Tag: Australia

The Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Maritime Union of Australia informed of the launch of a new campaign, "to save Australian shipping." As explained, the number of Aussie-flagged vessels has continued to decline, while the country has zero Australian–crewed tankers.

The Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee of the Australian Senate issued a report concerning the increasing use of Flag of Convenience in Australia, revealing that, in 2016, 5.719 foreign‑flagged vessels arrived in Australian ports.

The Bahamas flagged bulk carrier MV Rena has been banned from Australian ports for six months after the ship repeatedly failed to pay outstanding wages and maintain a safe workplace for its crew, AMSA informed. 

Shell Australia confirmed that its Prelude floating liquefied natural gas facility has arrived in Australian waters. Prelude is the first deployment of Shell’s FLNG technology, that will see a 488 metre long floating facility extracting and liquefying gas at sea, before it is exported around the globe. 

AMSA issued a Marine Notice to provide general information on the revised 2015 Anti-fouling and In-water Cleaning Guidelines for Australia and New Zealand, and the IMO's 2011 Guidelines for the control and management of ships’ biofouling, to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species.  

A Damen Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger 650 has successfully completed sea trials in Shanghai and is now underway to new owner, Gippsland Ports in Australia, on her own keel, Damen announced. The TSHD, named Tommy Norton, is the company's first dredger built for Australia.

The Australian Senate inquiry finds flag of convenience shipping poses risks to national security. FOC shipping refers to international trading vessels registered in tax havens such as Liberia, Panama and the Marshall Islands and are renowned for their lax labour laws, poor investment controls and lack of ownership oversight. 

On 17 July, the INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG Project’s floating production, storage and offloading facility "Ichthys Venturer" sailed away from its construction site in Okpo, South Korea en route to Australia, after completion of commissioning and preparation work.

CMA CGM and SEATRADE announced their collaboration on the creation of a new vessel sharing agreement with a view to improve the supply of transport between Australia and the United States. The new companies will offer a fast, direct and dedicated reefer service from New Zealand to the United States and Europe with stops in Peru, which will include a very short transit time to supply fruits to the United States and Europe.

DP World Australia informed that it has signed a new agreement with COSCO SHIPPING Lines to be their stevedore of choice on their major services into Australia. COSCO SHIPPING Lines, as the biggest container shipping company in Asia, has major services in Australia calling at DP World Australia terminals in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.