Melbourne throughput up 9.1% in 2011/12

Container traffic at Australasia's busiest container and general cargo port – the Port of Melbourne – rose 7.8 percent to 2.58 million TEUs in 2011/2012 fiscal year, breaking the record of 2.39 million TEUs set in the previous year, reported SeeNews.

Box imports were up 7.1 percent, while exports grew 9.8 percent despite a strong Australian dollar and floods in the northern region of the state, premier Ted Baillieu said.

Baillieu also said that the data supported the Victorian government's approval of a US$1.65 billion project to expand the port, including the construction of a third container terminal and automotive facility at Webb Dock.

"This massive and continuing increase in trade reaffirms the Coalition Government's decision to bring forward the development of the Port of Hastings to address medium to long-term container capacity for Victoria and Australia," he added.

The government wants to develop the Port of Hastings into a second container port in Victoria to complement the Port of Melbourne.