/ecac/ecacRep.pdf|title=REPORT relating to the proposed EAST COAST ARMAMENT COMPLEX POINT WILSON, VIC|accessdate=2007-07-26]

References

External links

* [http://www.geelongport.com.au/ http://www.geelongport.com.au/] - Official Site