Port ‘yes’, route ‘no’

By Paul Dunlop
‘YES’ to a major port at Hastings. ‘No’ to cutting a new freight link to the port through the backyards of Cardinia residents.
That’s the stance Cardinia Shire Council has taken on the Port of Hastings Land Use and Transport Strategy.
Councillors last week said they supported the port development but opposed plans to run a rail route through the townships of Clyde and Cardinia, connecting the port to Gippsland.
Instead, councillors want a major eastwest road built to link the new industrial areas around Pakenham and Officer to the Western Port Highway, which could also provide the rail route.
They called for further investigation into the economic and environmental impacts of the proposal.
Concerns were also raised about the manner in which the strategy had been made public.
The 30year, $4 billion project to build Victoria’s next international shipping container at Hastings has sparked enormous debate in the community since it was unveiled last year.
Residents have claimed they had been deliberately kept in the dark about the proposal and said they feared their properties could be compulsorily acquired if the freight link plan went ahead.
Councillors backed residents saying the proposal had so far been a PR disaster.
“There has been a lot of local concern about this and rightly so,” Cr Doug Hamilton said.
“If ever I saw a process absolutely botched in terms of getting the message across to people, this is one of those cases.”
Cr Hamilton said the port expansion was an enormous project and one that was needed – as long as it was properly carried out.
Council called for the social impact of the proposal to be considered more thoroughly with steps put in place to minimise the effect on residents.
“I believe council totally supports the development of the Port of Hastings, provided they meet the necessary environmental, economic and social issues,” Cr Hamilton said.
An officer’s report to council’s meeting said the development was of state importance and could deliver significant economic benefit to the area.
Councillors said that, although the expansion of the port appeared inevitable, it was important that they strived to make it worthwhile for Cardinia.
Cr Bill Pearson said the Port of Hastings process until recently had been “totally lacking” in proper public consultation.
It was vital the correct strategic framework was put in place, he said.
“We must have proper economic and environmental statements, these things have got to be thought out.”