Port of Geelong
Ella GEORGE (Lara) (19:03): (352) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Ports and Freight, and the action that I seek from the minister is to visit the Geelong port and see some of the work they are doing in the electorate of Lara and the wider Geelong region. The Geelong port is thriving as Victoria’s second largest port, handling close to 12 million tonnes of cargo and more than 600 vessel visits each year. It is a major driver of Victoria’s economy, managing over $7 billion of trade and supporting more than 1800 jobs across the state. I recently attended the Geelong port for the official welcoming of the first wind turbine blades for the Golden Plains wind farm. Golden Plains is a major wind energy project that involves the construction of over 200 wind turbines on land near Rokewood in western Victoria. This is the biggest wind energy project in Victoria and in fact the biggest project of its kind in Australia. The Geelong port is a key part of the renewable energy supply chain, facilitating the delivery of crucial components of this major wind energy project. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the CEO Brett Winter and his team for their leadership in the Geelong region, embracing renewable energy projects and being champions for the transition to renewables locally. I look forward to welcoming the minister to Geelong port so that she can hear directly from them about the work they are doing in our region.