Tag: Australia

Australia has been re-elected on IMO Council Australia has been re-elected to second place on the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reflecting our role as a key voice in international shipping.The result formally recognises Australia's commitment to the IMO and its important work in international maritime safety, security and pollution prevention. Australia was elected equal second from our previous position of 18 at the IMO's 27th Assembly in London which meets every two years.The Gillard Government's recently announced shipping reforms, Australia's strong record on maritime safety, environmental protection of the sea and the role played by AMSA were key factors in this outstanding result.We play a significant role on the Council, representing the fourth largest shipping task in the world, with most of these vessels transiting close to significant natural marine and coastal habitats.I take this opportunity to commend Australia's maritime agencies and industry for their willingness and cooperative approach to meeting Australia's international obligations.It is also worth mentioning the efforts of John Dauth, Australian High Commissioner to the UK, who was appointed last year by the Government as Australia's first Permanent Representative to the IMO. Australia is one of few countries to have served for over 40 ...

To safeguard a huge swathe of the Coral Sea Australia plans to establish the world's biggest marine protection zone to safeguard a huge swathe of the Coral Sea, a biodiversity hotspot brimming with life, the government said Friday.The proposed Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve off the northeast of Australia would cover about 990,000 square kilometres (380,000 square miles) -- an area more than one-a-half times the size of France."Australia's vast oceans provide a source of food and resources and are a place of recreation. But we cannot afford to be complacent," Environment Minister Tony Burke said.Under the plan, which the Australian government says will be the biggest marine protection area in the world, oil and gas exploration would be banned and new limits imposed on fishing.The environmental significance of the Coral Sea within Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone lay in its diverse array of coral reefs, sandy cays and deep-sea plains and canyons, Burke said."There is no other part of Australia's territory where so much comes together -- pristine oceans, magnificent coral, a military history which has helped define us and now a clear proposal for permanent protection," he said.A recent study found that the Coral Sea, which stretches from the ...

MLC updates 67 existing ILO Conventions - employment, hours of work, food and catering, medical care The Australian Shipowners Association (ASA) welcomes the ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) that will provide protection of working conditions for crews working anywhere in the world.The MLC consolidates and updates 67 existing ILO Conventions and recommendations on maritime issues covering issues such as conditions of employment, hours of work, food and catering, medical care and accommodation at sea."This important convention has the ability to provide basic living and working conditions and will assist in providing a safe working environment for all seafarers and a level playing field for all shipowners" said ASA's Executive Director, Ms Teresa Hatch.ASA has been working both at the International Labour Organisation and with the Australian Government and the unions to progress the ratification by Australia of this convention and its implementation domestically. The passing by the Senate of amendments to the Navigation Act 1912 ensuring that Australian legislation complies with the MLC represents the last significant step before official ratification."ASA has been pleased with the pragmatic approach adopted by the Australian Government to the ratification of this international convention and its implementation into Australian domestic law." said ...

Maximum fines for ships that spill oil from $1 million to $11 million Australia has increased maximum fines for ships that spill oil from $1 million to $11 million (US $11 million) in response to a Chinese coal carrier grounding on the Great Barrier Reef.Parliament passed new laws late Monday for the discharge of oil or oil residue by ships in Australian waters. Shipping companies will also have to contribute to cleanup costs.The change follows last year's grounding on the world's largest chain of coral reefs by the Shen Neng 1, which spilled nearly 3 tons of fuel oil. The ship's officers were fined about $50,000.Source: AP

Insufficient guidance about how the deck cargo was to be stowed or secured The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) issued the report of its investigation into the loos of cargo from a multi-purpose/general cargo ship off Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, on 4 October 2010.On that date, 604 packs of timber veneer were lost overboard during rough seas.The investigation found that the cargo stowage and securing instructions that had been emailed to the ship did not provide the crew with sufficient guidance about how the deck cargo was to be stowed or secured.You can view the report, by clicking here.Source: ATSB

