DCN Magazine March 2022

First published in 1891 March 2022

thedcn.com.au

The voice of Australian shipping & maritime logistics

38 Ports investing in Queensland

46 Major decisions looming in NZ

52 The case for training seafarers

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Contents

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And the winners are...

Who’s who of the 2021 DCN Shipping & Maritime Industry Awards

Queensland

DCN speaks to port operators about business in the Sunshine State

New Zealand and Pacific Islands

NZ inches closer to decision on Auckland and Lyttelton’s transformation

Training and career development

Ian Anderson writes about the virtues of training and mentorship

COLUMNS 32 Industry opinion Freight & Trade Alliance calls for broad ranging reforms

33 Industry opinion The argument for expanding the Australian strategic fleet to include commercial cargo ships

34 Women in maritime How to make the invisible visible in the maritime sector

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36 Industry opinion Peter van Duyn on decarbonising shipping

58 Industry analytics A snapshot of global trade during the pandemic using data from UNCTAD

60 Government The government’s support of shipping in Australia

52 61 Mission to Seafarers The Mission to Seafarers’ work from Wellington to Geraldton

62 Trade law Andrew Hudson considers the rise of ESG in the supply chain

66 The grill The Midas touch: one man’s experience over 38 years in the maritime insurance game

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Keeping the ports of NSW

safe, secure and open to the world Sydney Harbour | Port Botany | Newcastle Harbour | Port Kembla | Port of Eden | Port of Yamba

www.por tauthoritynsw.com.au Follow us @portauthoritynsw

Pilot transfer at sea Port Botany New South Wales

EDITORIAL

A great night out: the 2021 DCN Australian Shipping & Maritime Industry Awards

ISSUE NUMBER 1260 Publisher Lloyd O’Harte lloyd.oharte@thedcn.com.au Editor Ian Ackerman ian.ackerman@thedcn.com.au Deputy Editor Paula Wallace paula.wallace@thedcn.com.au Journalist Abby Williams abby.williams@thedcn.com.au

A special thank you from DCN to the 2021 DCN Australian Shipping & Maritime Industry Awards Major Sponsor NSW Ports, and all other sponsors for making the event possible

The DCN Australian Shipping & Maritime Industry Awards evening in mid-February was a great opportunity to get together, have a chat and celebrate the best of the past year. It was tremendously pleasing to see the excitement and glee at being able to gather and share a drink and a meal.

Much has happened in the news over the past month. The enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations between Svitzer and the maritime unions got heated, with tugboat masters announcing a broad schedule of industrial action (much of which was later quashed by the Fair Work Commission).

There was a significant incident at the Port of Devonport, where the cement carrier Goliath sank two tugs at berth in an allision.

Salvage operations are ongoing, and it appears there hasn’t been significant environmental damage from oil spilled from the tugs.

And, of course, there’s the ever-simmering coastal shipping debate. This came to the fore in February when floods in South Australia wiped out Western Australia’s land freight connection to the rest of the country. In response, the government issued an exemption from the Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012, boosting coastal shipping capacity into Western Australian ports.

It is ironic the act needs to be suspended to revitalise shipping on the Australian coast. Real reform is badly needed.

Ian Ackerman

Editor, Daily Cargo News

Production Manager Grant Lopez grant.lopez@thedcn.com.au Electronic Services Linda Saleh Advertising Sales Director Lindsay Reed lindsay.reed@thedcn.com.au Tel: 0431 956 645 Subscription Manager James Hayman james.hayman@thedcn.com.au Tel: 02 9126 9713 Daily Cargo News acknowledges the Cammeraygal people, the traditional custodians of the land on which this publication is produced. We pay our respects to their elders past and present.

We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

COVER IMAGES Monique Perera

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PARAGON DCN PTY LIMITED ABN: 73 627 186 350

PO Box 81, St Leonards, NSW 1590 Tel: +61 2 9126 9709 CEO Ian Brooks ianb@paragonmedia.com.au www.thedcn.com.au The Daily Cargo News is available to interested parties throughout Australia and overseas via subscription.

For enquires please call 02 9126 9713.

The publisher welcomes editorial contributions from interested parties, however, the publisher and Paragon DCN accept no responsibility for the content of these contributions and the views contained therein are not necessarily those of the publisher or of Paragon DCN. The publisher and Paragon DCN do not accept responsibility for any claims made by advertisers.

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David Sexton; Monique Perera

From the editor

Creative Director Lee McLachlan

Making marine operations safer and more efficient, every time, everywhere

News in brief Full details at thedcn.com.au

Sunken tugs Campbell Cove and York Cove

Two tugs sink in Goliath incident at Devonport Cement carrier Goliath allided with two TasPorts tugs – Campbell Cove and York Cove – at the Port of Devonport on 28 January.

The tugs, which were berthed at the time of the incident, sank after the allision, causing an oil spill. The incident also caused damage to the Devonport West wharf infrastructure.

There were no injuries in the incident and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau dispatched an investigation team in the days following.

Disruption to shipping at the Port of Devonport looks set to continue for months as TasPorts works to salvage the tugs and clean up the oil spill, with the help of the Tasmanian Environment Protection Authority.

TasPorts chief operating officer Stephen Casey said a risk assessment undertaken by TasPorts and the Tasmania Environment Protection Authority determined ships operating in the vicinity of the incident area pose environmental risks. “[The risk assessment] has determined propulsion wash from large commercial vessels assisted by tugs operating close to

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March 2022

the incident site poses a significant risk of destabilising the wrecks and oil spill boom and comprising the safety of people,” he said.

“To ensure the ongoing high standard of environmental and maritime safety, TasPorts’ harbour master has issued an instruction restricting large commercial vessel access to Devonport 4 West berth, where towage assistance is required.

Further, Devonport 5 West berth will be limited by a number of conditions, to minimise the impact of propulsion impact on the wreck site and containment area.”

Mr Casey said the restrictions would remain in place until the wrecks are recovered from the Port of Devonport.

“Whilst the expected date for completion of the recovery remains uncertain, we anticipate it will be completed prior to 5 May 2022,” he said.

