Victorian Bay West Plans Met With Scepticism

by David Sexton - last modified Jun 12, 2012 12:47 PM

A study prepared by global consultancy firm AECOM on behalf of western suburbs lobby group LeadWest stated Hastings has major transport access challenges including increasing traffic congestion on the West Gate corridor and difficulties providing a standard access rail gauge.

Opposition ports spokesman Tim Pallas also urged the government to investigate Bay West.

“The Victorian Freight and Logistics Council and the Property Council of Australia have now lined up in support of the consideration of a Bay West option which would also improve employment opportunities in the west,” he said.

But Victorian Transport Association deputy chief executive Neil Chambers said no serious study of this option was commissioned by government, including by Mr Pallas when he was minister.

A spokesman for ports minister Denis Napthine said Mr Pallas previously had been supportive of developing Hastings and accused the opposition of cheap headline grabbing.

“Hastings is a natural deep-water port in close proximity to the main shipping channels and has an abundance of land that has been zoned for port-related purposes for a number of decades,” Dr Napthine said.

“Mr Pallas was right in 2009 when he said ‘no other port offers the same overall advantages as Hastings’.

“His latest back-flipping exercise is nothing more than a fickle attempt at grabbing a few cheap headlines.”

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