The country will host an international conference next year to help tackle piracy Australia called on Friday for tougher action against piracy in the Indian Ocean and announced it would host an international conference next year to help tackle the growing problem.Pirates attacked a record number of ships worldwide in the first nine months of 2011, but are making off with fewer vessels due to better policing by international naval forces."Piracy off the Horn of Africa has seen murders and hundreds of seafarers taken hostage," Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd told an Indian Ocean Piracy Forum on the sidelines of a Commonwealth summit in the west Australian city of Perth."Piracy has also increased the costs of international trade, and done enormous harm to regional countries' fishing and tourist industries. More must be done to prosecute, convict and imprison pirates," he said.Cooperation between Somalia's al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants and pirate gangs is growing as they become more desperate for funding, said the head of the U.N.'s counter-piracy unit, John Steed.Rudd said next year's conference in Perth would seek to assist Somalia and other states tackle the drivers of piracy and compare counter-piracy cooperation in other regions, such as Southeast Asia ...

Incidences of pirates have been an ongoing concern Australia's home affairs minister raised concerns about the rising threats of piracy that is affecting key shipping lanes in various parts of the world.Piracy challenges the "maritime and port security arrangements as legitimate shipping lines seek to defend their crews and cargo," said Brendan O'Connor at a port and maritime security conference held in Melbourne.He added that the approval of the use of private armed guards on merchant vessels "raises a range of regulatory challenges for our government agencies and for our port and maritime operators should such vessels seek to enter Australian waters and ports."Incidences of pirates attacking vessels in Somalia waters and other north Africa countries have been an ongoing concern. The concern is amplified as pirate boats are travelling further east out into the Indian Ocean.Source: Seatrade Asia

Australia to increase penalties for shipping companies involved in oil spills in that area The Australian Government says it wants to increase penalties for shipping companies involved in oil spills in the Great Barrier Reef.The Bill introduced into Parliament seeks to increase the $1 million fine that's already in place, to $11 million.The Transport Minister, Anthony Albanese, says there's been an average of 250 reported oil spills a year in Australian waters over the past decade."While the majority of these oil spills are relatively minor the potential impact of these spills on the maritime industry, the environment, the tourist and fishing industries and the broader economy needs to be recognised," he said.Source: Radio Australia News

More than 85% of all containers shipped to Australia's biggest ports were discharged More than 85% of all containers shipped to Australia's biggest ports were discharged within their respective states, a newest of figures compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows.About 90% of all containers imported to Sydney Ports in 2009-10 were distributed to suburbs in New South Wales or ACT.88% of all containers arriving in Melbourne were delivered to areas within Victoria and 90% of Adelaide's containers were sent to postcodes in South Australia.92% percent of all containers shipped to Fremantle Port and Brisbane Port were distributed within their respective states.Sydney suburbs of Smithfield, Wetherill Park and Woodpark were among the top destinations (20%) for all containers arriving in Sydney, the postcodes of 3175 (which include Dandenong, and Duneran) received a fifth of all Melbourne's containers while 18% of Brisbane's volumes were delivered to postcodes including Wynnum and Lytton.About 30% of all containers at Adelaide's port were delivered to postcode 5013, which includes the suburbs of Rosewater and Ottaway and 19% of all Fremantle's load were distributed to suburbs including Cloverdale and Kewdale.Source: MUA

Anti-terrorism and anti-piracy training exercises The NYK Group conducts accident-response training exercises regularly and, to prepare for unforeseeable circumstances, the group cooperates with anti-terrorism and anti-piracy training exercises conducted in various countries to enhance the crisis-response capability of group employees. NYK Venus1. Anti-terrorism training exercise with the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF)On July 26, NYK conducted a joint anti-terrorism exercise with the HKPF based on a scenario in which an NYK-owned containership, NYK Venus, is taken over by a terrorist group. From 2005, a similar joint-exercise has been conducted regularly for years by NYK and the HKPF.The exercise scenario called for the Special Duties Unit of the HKPF to dispatch high-speed boats and helicopters to the vessel, and to search for, find, and subdue the terrorists. Through the exercise, employees at NYK's head office in Tokyo, NYK Line (Hong Kong) Ltd., and NYK Shipmanagement Pte. Ltd. were able to reconfirm their roles for rapid response in dealing with acts of terrorism, including information exchanges with the HKPF and other related organizations. ACX Diamond2. Anti-piracy training exercise with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) On August 15, an NYK-owned containership, ACX Diamond, participated in an escort training exercise with a RAN frigate ...