“We will continue to closely monitor all shipping movements in the river, until the successful recovery of the two tugs can be completed, at which point the containment booms can be removed and full shipping activity re-instated,” Mr Casey said.

Container transport operators across Australia reported early this year that they were experiencing 5% to 20% reductions in available staff, according to Container Transport Alliance Australia.

CTAA director Neil Chambers said heavy vehicle drivers, warehouse staff, forklift drivers, container unpack crews and administration roles were all impacted by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.

Mr Chambers said in some cases, companies are seeing 50% reductions in available labour.

“Compounding this are staff shortages at customers’ premises, as well as at international container stevedore terminals and at empty container parks across Australia, significantly delaying the movement of containers through the supply chain,” he said.

“As a result, transport operators are reporting operational capacity constraints, with transport yards operating between 70% to over 130% capacity.”

DP World Australia issued a customer update advising of some scheduling delays due to the impact of COVID-19 on its workforce.

The stevedore said about 10% of its workforce is impacted by COVID. “Those numbers may increase as Australia works through the current COVID-19 wave,” the update said.

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Greg Close; Athitat Shinagowin

NEW COVID-19 VARIANT PLAYS HAVOC WITH AUSTRALIAN SUPPLY CHAINS

Svitzer tug masters strike

Years-long EA negotiations are near an end

Patrick Terminals ; Ian Ackerman

Patrick Terminals and MUA reach in-principle agreement Patrick Terminals and the Maritime Union of Australia reached an in-principle agreement in early February after two years of at times acrimonious enterprise bargaining negotiations.

The in-principle agreement has yet to be voted on by the MUA members. The Fair Work Commission will then ratify the agreement. Once ratified, the new agreement will be in place until 31 December 2025.

Under the agreement, all employment will be fully at the discretion of Patrick Terminals, DCN understands. The company will be able to recruit without union approval.

The agreement includes a 4% wage rise for wharfies, effective 1 January 2022, as well as further yearly pay rises of 2.5% or in line with the consumer price index (whichever is higher) and sign-on bonuses for permanent and casual employees.

MUA assistant secretary Jamie Newlyn said the new enterprise agreement that had been agreed upon would deliver pay increases above industry standard, job security assurances, as well as “fairness and dignity for hard-working members at Patrick’s four terminals around Australia”.

“Despite a political campaign of misinformation and interference by the ACCC, the Productivity Commission and even Scott Morrison, the union has always sought to work co-operatively with Patrick Terminals’ management on continuous business improvement to ensure job security, safety, and productivity at Patrick Terminals’ four ports,” Mr Newlyn said.

“By negotiating in good faith throughout this process, the MUA has sought to improve certainty and ensure 24/7 operations at Patrick Terminals’ ports during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and for our frontline workforce to continue working co-operatively and efficiently in the national interest.”

A spokesperson for Patrick said the agreement came after a long process of conciliation on many issues but the company is waiting on the member vote before commenting further.

The current enterprise agreement that covers Patrick employees expired on 30 June 2020 and negotiations on a new agreement have been ongoing since February 2020.

The union’s campaign of industrial action commenced on 4 September 2020 and carried on through early November, when it withdrew all pending notices of industrial action after Patrick filed an application with the FWC to force the union to terminate the actions.

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The Australian Maritime Officers Union announced in mid-February that masters of Svitzer tugboats would strike in the ports of Albany, Brisbane, Cairns, Fremantle, Geraldton, Newcastle and Sydney (Botany and Jackson).

There are exemptions to the work bans where the masters will mobilise for emergencies, defence or threat to life and property.

The union said the strike is in pursuit of a new enterprise agreement to replace the one that expired on 31 December 2019.

Meanwhile, Svitzer said the industrial action was an attempt to put pressure on the company to rescind its application to the Fair Work Commission to terminate the current EBA with the AMOU and the other two maritime unions, the MUA and AIMPE. The company said the termination application was lodged after two years of “fruitless” negotiations with the unions.

“Given the extensive negotiation by Svitzer without resolution (over 50 bargaining sessions), and the continued disruption of Australian ports, Svitzer has been forced to apply to terminate the EA,” the company said.

Svitzer managing director Nicolaj Noes said the proposed strikes will not achieve anything but place serious pressure on Australian businesses.

“Only a month ago the unions were saying a termination of our enterprise agreement by the Fair Work Commission would put undue pressure on the global supply chain.

Yesterday they announced actions that will grind several ports to a halt without regard for the inevitable harm to the nation’s economy this will inflict,” Mr Noes said.

AMOU executive officer Mark Davis said the union’s tugboat-smaster members are “a responsible group of workers with little previous intention to take strike action.

The behaviour of the company has so exasperated them that they have had to withdraw their labour”.

Mr Davis said the company’s application to terminate the EA is “a draconian weapon” to revert to the much lower award conditions to force concessions from its masters and crew.

“AMOU is concerned that safety may be undermined if a new work system is implemented,” he said.

Mr Davis pointed out that Svitzer’s parent company, A.P Moller – Maersk, had seen a tremendously profitable year in 2021.

Tug captains downed tools

March 2022

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NEWS IN BRIEF

AMSA detains containership at Port Botany

Madrid Bridge loses containers in North Atlantic Containership Madrid Bridge lost an estimated 60 containers overboard, with 70 damaged, during an incident in the North Atlantic on 7 January.

According to a customer advisory update from vessel operator Ocean Network Express, the containership suffered container collapse during transit to its next port of call in New York.

The vessel left Singapore on 9 December and transited the Suez Canal on 21 December.

According to ONE’s published schedule, the vessel was due to berth at GCT Bayonne Terminal at New York on 21 January.

Madrid Bridge is a Japanese-flagged containership with a capacity of 13,900 TEU. It was built in 2018. Its length is 365.94 metres (LOA) and is 51 metres wide.

Madrid Bridge lost cargo overboard in the Atlantic

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Nomuka, Tonga in the aftermath of the eruption

SHIPPING LINES STEP UP TO DELIVER AID TO TSUNAMISTRICKEN TONGA Shipping companies servicing the Pacific Islands are supporting relief efforts in Tonga in the aftermath of a significant volcanic eruption.

The volcano, Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, erupted on 15 January, triggering a tsunami that hit Tonga.

