VIC Government announces Webb winners

The Victorian government has revealed the successful bidders for one of the major Webb Dock redevelopments comprising Melbourne’s $1.6bn Port Capacity Project (PCP).

Ports Minister, David Hodgett, announced that the contracts for operation of the port’s new automotive pre-delivery and inspection (PDI) hub had been awarded to Asciano’s Patrick AutoCare and the Toll-K Line/QUBE joint venture PrixCar. AutoCare will develop a 12-hectare site while PrixCar will build a four hectare facility, with both expected to be operational by mid-2015.

The two companies already control almost 80% of Victoria’s PDI business. Mr Hodgett stressed that the new ‘on-dock’ PDI hub would centralise vehicle processing “right next to where they are unloaded off the ships. Currently a small volume of pre-delivery services are carried out within the port precinct, but around one third of the cars handled at the port are trucked across the West Gate Bridge for pre-delivery servicing before being trucked back across the bridge for delivery to dealers,” Mr Hodgett said. “This new facility consolidates the import-export service in one location, increasing efficiency and reducing unnecessary truck shuttles around our freeway network.”

Congratulating AutoCare and PrixCar, Victorian Transport Association Chief Executive, Neil Chambers, warned it would be necessary for continued close liaison to ensure the combined Webb Dock road traffic from the new PDI and automotive facilities, the new international container terminal and existing Bass Strait freight services could be efficiently handled in the precinct. “While the new on-dock PDI facilities will dramatically reduce the number of interim transport moves, there will still be a significant number of heavy vehicle movements to and from Webb Dock every day,” Mr Chambers said. “We need to work with the government and its agencies to ensure that the road infrastructure and associated traffic management arrangements can cope with these movements without causing undue delays at added cost, particularly during peak periods.”