by the Office of Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development
Leader of the Nationals in the Senate,
The East Kimberley region has been left stranded after flooding events have cut off all land freight routes into the region.
This is why I am calling on the Minister Catherine King to urgently lodge a Section 11 exemption to the...
https://www.shippingaustralia.com.au/desperate-communities-deserve-better-from-labor/
Within the last day or so, the Hon Catherine King MP, Minister for Infrastructure, Regional Development and Local Government, issued an incredibly inadequate response to the Kimberley Crisis.
A bit of background: since early January (and possibly since late last year), a large region of north-western Australia has been cut off by road and rail from the...
https://www.shippingaustralia.com.au/crisis-in-the-kimberley-catherine-kings-inadequate-response/
Shipping Australia notes that there is now backing by both of the major parties for support to, and expansion of, a national commercial ocean-going freight fleet.
Details of the policies by either main party are pretty scant at this point so it is difficult to provide detailed comment. However, Shipping Australia cautions against government support for national fleets.
Similar nationalist policies have been tried in the past –...
Shipping Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Melwyn Noronha presented at the hearing of the Victorian Essential Services Commission into the Port of Melbourne’s compliance with the Pricing Order.
Matters raised and highlighted by Capt. Noronha were:
International ship owner, charterer, ship broker and ship agent body BIMCO has launched a short video that highlights the importance of shipping to our way of life.
It also highlights the vital role played by seafarers and everyone else in the maritime community as their work kept the world fed and fuelled when the world basically stopped because of COVID. That’s a powerful message that should be noted by national governments, the various official bodies and the wider public.
You can watch the...
https://shippingaustralia.com.au/bimco-ships-make-the-world-go/
Federal officials have released a discussion paper on reform of the way that cargo vessels are regulated under the Commonwealth’s Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012.
Progress on this particular consultation has been delayed for about nine months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A interesting point of this consultation is that officials have specifically pointed out three options that will not be considered, namely:...
https://shippingaustralia.com.au/coastal-trading-reform-back-on-the-policy-agenda/
Ships have been getting bigger and bigger over recent years. Vessels that were once seen as innovative in terms of their size and capability are already on the list of “the former greats” as newer and larger ships are developed, taking the industry’s trunk routes to new heights in scale and sustainability.
For many in the industry, this development in terms of increased size and capability is not only a reality,...
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A major international insurer has warned that marine safety is under threat because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a new report listing ten coronavirus challenges to the shipping sector, major international insurer Allianz notes a variety of threats to shipping. “Consequences of coronavirus and a sustained economic downturn could threaten long-term safety improvement and trigger an uptick in losses,” the report says.
Among the causes of a...
https://shippingaustralia.com.au/maritime-safety-threat-from-coronavirus-to-increase-shipping-costs/
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The public discussion of the “Independent Review of the Victorian Ports System” is underway.
The purpose of the review is to assess the functioning and performance of Victoria’s port system. Of particular interest are the impacts on the system of policy, institutional and governance settings that fall with the remit of the State Government.
The State government also wants the review to support the development of a strategic policy and governance...
https://shippingaustralia.com.au/victorian-government-kicks-off-independent-ports-review/
Governments from 13 countries around the world have noted that the ability of shipping companies to continue conducting crew changes is “critical” and the governments have declared they are “deeply concerned” by the global crisis in seafaring.
Following the International Maritime Summit on Crew Changes earlier this week, held by the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 13 governments have...