A statement from the office of the Prime Minister of Tonga confirmed three islands had suffered extensive damage.

“Challenges to sea and air transportation remain due to damage sustained by the wharves and the ash that is covering the runways,” the statement said.

Two New Zealand Royal Navy ships departed for Tonga on Tuesday 18 January, carrying water supplies and humanitarian relief stores, as well as diving teams.

“The survey and diving teams are able to show changes to the seabed in the shipping channels and ports,” New Zealand Foreign Affairs minister Nanaia Mahuta said.

“They will also assess wharf infrastructure to assure the future delivery of aid and support from the sea.”

Some shipping companies operating in the region announced their intent to support relief efforts, with Neptune Pacific Direct Line scheduling an ad-hoc emergency call at Nuku’alofa.

NPDL managing director Rolf Rasmussen told DCN the company is not aware of any direct impact to cargo ships in the region at the time of the eruption.

The Port of Nuku’alofa was cleared for operation following a hydrographic survey, which was prompted by concerns of infrastructure damage.

With the port open, NPDL has confirmed containership Southern Moana, which frequents Nuku’alofa, is keeping to its original route and is scheduled to arrive on 1 February as planned.

Following the Southern Moana, containership Southern Pearl diverted from its usual route to make an emergency call at Nuku’alofa on 13 February, facilitating the delivery of aid from participating charities.

“NPDL is co-ordinating with the market, our teams in Tonga, as well as [Australia’s] Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and [New Zealand’s] Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade,” Mr Rasmussen said.

“We have options to divert vessels as the cargo need requires. We are also making space and container available to charities so the flow of aid can get through in a coordinated way.”

Ocean Network Express also joined the effort to support Tonga, donating S$50,000 through the Singapore Red cross to the humanitarian aid efforts.

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Rab (cc-by-2.0); New Zealand Defence Force

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority detained the Marshall Islands-flagged containership Delos Wave at Port Botany on 4 February, the day after it arrived from Shanghai.

A spokesperson for AMSA confirmed the vessel had been detained under the Navigation Act 2012.

“AMSA has detained the vessel due to a defective emergency generator. The vessel will remain in detention in Port Botany until the satisfactory rectification of the deficiencies have been completed,” the spokesperson said.

“Obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention to ensure the safety and welfare of the crew continue to apply whilst the vessel is under detention.”

The vessel was released several days after it was detained and continued on its voyage.

Delos Wave has a cargo capacity of 2824 TEU. The ship is 222.17 metres long (LOA) with a width of 30 metres.

The vessel is on Zim’s China Australia Express (CAX) service, which runs between Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen and Haiphong.

CHANGE WHAT’S POSSIBLE DP WORLD IS AUSTRALIA’S LEADING PROVIDER OF END-TO-END SUPPLY CHAIN LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS Through smarter solutions and our commitment to delivering on our promise, we enable the flow of trade across the globe and change whats possible for everyone.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Stevedore fined NZ$90,000 for dropping excavator overboard New Zealand stevedoring company C3, a part of Linx Cargo Care Group, has been fined NZ$90,000 for dropping an excavator overboard from a log carrier in 2018 at CentrePort in Wellington.

C3 was also ordered to pay costs of NZ$20,000 for safety failings that caused the incident.

The company had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of breaching its duties under the New Zealand Health and Safety Work Act 2015 and was sentenced on 4 February this year at the Wellington District Court.

The 2018 incident at Wellington’s CentrePort followed a similar scenario with another excavator at Northport in Whangarei less than a year earlier.

Maritime New Zealand central compliance manager Blair Simmons said, “The excavator, which was being moved between two cargo holds where it was being used to load logs, fell from its lifting arrangement attached to the ship’s crane, hit the side of the ship and fell into the water”.

Into the drink: A stevedore dropped an excavator into the water at Wellington

Severe floods knocked out important rail lines in South Australia

Coastal shipping an alternative to rail following SA floods After severe flooding in South Australia severed road and rail connections to Western Australia, coastal shipping helped keep WA supplied with essential goods.

The issue has necessitated a move to new ways of moving freight such as truck convoys; a land bridge across the Nullarbor; and coastal shipping access to Western Australia.

Between 1 February and 31 March 2022, the federal government is permitting containerships and ro-ro vessels to deliver to Western Australian ports.

The change came into force under a Section 11 exemption of the Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012, signed by minister for infrastructure, transport and regional development Barnaby Joyce in late January.

In an explanatory memorandum, the government said the exemption is designed to “address the extraordinary circumstances due to the rail line to Western Australia being affected by flooding”.

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Advocacy group Shipping Australia said its members are supporting relief efforts by transporting essential goods to Western Australia by sea under the exemption.

SAL said its experienced a surge in bookings for east-to-west coastal cargo since the exemption was signed, reinforcing the demand for coastal shipping.

“Coastal shipping is the cheapest way to move goods and commodities around the Australian coast. It’s cheaper than rail, cheaper than land freight, and cheaper than trucking,” a SAL spokesperson said.

They said the act, which intends to revitalise Australian shipping, has achieved the opposite.

“There’s a persistent, continued, and sustained demand for the carriage of coastal cargo by international shipping, however we as a nation prevent ourselves from accessing it,” the spokesperson said.

SAL said the quick response from shippers to booking cargo space under the exemption demonstrates the extent of the demand.

The master of APL England, which lost 50 containers off the NSW coast in 2020, will stand trial on a charge of operating an unseaworthy vessel.

The container spill occurred when the Singapore-flagged vessel encountered heavy seas while sailing from Ningbo, China to Melbourne on 24 May 2020.

Of the 50 containers lost overboard, 21 were empty, and an additional 63 were damaged. The ship was diverted to Port of Brisbane, where the remaining cargo was discharged.

Mohd Zulkhaili Bin Alias, the ship’s master, recently appeared remotely before Brisbane Magistrates Court via video. He is currently on bail in Malaysia.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority had charged Mr Alias for disposing of garbage at sea, and for failing to ensure the vessel was operated so as not to cause pollution or environmental damage.

However, the prosecution then put forward a new charge which is to be committed for trial, relating to the vessel being taken to sea when it was unseaworthy.

