A FORMER minister in the Kennett government is the latest of half a dozen board appointments of people with strong Liberal Party ties made by the Baillieu government.

Mark Birrell has been appointed chairman of the Port of Melbourne Corporation by the Minister for Ports, Denis Napthine.

Mark Birrell has been named as the chairman of the Port Of Melbourne Corporation. Credit:Paul Jones

The announcement follows the appointment last month of the current national president of the Liberal Party and former state treasurer Alan Stockdale as chairman of City West Water and the appointment of former Liberal MPs Geoff Coleman and John Vogels to water boards.

Tourism Minister Louise Asher also announced last month former Liberal MP Wendy Smith had been appointed to the Tourism Victoria board.

In June, Peter Clarke - former vice-president of the Liberal Party in Victoria and close ally and friend of Premier Ted Baillieu - was appointed chairman of the development agency VicUrban, which will soon become the government's new Urban Renewal Authority.

Dr Napthine said Mr Birrell had a strong legal and public policy background for the new role. He said Mr Birrell was appointed by the federal Labor government to the board of Infrastructure Australia in 2008 and re-appointed for another term this year.