By Christine de Kock
THE stand-off between the Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) and Maribyrnong City Council, over the use of the Footscray Wharf is expected to be resolved before the November State election.
The PoMC intends to upgrade the Footscray Wharf and to make it available for public use.
It has also shelved plans to use Footscray Wharf as a harbour for its working vessels and will instead use Ann St Pier in Williamstown. The port will use the pier to moor maintenance vessels on a secure long-term basis.
The move follows negotiations handled by retiring State Member for Footscray Bruce Mildenhall and ALP candidate for the seat, Information and Communications Minister Marsha Thomson. The two last week partially lifted the cone of silence on the past three months of negotiations.
Negotiations were handled under a confidentiality clause and details of the agreement are yet to be finalised.
“We are pleased to have facilitated discussion between the Port of Melbourne Corporation and Maribyrnong City Council and we are optimistic we can shortly reach an arrangement which will be suitable to all parties,” Mr Mildenhall said.
“The council and the port have been engaged in development of a memorandum of understanding on the future of the Footscray Wharf and surrounding areas.”
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The issue of Footscray Wharf being leased and boaties becoming tenants of the wharf will be addressed in the memorandum.
About 27 boat owners were booted off the wharf last August when the port decided to close it because of safety concerns.
Grenville Silvester was the only boatie who refused to leave the wharf despite the port offering up to $6000 in compensation to boat owners to relocate.
Mr Silvester greeted the recent announcement of the wharf being made accessible to the public with tempered joy.
“I don’t know whether to celebrate yet or not,” he said.
“Coming over Footscray Rd now, people are going to be able to see boats as part of this agreement.
“We are going to have access to the public to come and do fishing, to look at boats and learn about boats, we’ve achieved that.”
Stephen Bradford, chief executive of the Port of Melbourne Corporation, said he was pleased with the outcome of negotiations but would not comment directly on the fate of boat owners who might want to return to the wharf.
“The actual mechanism where it is leased or operated by the port is not necessarily part of the discussions,” he said.
Mr Mildenhall said “public access of the facility where people can moor boats, is being discussed in the memorandum of understanding.”
Cr Janet Rice said the council wanted a “development that any boat owners are able to use”.
She said the memorandum was expected to be released and available for public viewing before the November State elections.
