Lease agreement which promises to reduce trucks on roads welcomed

Published on 03 September 2024

Council welcomes State Government announcement regarding a 42-year lease with the Port of Melbourne – which will further enhance moves to take more trucks of Maribyrnong roads.

The move will mean shipping companies will be able to store containers at the 29-hectare former Melbourne Market site reducing the need to travel on local roads across Footscray, Yarraville, Tottenham and Seddon.

Council has long advocated for actions to reduce truck movements on our roads, and Mayor, Cr Cuc Lam, said the recent announcement is another step in the right direction.

“Air quality and road safety are incredibly important to Council and our community, and anything that can help reduce truck movements on our roads will have a positive impact on our community.

Having a purpose-built facility at the old market site will mean trucks won’t need to be making container runs through our municipality to the same extent,” she said.

Along with welcoming the announcement, Mayor Lam also acknowledged the work of the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group and its members’ long-term and ongoing support and advocacy for less trucks on our local roads.

The lease announcement follows the State Government’s 2022 commitment to reinforce truck curfews on residential streets in the municipality. $10.2 million was also allocated in the Victorian Budget 2024/25 for new camera technology to enforce 24/7 truck bans on roads in the inner west.

Port of Melbourne’s lease for the former Melbourne Market will be in place until 2066.

The site, which has been vacant a number of years, used to be a wholesale fruit and vegetable market has and has latterly been used to support construction of the Westgate Tunnel Project. The builders will need to vacate and clean-up upon completion of the project before it becomes available.

See the full State Government announcement at: https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/getting-trucks-local-roads

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