By Christine de Kock
THE Maribyrnong City Council will demand answers from the Port of Melbourne Authority regarding their plans for expansion.
A report outlining the number of discussions the council has had with the port since 2004 was scheduled to be tabled at tonight’s council meeting (20 June).
The report recommended the council stop the expansion of the port along the western side of the Maribyrnong River.
“The Port of Melbourne should confine its land ownership and interests to south of Somerville Rd, where it has port infrastructure and port dependent land uses,” the report stated.
It also called for Footscray Wharf to be repaired, “its heritage conserved and developed as a public wharf area and open space that provides an attractive entrance to the city”.
The report recommended council write to Premier Steve Bracks about these and other concerns.
And if the concerns were still not addressed, to “develop a public campaign”.
Mayor Janet Rice said it was important the port talk to the council about plans and open these plans up for public consultation.
“This is a statement saying that we are committed to keeping the Footscray Wharf as public open space,” she said.
“We want the boats to stay and, particularly, picking up on what’s changed from when the port was working with the State Government three-and-a-half years ago when we all agreed to a collaboratively to this vision for our side of the river?
“They haven’t given us any reason to justify why things have changed so much.”
The recently formed Maribyrnong Waterfront Group called on the community to add their voice to the council’s in protest.
The group called on people to attend the meeting saying “we need all the support possible”.
“So if you are a stakeholder in the Maribyrnong River, Footscray, the western suburbs or just tired of the big boys bulldozing everyone, don’t just sit at home complaining about it,” the group said.
The protest comes on the heels of the Port of Melbourne Authority buying two sites in Whitehall St, Footscray, for $18.45 million. K and S Corporation Ltd owned the 33,200sqm at 111 Whitehall St and leased the 26,300sqm site at 133 Whitehall St.
Spokesperson for the port Peter Harry said the land would be used for “port-related uses to accommodate future trade growth”.
He was not able to confirm that it would be used for storage of containers.
K and S Freighters moved their operations to Truganina in the City of Wyndham.