The charge relating to the disposal of garbage into the sea was dropped, as the lost cargo decidedly did not meet the definition of garbage.

thedcn.com.au

Nick Servian/Centreport; ARTC; HySTRA; Bernard Spragg

APL ENGLAND MASTER TO FACE TRIAL OVER SPILLED CARGO

Suiso Frontier heralds “dawn of Australia’s hydrogen industry” The world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier, Suiso Frontier, has arrived at Victoria’s Port of Hastings having completed its maiden voyage from Kobe, Japan.

Docking on Thursday 20 January, the LPG tanker’s arrival marks the success of the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) pilot project.

The HESC project is the first in the world to make, liquefy, and transport liquid hydrogen by sea to an international market. The journey from Kobe to Hastings lasted two weeks.

With the cargo transported at negative 253 degrees Celsius, the journey back to Kobe will demonstrate that liquefied hydrogen can be maintained under extremely low atmospheric temperatures for end-use.

Led by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the $500 million HESC project is backed by the Japanese and Australian governments.

The other partners on the project are: J-Power, Iwatani, Marubeni, AGL Energy and Sumitomo. Shell, ENEOS Corporation and K-Line are also involved on the Japanese side of the project.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries chair Yoshinori Kanehana said, “The arrival of the Suiso Frontier marks the dawn of Australia’s hydrogen industry”.

According to Reuters, the project is driven by the governments’ ambitions to switch to cleaner energy and cut carbon emissions, with hydrogen seen as a path to decarbonising industries relying on coal, gas, and oil.

Hydrogen therefore contributes to Japan’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, with Australia aiming to become a major exporter of the fuel.

The project’s vision is to produce carbon neutral hydrogen through extraction from a mix of Latrobe Valley coal and biomass, capturing and storing carbon dioxide via the CarbonNet project and optimising energy.

Swire’s Kokopo Chief

Swire recommences service between Australia and Pacific Islands Swire Shipping’s Australia to Pacific Islands Service has been recommenced in 2022, according to an announcement from the company.

One of two ships servicing the route, multipurpose vessel MV Kokopo Chief has been redeployed, operating on a 26-day frequency from Australia’s east coast port cities.

The ship will provide direct port coverage from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to Noumea, Port Vila, Lautoka and Suva.

Though initially serviced directly, service to eastern Pacific ports Apia, Pago Pago and Nuku’alofa will continue under transhipment connection.

The company said these ports are now serviced via Suva, with improved service levels, capacity, and service times.

All other Australia to Pacific Island service offerings remain, however Swire has reported some misconnections due to delays experienced during the festive period.

Suiso Frontier arriving at Hastings in late January

MARATHON SWIMMER TO SWIM FROM NEWCASTLE TO SYDNEY TO SUPPORT SEAFARERS Marathon swimmer Dean Summers is preparing to embark on Australia’s longest ocean swim to raise awareness and funds for the global seafaring workforce.

Formerly an official of the Seamen’s Union of Australia (now Maritime Union of Australia), Mr Summers later became Australia’s International Transport Workers’ Union national co-ordinator.

Now retired from these roles, Mr Summers has completed several major ocean swims around the world and is now bringing attention to the Australian coastline.

Mr Summers will next month undertake the sixty-mile swim from Newcastle to Sydney, a route which holds significance for Australia’s maritime history.

Known as the sixty-miler, the name of the course refers to the ships trading coal between Newcastle and Sydney around 120 years ago on the same route.

thedcn.com.au

March 2022

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Cold meat to market: Seatrade’s Cool Expreso

NZ meat exporters charter reefer vessel A group of meat producers in New Zealand has bypassed the problems in accessing vessel slots and reefer containers by chartering refrigerated cargo vessel, Cool Expreso.

The vessel recently arrived at Port Taranaki and will play a key role in assisting other New Zealand exporters by visiting Lyttelton Port and Port of Tauranga, before heading to the US. The reefer vessel was at Port Taranaki to load frozen beef for ANZCO Foods, AFFCO New Zealand, and Silver Fern Farms. The meat is bound for the US West Coast and is the first of up to six consignments planned from Port Taranaki this year.

Approximately 800 tonnes of ANZCO’s processed beef on 500 pallets were loaded at Port Taranaki, with this increasing to 1000-1500 tonnes in future visits. AFFCO New Zealand loaded 286 pallets and Silver Fern Farms 242 pallets.

ANZCO Foods head of logistics Brent Falvey said, “An unprecedented 20% increase in the volume of goods moving internationally during the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with labour shortages and delays due to COVID-19 restrictions, has thrown global shipping schedules into chaos.

“This has caused congestion at ports and resulted in an international shortage of containers, which has been exacerbated by a 40% drop in new container production and soaring shipping costs.”

In response, in the past 12 months AFFCO New Zealand has made two chartered reefer vessel shipments to the US. ANZCO Foods and Silver Fern Farms have now come onboard, and Port Taranaki has been included in the multiport charter.

Using conventional shipping reduces the need to secure sought after refrigerated containers, space on container vessels, and congested container shipping berths at the

destination, where at some ports there is up to a month’s wait for access.

“Another advantage is that when the vessel gets to the US there are other options for berthing. We’ll be able to moor and unload the meat into wharfside coolstores for distribution and within a week turnaround and come back to New Zealand and Taranaki for another load,” Mr Falvey said.

Port Taranaki head of commercial Ross Dingle said the port was delighted to be able to help the companies ensure their product reached the international market quickly and efficiently.

“We’re thrilled we can help with this workaround to the congested international shipping situation and container shortage,” he said.

“Not since the reefer Washington sailed in December 2005, has a conventional meat loading out of Port Taranaki taken place.”

INDUSTRY EVENTS EVENT ASCL Awards and Gala Dinner

Crown Palladium, Melbourne

29 March

AMPI 2022 Australia’s Maritime Future Conference

Novotel, Wollongong North Beach

20 May

IFCBAA 2021 National Conference

JW Marriot Resort & Spa, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast

6 April

Road Freight NSW Awards and Conference day

Waterview, Bicentennial Park, Sydney

30-31 August

Australian Peak Shippers Association conference and AGM

Wagga Wagga

30 August-1 September

Ports Australia conference

Brisbane

7-9 September

Australian Cruise Association Annual Conference

Ville Resort-Casino, Townsville Seatrade

2022 18 March

To notify DCN of events please email us at editorial@paragonmedia.com.au

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March 2022

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LINKING AUSTRALIA TO THE WORLD & THE WORLD TO AUSTRALIA Over 1400 ports, Covering 35 countries, With more than 100 offices worldwide!

