Port of Geelong

The Port of Geelong is located on the shores of Corio Bay at Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The port is the sixth-largest in Australia by tonnage.^[3]

Major commodities handled by the port include crude oil and petroleum products, export grain and woodchips, alumina imports, and fertiliser.^[4] Major port industries include Graincorp's grain elevator and Viva Energy's Geelong Oil Refinery.

The Port of Geelong handled $5.6 billion worth of bulk cargo in 2004–05, made up of 12 million tonnes of cargo from 543 ship visits.^[4]

Before the initial settlement of Geelong, a sandbar across the bay from Point Lillias to Point Henry only allowed small ships to enter the inner harbour. Larger ships were required to drop anchor in the bay, and their cargo was brought into Geelong on lighters. At times it was possible to walk across the bay on the sandbar at low tide.^[5]

The first channel through the sandbar was started in 1853, providing less than 4 metres draught for ships. This channel was straightened out and dredged at a depth of 6 metres in the 1860s. In 1881 dredging of a new channel was started which took 12 years to complete. It was named the Hopetoun Channel after the then Governor of Victoria, Lord Hopetoun, who opened it on 20 December 1893.^[6]

By the early twentieth century shipping traffic had increased and the existing piers in the city area were proving inadequate. As a result, new port facilities were progressively provided in the North Geelong area.

La gestión de los canales y el puerto de Geelong era responsabilidad del Geelong Harbor Trust, que se formó en diciembre de 1905. ^{[ 7 ]} Además, la Autoridad era responsable de los puertos asociados en Queenscliff , Barwon Heads , Lorne y Apollo Bay .

En 1981, el fideicomiso se reconstituyó como la Autoridad Portuaria de Geelong en un intento de seguir la práctica moderna con la denominación de las organizaciones responsables de la operación portuaria en todo el mundo. ^{[ 7 ]} La autoridad fue privatizada por el Gobierno Estatal , siendo vendida a Ports Pty Ltd por $ 49,6 millones el 1 de julio de 1996. ^{[ 8 ]} Ports Pty Ltd era una empresa conjunta entre Primera, una subsidiaria de propiedad total de TNT (30%) y Infrastructure Investment Corporation (70%). ^{[ 9 ]} El puerto fue posteriormente renombrado como Toll GeelongPort después de la adquisición de TNT por Toll Holdings . El puerto ahora se llama GeelongPort , y es una empresa conjunta propiedad en un 50% de State Super y en un 50% de Linx Cargo Care Group de Brookfield , después de la venta del grupo de empresas Asciano en agosto de 2016 (Asciano se formó a partir de la escisión de Toll Holdings en 2007).

En 2008, la Comisión Australiana de Competencia y Consumo (ACCC) revocó el contrato de exclusividad de equipos de Asciano con el Puerto de Geelong. La ACCC determinó que el uso obligatorio de grúas de Asciano para la descarga de graneles secos y fertilizantes era anticompetitivo y que los efectos negativos del acuerdo superaban cualquier mejora de productividad derivada del uso de un solo tipo de equipo. ^{[ 10 ]}

Los principales muelles del puerto de Geelong incluyen:

• Muelle Cunningham: inaugurado como Muelle Ferroviario a mediados de la década de 1850, ^{[ 11 ]} el muelle fue reconstruido a finales de la década de 1920 y renombrado Muelle Cunningham en 1929. En desuso en la década de 1980, fue ocupado posteriormente por un restaurante Smorgy's . Actualmente funciona como restaurante y lugar de encuentro social llamado 'The Pier'.
• Muelle de Moorabool Street: ubicado al final de la calle del mismo nombre. Terminal principal para los vapores de la bahía hasta que el último dejó de funcionar en 1942. ^{[ 12 ]} Demolido en la década de 1950.
• Yarra Street Pier. Destroyed by fire in 1988 and mostly removed, but has been the subject of a number of rebuilding proposals since.^[13]

By the early 1900s, shipping traffic has increased and the existing piers in the city area were inadequate. As a result, new port developments were started in the North Geelong area.

• Corio Quay. Construction started in the 1900s, and the wharfs are still in use today for woodchip and bulk cargoes.^[14] As of 22 October 2022 Corio Quay will be the Victorian port for the Spirit of Tasmania.^[15][16]
• Grain Pier. Built to export grain from the adjacent grain elevators in 1937.^[8] Replaced by a newer pier to the north in the 1990s.
• Lascelles Wharf. Caters for general cargo, as well as minerals and fertiliser for the adjacent phosphate works.
• Refinery Pier. Opened by Shell in 1953 to cater for their nearby Geelong Oil Refinery.^[8]

There are also a number of special purpose piers on Corio Bay:

• Point Henry Pier. Established by Alcoa at Point Henry for alumina ore imports for their former Point Henry smelter
• Point Wilson Pier. Established for the import of explosives that were then stored at the adjacent reserve.^[17]

In addition to visits by the Spirit of Tasmania, Geelong also serves as a stop for cruise visits.^[18]

• List of ports in Australia

• Official website