The Spirit’s lease at Station Pier in Port Melbourne will expire in November, and the passenger ferry will instead dock at Corio Quay.
Passengers on the Spirit of Tasmania have only a few months to arrive in the heart of Melbourne before TT-Line relocates its Victorian port to Geelong.
Although no exact date has been set for the move, reservations for sailings to and from Geelong next year have already opened.
The 12-hectare Corio hub’s new promotional concept promises “smooth boarding and disembarking,” with marshalling for 600 cars and freight parking for 150 semi-trailers.
The Corio Quay port facility is located approximately 70 kilometers south-west of Port Melbourne, about an hour’s journey from the capital city.
In 2020, TT-Line will open a new Victorian port, which chairman Mike Grainger described as a “unique chance to enhance the client experience.”
Corio Quay, according to Mr Grainger, is convenient to reach and alleviates a number of “operating restrictions” at Station Pier.
According to TT-Line, the transfer will not add time to the sailings, rather it will save time due to efficiencies at the new port.
The new port would “open up prospects in the tourism, hospitality, and logistics sectors,” according to the promotional video, and will serve as a “gateway to some of Victoria’s top locations,” including Geelong, the Twelve Apostles, Ballarat, and the Bellarine Peninsula.