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SHIPPING & MARITIME INDUSTRY AWARDS 2021 WINNERS

Judging panel We would like to acknowledge the judging panel who reviewed award nominations from right across Australia and who, between them, represent virtually every facet of our industry:

John Horan, former senior executive, Patrick Group; and chair of the panel

Tony Vinson, Freight & Trade Alliance

Paul Damkjaer, CEO, IFCBAA

Michael Gallacher, CEO, Ports Australia

Teresa Lloyd, CEO, Maritime Industry Australia Ltd

Melwyn Noronha, CEO, Shipping Australia

Sue Tomic, chair, Supply Chain & Logistics Association of Australia

Ian Ackerman, editor, Daily Cargo News

March 2022

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All the winners from the 26th annual awards event, which took place on 17 February at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney, thanks to the support of our sponsors including Major Host Sponsor, NSW Ports

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March 2022

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SHIPPING & MARITIME INDUSTRY AWARDS 2021 WINNERS

Safety Award Sponsored by Daily Cargo News

BHP Mitsubishi Alliance, BHP Port Shipping Team (WAIO), Maritime Safety Queensland, Patrick Terminals and Cindicium, Svitzer Australia, Victoria International Container Terminal

Seafarers Welfare Award Sponsored by AMSA & Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Communications

ANL, Daphne Colefax, Flying Angel Club, Fremantle, Hunterlink, Jenelle Connors (Hunterlink), Jessica Mulhall (Gladstone Seafarers Centre), Mission to Seafarers Melbourne, Mission to Seafarers Sydney, Peter Ernst (Port Authority of NSW), Port of Townsville, Reverend Un Tay (MTS Sydney), Wayne Ashton (NSW Ports) NSW Ports CEO Marika Calfas giving the welcome address

Finalists in this year’s DCN Shipping & Maritime Industry Awards Liner Trade Award: Australia-South East Asia

Bulk & Specialised Shipping Award

Sponsored by Daily Cargo News

ANL, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, OOCL

AAL Shipping, BBC Chartering, Global Energy Ventures

Liner Trade Award: Australia-North East Asia

Women in Shipping & Maritime Logistics

Sponsored by GeelongPort

Sponsored by Port of Brisbane

Sponsored by LINX Cargo Care Group

ANL, COSCO, Evergreen, Maersk, OOCL

Alison Cusack (Cusack & Co), Cheree Figg (NQBP), Claudene Sharp-Patel (Shell Australia), Connie Colangeli (Diamond Freight), Desiree Alizart (Concordia), Hollie Scoon (Rio Tinto Marine), Jacqui McCombie (Globelink), Janice Lai (CMA CGM), Jeanine Drummond (AMSA), Karen Byrde (PPA), Kerryn Woonings (WISTA Australia), Kristen Richardson (ANL), Liné Corfixen (Gladstone Ports), Monika Lemajic (WISTA Australia), Rachael Budd (Transolve Global), Sarah Harris (Port of Brisbane), Captain Sarah Robinson (Southern Ports)

Liner Trade Award: Australia-North America Sponsored by Daily Cargo News

ANL, CMA CGM, Hamburg Süd, HapagLloyd, Maersk

Liner Trade Award: Australia-NZ/Pacific Islands/PNG Sponsored by Liebherr-Australia

ANL, MSC, Sofrana-ANL, Swire Shipping, ZIM

Environmental Award Sponsored by Major Host Sponsor, NSW Ports

ANL, GeelongPort, Maersk, Mid West Ports Authority, Svitzer Australia, Zilch Forwarding

Freight Forwarder of the Year

Customs Broker of the Year Sponsored by IFCBAA

3DL, I. H. Hunter, Maersk, Trevor Taylor (Swift Customs)

Sponsored by Daily Cargo News

Commercial Freight and Logistics, Dyson Logistics, EES Shipping, Globelink, Henning Harders, IFC Global Logistics, Verus Global, Whale Logistics

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Major Host Sponsor

Maritime Services Award Sponsored by Port of Melbourne

ABF & AFP (Operation Ironside), AMC Search, Australasian Marine Pilots Institute, AMS Group, BHP Towage Services, Captain Jennifer Tumbers, Frans Schlack (Pilbara Ports Authority), Svitzer Seara crew (Mike Waters & Thomas Bell)

Supply Chain Innovation & Technology Award Sponsored by MIRRAT

Ceva, Cusack & Co, Fickle Technologies, IFC Global Logistics, ImpexDocs, Leopard Systems, LINX Port Services, Maersk, Maersk SPOT, Oliver Karovski (Qube), Port Authority of NSW, Ross Gearing (Maersk), Swire Shipping

Young Achievement Award Sponsored by The Merchant Navy War Memorial Fund

Alison Cusack (Cusack & Co), Ashleigh Johnson (ANL), Blake Kelly (Mainfreight Group), Chanel Gibson (Maersk), Diana Geaboc (Port of Brisbane), Captain Ian Anderson, Justin Somerset (BHP Mitsubishi Alliance)

Port or Terminal of the Year Sponsored by Svitzer Australia

BHP Port Shipping Team (WAIO), DP World Sydney Terminal, Port of Brisbane, Port of Eden (Port Authority of NSW), Port of Townsville

Diversity & Inclusion Award Sponsored by Port Authority of NSW

Auriga Group, Cusack & Co, Pilbara Ports Authority (Working with Respect), Pilbara Ports Authority (Youth Training Strategy), Port Waratah Coal Services, Townsville Marine Logistics, WISTA Australia

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Lifting our Lift

Rate

WINNER

The Port of Townsville is poised for growth in containerised trade having recently undertaken several major projects to optimise operational efficiencies.

