Impact of study

By Sarah Schwager
THE launch of the Port of Hastings Economic Impact Study last week was met with mixed responses.
Investigating the economic impacts on the Westernport region, the study determined the controversial port development plan would provide thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in household income.
State Minister for Roads and Ports Tim Pallas said an upgraded port would provide more than $1 billion in local economic spin-offs.
“The port’s upgrade will benefit local people and businesses, with a massive economic injection and an additional 4200 jobs in Mornington Peninsula Shire alone by 2035,” Mr Pallas said.
However, Westernport Action Group president Mary Madigan said there were still many aspects affecting the viability of the project that had been overlooked or not properly considered.
“These include net carbon emissions, net social and economic costs of the massive public acquisitions, increased water consumption, the costs associated with increased noise and air pollution on housing near freight lines, the sensibility of exporting coal and woodchips and the economic value of environmental costs associated with this proposal,” Ms Madigan said.
She said the cost of the loss of tourism, recreational fishing and other values the bay offered would be devastating.
She said it made far more sense to improve the existing Port of Melbourne rather than destroy the environmentally-fragile Western Port.
“We believe the Government needs to get serious about the environment and any economic study must include the value of the potential environmental risks,” Ms Madigan said.
Mr Pallas said planning for Victoria’s commercial trading ports had always included an upgrade of the Port of Hastings as a major container handling centre.
“The Port of Melbourne is our premier container port, but the Port of Hastings will eventually be needed to help Victoria deal with continuing trade growth and will play a more important role in the state’s economy and freight transport system by 2035,” he said.
The strategy for the future development of land and transport facilities to support the Port of Hastings is now being finalised by the Port of Hastings Corporation and will then be presented to the Government for consideration.
The Government will wait until it receives the report before making any decisions about rail or road options.
Further information on the Economic Impact Study is available at www.portofhastings .vic.gov.au.