Campaspe Shire Council and the Campaspe Port Enterprise Board have welcomed an important step towards a new operating model designed to support the long-term future, activation and development of the Port of Echuca Precinct.
At its meeting on Tuesday, 20 October, Council endorsed the proposed transition of Campaspe Port Enterprise (CPE) to Port of Echuca Limited, a not-for-profit public company limited by guarantee. The proposed change follows a detailed review of alternative operating structures and extensive work between Council and the CPE Board.
The proposed model is designed to provide a clearer and more flexible framework for the Port, while maintaining appropriate Council oversight and strengthening arrangements around funding, accountability and the management of Council assets.
Importantly, the proposed organisation would have a clear purpose: to preserve, protect, promote, activate and develop the Port of Echuca Precinct as a nationally significant heritage, tourism, cultural and community asset, while enhancing its contribution to Campaspe Shire and the broader region.
Campaspe Shire Mayor Cr Daniel Mackrell said the proposal represented a positive step forward in establishing the right foundations for the Port’s future.
“The Port of Echuca is one of our community’s most important heritage and tourism assets. This proposal is fundamentally about creating the conditions for the Port to thrive into the future.
“The new model would give Port of Echuca Limited greater flexibility to focus on activating the precinct, pursuing opportunities and building partnerships, while also providing clear accountability to Council and the community.
“This is not about stepping away from the Port. It is about Council and the Port organisation having clearer roles and working together towards a shared vision for a vibrant, sustainable and successful precinct.”
The proposed arrangements include a new Constitution and Funding and Service Agreement, together with work to establish clearer responsibilities for assets within the precinct. The Funding and Service Agreement sets out the relationship and obligations of both organisations, including funding, accountability, governance and management of Council assets.
“The Board sees this proposed transition as an opportunity to build on the work already undertaken at the Port and create a platform for its next chapter,” CPA board chair Jacqui Jennings said.
“A structure dedicated to the Port’s purpose gives the organisation a strong basis to pursue new partnerships, opportunities and experiences while continuing to protect the heritage and character that make the Port of Echuca so special.
“Council and the Board share the ambition of seeing the precinct active, welcoming and sustainable, with the Port continuing to contribute to the vibrancy of Echuca and the shire’s visitor economy.”
The transition would also sit alongside proposed lease and asset-management arrangements intended to provide greater clarity about responsibility for the Port precinct and its assets. These arrangements form part of the broader work to support preservation and activation of the precinct over the long term.
The proposed lease of the historic Port precinct will require a separate community consultation process. Feedback from that consultation will be considered before a future decision by Council on whether to proceed with the lease.
Cr Mackrell said the work recognised that protecting the Port’s history and creating a more active precinct went hand in hand.
“Our shared objective is a Port that respects its extraordinary heritage while continuing to evolve as a place for residents, visitors, businesses, events and experiences,” he said.
“This proposal gives us a clearer foundation from which Council and the new organisation can work together to realise that opportunity.”