Our new $30 million crane and cargo terminal boasts a Liebherr post-panamax crane which has enabled an increase in lift rates up to 48 TEU per hour, while cargo movements have been made safer and more efficient with the construction of a $4.5 million Truck Staging Area.

Soon, we will welcome larger container liners to North Queensland thanks to our Channel Upgrade project, on track for completion at the end of 2023. The project is just the first stage of the biggest transformation in our Port’s history and we are proud to be growing our Port in tandem with northern Australia’s growing economy.

Learn more at

www.townsvilleport.com.au

SHIPPING & MARITIME INDUSTRY AWARDS 2021 WINNERS

Maritime Hall of Fame INDUCTEE Jillian Carson-Jackson

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Jillian Carson-Jackson, Maritime Hall of Fame inductee

illian Carson-Jackson is well known to many in the industry, both in Australia and overseas, as a passionate advocate of the maritime sector and of diversity and inclusion. Jillian is also an example to many as the first Australian and first female president of The Nautical Institute.

Through work on three continents, with positions in Canada, France and Australia – spanning more than 30 years – Jillian has made significant contributions to technical, policy and legislative issues in an international environment.

Skilled in simulation training, vessel traffic services, operations and emergency management, Jillian started her career as a navigation cadet with the Canadian Coast Guard, mostly working on ice breakers in the Canadian Arctic and on the Great Lakes.

Jillian worked for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority for nearly 10 years, in vessel traffic and pilotage services, before starting her own business in 2016. Today, Jillian provides maritime technical advice, education and training, with a focus on maritime communications technologies, risk assessment, VTS, vessel tracking, maritime domain awareness, standards development and related workshop facilitation.

Jillian said of her induction into the Maritime Hall of Fame, “I had never thought that I would receive this recognition, it isn’t something that was ever on my radar.

To be honoured in this manner only strengthens my resolve to promote maritime, to focus on what I can do to support the industry.

“Maritime really does matter, and what we do in maritime makes a difference. I look forward to helping to shape a safe, sustainable and inclusive maritime industry that meets changing global needs in a digital era,” she said.

“This industry is my passion, and there is so much to be passionate about in maritime!”

Newsmaker of the Year Sponsored by Daily Cargo News

WINNER Michael Jovicic and team at Patrick Terminals

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his year was not short on maritime and logistics news. From the grounding of the Ever Given to a change in pilotage provider in Brisbane to the pandemic causing havoc everywhere. But one story of the past year stands out, and one person and their team stands out within that story as a particularly prodigious producer of news.

The negotiations for waterfront enterprise agreements between the Maritime Union of Australia and the country’s major container stevedores (except for DPWA, which concluded negotiations in 2020) held the attention of the industry.

After much to-ing and fro-ing and industrial action, disruption and delays, deals were concluded between the union and Hutchison and VICT. But not at Patrick.

Over the past year, Patrick Terminals CEO Michael Jovicic and his team were very present in the news and DCN’s reporting of the issues. They held the line through the MUA’s significant industrial action campaign. They upped the ante first in October by declaring “enough is enough” and applying to the Fair Work Commission to terminate the existing agreement with the MUA. Then, Patrick applied to the FWC to terminate the union’s ongoing industrial action. While the union accused Patrick of acting with “belligerence and bad faith in the courts” rather than negotiating an agreement, they very quickly agreed to a Christmas ceasefire, which held through the end of the year.

It is for this relentless newsmaking that Michael Jovicic and his team at Patrick were awarded the Newsmaker of the Year Award for 2021.

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Maria Zoras-Christo – Patrick executive general manager for HR, IR and safety – accepting the Newsmaker award for Michael Jovicic

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Diversity & Inclusion Award Sponsored by Port Authority of NSW

WINNER Auriga Group HIGHLY COMMENDED Cusack & Co, Pilbara Ports Authority (Youth Training Strategy)

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his award recognises and rewards companies in the shipping and maritime logistics industry that embrace fairness, diversity, equality and inclusion.

The maritime services provider Auriga Group has embarked upon a mission to challenge gender imbalance and unconscious bias within its own organisation – and indeed the maritime industry in general – and to that end has “walked the talk” by ensuring that women are now represented at a senior level in every area of its business. Over the past two years, Auriga Group has either promoted or appointed a number of highly qualified, high-achieving female employees within its organisation encompassing pilotage, finance and operations management. Its senior leadership team now has 33.3% female representation.

The judging panel was impressed with Auriga’s belief that by ensuring female employees thrive in its business, it will guarantee that the group always has a fresh perspective that is diverse, inclusive and challenges a traditionally male-dominated industry to keep pushing boundaries for the benefit of all.

Auriga Group chief financial officer Nicole Bradford and Port Authority of NSW chair Robert Dunn

HIGHLY COMMENDED Highly Commended in this category are Cusack & Co for its advocacy and commitment to the promotion of diversity and inclusion policies; and Pilbara Ports Authority (Youth Training Strategy) for its commitment to providing training and employment opportunities specifically for young people across the remote Pilbara region of WA.

Port or Terminal of the Year Sponsored by Svitzer Australia

WINNER Port of Townsville HIGHLY COMMENDED Port of Eden (Port Authority of NSW)

T Port of Townsville chief operating officer Drew Penny and Svitzer Australia fleet director David Phillips

HIGHLY COMMENDED The Port of Eden recently opened its Eden Welcome Centre, a combined cruise, maritime and tourist facility. Referencing local maritime history, the centre is the cornerstone for building a strong tourism sector in the Sapphire Coast and is central to the community’s overall recovery from the Black Summer bushfires and compounding impacts of COVID.

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he Port of Townsville is Australia’s largest exporter of zinc, copper, lead and fertiliser and sugar bulk trades, Northern Australia’s largest importer of containers and motor vehicles and a key import hub for project cargo destined for the region’s mines and major infrastructure projects.

However, what really impressed the judges was the port’s recent major projects that have significantly improved its capacity to handle and store ro-ro, heavy and oversized cargo safely and efficiently.

These included berth extensions; wharf upgrades; new cargo terminals; and cranes, together with tailoring a range of facilities and services to minimise wait times and optimise cargo handling procedures, such as completion of several roadwork projects including a recently completed truck staging area to improve heavy and wide vehicle access to multiple laydown areas.

