VCAL News

Port of Geelong visit

On Wednesday, May 30, Intermediate VCAL students had a very interesting morning visiting the Port of Geelong. We began at the Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre (AMOSC) at Corio Quay where we learned about the long and varied history of the region, from the Wada Wurrung Balug clan to the present day from presenter, Amanda Stirrat. We heard about the activities of AMOSC when confronted by an oil spill in Australian waters and also the various industries dependent on the port and the cargoes associated with them. These range from crude oil, fertiliser and cement products on the import side to grains, woodchips and petroleum products on the export side as well as those supporting industries such as logistics. The port is worth over $2 billion to the region and supports nearly 5000 jobs.

We also learned about the many career opportunities presented by having such a large piece of infrastructure in our front yard, ranging from office and administrative positions to stevedores, deck hands, harbour master and many, many more.

After visiting AMOSC we were treated to a tour of the port on the tender MV George Molland from the Victorian Regional Channel Authority (VRCA). Once onboard we were able to visit all of the port facilities that we had been learning about and see them from the water. On our way back to the pier one lucky student was invited to drive the boat. She did a great job and was at the wheel for nearly 15 minutes!

Our thanks to Ms Stirrat, AMOSC, the Port of Geelong and VRCA.