Port of Townsville is firmly established as a key player within the Australian port industry and therefore a worthy winner.

March 2022

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SHIPPING & MARITIME INDUSTRY AWARDS 2021 WINNERS

Young Achievement Award Sponsored by The Merchant Navy War Memorial Fund

WINNER Captain Ian Anderson HIGHLY COMMENDED Diana Geaboc (Port of Brisbane), Justin Somerset (BHP Mitsubishi Alliance)

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t’s important to recognise emerging and established young talent within the Australian shipping and maritime industry – and the Young Achievement Award is designed to do exactly that. This year’s winner, Captain Ian Anderson started on his seafaring path as a 12-year-old Australian Navy cadet, quickly rising to the highest rank within that organisation. On completion of his cadet service and training at the Australian Maritime College, he excelled at sea, becoming one of the youngest to be awarded a Masters qualification. However, it is his incredible commitment to the maritime industry – through his tireless volunteering for organisations such as Mission to Seafarers Sydney, Offshore Specialists Ships Australia and mentoring role within the Australian Maritime Pilots Institute – that so impressed the judges.

Captain Anderson is a passionate and committed seafarer who cares deeply for his shipmates, is considered a person of great character and humility.

MNWMF chairman David Field reading the citation for the Young Achievement Award

HIGHLY COMMENDED This year there were two highly commended certificates awarded and they went to Diana Geaboc from Port of Brisbane and Justin Somerset from BHP Mitsubishi Alliance, both of whom were considered outstanding candidates.

Supply Chain Innovation & Technology Award Sponsored by MIRRAT

WINNER IFC Global Logistics HIGHLY COMMENDED ImpexDocs, Port Authority of NSW

T IFC Global Logistics managing director Renzo Bevinetto with MIRRAT’s Jed Smith

HIGHLY COMMENDED The judging panel this year awarded two highly commended certificates in this category and they went to ImpexDocs for its innovative cloud-based export management; and Port Authority of New South Wales, based on the successful implementation of a standardised approach in predictive under keel clearance technology across all its ports.

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he COVID-19 pandemic has presented all parties in the shipping and maritime logistics industry with a combination of challenges.

However, IFC impressed the judges with its innovative freight and supply chain solutions, particularly for the fast-moving consumer goods sector, achieved via a full solution, consultative and customised approach.

IFC’s commitment to providing technology to facilitate forecasted ship planning along with flexible shipping mode options and development of an innovative direct-to-store model (facilitating delivery of inventory to retail locations on demand) was a key factor behind IFC being recognised for this award.

thedcn.com.au

www.ifc.com.au

GLOBAL LOGISTICS & WAREHOUSING

IFC Global Logistics and Warehousing are Australia’s trusted provider of international supply chain solutions

2021 winner of the DCN Supply Chain Innovation and Technology Award

Delivering first-class supply chain solutions for over 30 years

IFC’s full solution approach to supply chain management services differentiates from many providers in the industry. Our consultative and customised approach ensures the supply chain modelling uniquely fits the needs of each business to minimise costs and overall time to market for customers.

SHIPPING & MARITIME INDUSTRY AWARDS 2021 WINNERS

Seafarers Welfare Award Sponsored by AMSA & Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Communications

WINNER Peter Ernst, PANSW; and Wayne Ashton, NSW Ports HIGHLY COMMENDED Daphne Colefax, Mission to Seafarers Melbourne, Mission to Seafarers Sydney

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his award recognises contribution to a most important sector of the maritime industry, the welfare of seafarers.

Amongst a field of outstanding candidates, Peter Ernst was recognised for developing a state-wide and co-ordinated approach to the vaccination of international seafarers in ports in NSW, a model that was soon replicated in Victoria and elsewhere. Peter worked tirelessly with NSW Health and port stakeholders in NSW to deliver this important program of work, for the benefit of our maritime community.

Wayne Ashton was similarly recognised for his initiative and commitment to the vaccination of seafarers, initially on coastal routes and subsequently extended to all seafarers. This project showed resourcefulness, namely through modifying a 25-seater bus into a mobile vaccination facility ensuring the safety of all personnel during the vaccination process.

Captain Jennifer Tumbers with Shaun Mooney, Port of Melbourne’s executive general manager commercial

Maritime Services Award Sponsored by Port of Melbourne

WINNER Captain Jennifer Tumbers HIGHLY COMMENDED AMC Search, Svitzer Seara crew (Mike Waters & Thomas Bell)

M The Seafarers Welfare Award was shared between Peter Ernst and Wayne Ashton for thier efforts in making COVID vaccinations safely available to seafarers

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aritime Safety Queensland had a huge result when it reached into its ranks and appointed Captain Jennifer Tumbers into the new role of executive director of waterways management, with the goal to ensure all waterways of Queensland provide a safe and clean environment in which all vessels can operate.

The task at hand involved amalgamation of five disparate regions into a cohesive whole, coupled with responsibility for all navigation aids for recreational and trade shipping; establishment of a permanent on-water compliance Marine Enforcement Team; and overview of all State Boat Harbours, to ensure mariners have mooring and marina facilities that provide requisite safe havens.

The pandemic also significantly increased water activities and subsequent compliance.

Captain Tumber’s leadership, perseverance and organisational skills enabled her teams to provide guidance, education and compliance in a short period of time under extenuating circumstances.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

HIGHLY COMMENDED

MtS Melbourne and MtS Sydney have been at the forefront of the pandemic response, providing care to seafarers.

Daphne Colefax has personally knitted more than 1000 beanies to warm seafarers’ heads, hearts and souls.

AMC Search was recognised for its approach to continuing training and consultancy services through the pandemic.

Svitzer Seara’s Mike Waters and Thomas Bells’ quick response ensured the rescue of two people aboard a yacht in WA.

March 2022

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Safety Award

Sponsored by Daily Cargo News

WINNER BHP Mitsubishi Alliance HIGHLY COMMENDED BHP Port Shipping Team (WAIO), Victoria International Container Terminal

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t BMA’s Hay Point Coal Terminal, BMA operates three berths located 3.5 kilometres offshore. They see dramatic wind, wave and currents, inevitably leading to maritime incidents.

As part of the drive towards zero incidents, BMA has implemented physical and organisational controls, such as mooring arrangement analysis and upgrades; terminal vetting questionnaires; failure data capture; snag and wear point reduction; and high tension berth warning sirens and monitoring.

As a result of the above there has been a significant reduction in maritime incidents at Hay Point.

DCN Editor Ian Ackerman accepting the Safety Award on behalf of BHP Mitsubishi Alliance, with Sue Tomic of SCLAA

HIGHLY COMMENDED BHP Port Shipping Team (WAIO) was recognised for its commitment to improving parted-line safety, while VICT was highly commended for the development and implementation of its Remote Crane Training Package.

Jacqui McCombie accepting the Women in Shipping & Maritime Logistics Award

Customs Broker of the Year Sponsored by IFCBAA

WINNER 3DL Customs & Consulting HIGHLY COMMENDED I. H. Hunter

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DL Customs & Consulting was considered the clear winner in this category given the number of glowing testimonials regarding its commitment to customer service, ongoing significant investment in automation and its dedication to providing value-added outcomes.

Women in Shipping & Maritime Logistics Sponsored by LINX Cargo Care Group

WINNER Jacqui McCombie HIGHLY COMMENDED Liné Corfixen, Gladstone Ports Corporation; Captain Sarah Robinson, Southern Ports

T 3DL founder Chris Roberts

HIGHLY COMMENDED The Highly Commended award went to I.H. Hunter for its professional, compliant and solutions-driven approach

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his award is open to all women working in the shipping and maritime logistics industries and recognises an individual’s exceptional contribution, demonstrating outstanding leadership in workplace culture, behaviour, outcomes, profitability or productivity.

Jacqui McCombie is the managing director of Globelink International, one of the country’s most successful freight forwarding organisations.

Built from scratch by Jacqui more than 25 years ago Globelink International is a thriving and successful organisation in what is a distinctly competitive and tough business.

HIGHLY COMMENDED Highly commended in this category is Liné Corfixen from Gladstone Ports and Captain Sarah Robinson from Southern Ports, who the judges believed were both outstanding candidates in this category.

March 2022

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SHIPPING & MARITIME INDUSTRY AWARDS 2021 WINNERS

Bulk & Specialised Shipping Award Sponsored by GeelongPort

WINNER BBC Chartering HIGHLY COMMENDED AAL Shipping

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Shipping Australia CEO Melwyn Noronha accepting the award on behalf of BBC Chartering and GeelongPort CEO Brett Winter

HIGHLY COMMENDED AAL Shipping was recognised for its efficient and professional move of four giant chimney sections – with a combined weight of 500 tonnes and 6000 square metres in size – from Hunan, China to Henderson in Western Australia, for Australia’s first ever waste-to-energy plant.

ast year’s winner, BBC Chartering, again took out the award, this time for undertaking and delivering a series of large, complicated lifts. These projects included: loading and stowing of two oversized marine patrol boats as deck cargo from Henderson in Western Australia to the Caribbean; discharging massive deck cargo from China onto a space restricted wharf in Port Kembla; discharging of 26,000 cbm of steel structures and modules for Roy Hill on a “full to the brim” vessel; and a series of continuous heavy lifts of steel module structures for FMG.

Freight Forwarder of the Year Sponsored by Daily Cargo News

WINNER Commercial Freight and Logistics HIGHLY COMMENDED EES Shipping, Whale Logistics

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ommercial Freight and Logistics received a battery of nominations and recommendations from appreciative clients and suppliers, with the constant theme being one of outstanding customer service.

“Above and beyond” was a familiar refrain coupled with clear and concise communication, attention to detail and overall professionalism.

Commercial Freight and Logistics is an independent, privately owned international logistics and customs brokerage specialist.

The company has partners in 780 cities in 191 countries and has been providing importers and exporters freight and customs brokerage services for more than 40 years.

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Commercial Freight and Logistics’ sales manager Richard Wilson and John Horan, chair of the awards judging panel

HIGHLY COMMENDED EES was recognised for its innovative workflow procedures, professional reach and an industry reputation as a company that gets the job done, no matter what. Whale Logistics impressed the judges with its continued growth, resilience, value-add service and technological innovation.

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COSCO SHIPPING LINES COSCO is proud to be consistently recognised for excellent value and service by the Shipping & Maritime Industry

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Maritime INDUSTRY AWARDS WINNER

2018 Winner of the Liner Trade Award: Australia to North East Asia

T H E 2 0 2 0 D A I LY C A R G O N E W S

Shipping &

T H E 2 0 19 DCN A U S T R A L I A N

Shipping &

Maritime INDUSTRY AWARDS

Maritime INDUSTRY AWARDS

HIGHLY COMMENDED

HIGHLY COMMENDED

2019 Highly Commended Liner Trade Award: Australia to North East Asia AND Australia to South East Asia

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2020 Highly Commended Liner Trade Award: Email_Award_sig.indd 11-Feb-21 11:43:47 AM Australia to North East Asia

HIGHLY COMMENDED

2021 Highly Commended Liner Trade Award: 3 24/2/2022 Australia to North East Asia AND Customer Service Award

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SHIPPING & MARITIME INDUSTRY AWARDS 2021 WINNERS

Customer Service Award Sponsored by DP World Australia

WINNER Swire Shipping HIGHLY COMMENDED ANL, COSCO Shipping

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his award recognises the standard of customer service offered by individual shipping lines, or their agents, as seen by their customers. The award was not open for individual nomination – all lines and their agents were automatically judged via an online survey of DCN subscribers.

Swire Shipping connects more than 400 ports around the world and has been providing reliable services for its customers for 150 years. It provides liner shipping services in Asia Pacific markets. It specialises in a range of services for project, heavy lift, refrigerated, breakbulk and mini-bulk cargoes in the region.

The company’s focus is on the Pacific, with 14 dedicated liner services with a complementary feeder network.

Swire Shipping has a fleet of multi-purpose vessels designed to carry cargoes in non-standard units. More than one-third of its fleet has advanced lifting capabilities and can deliver containerised and breakbulk shipments wherever they call. The company also specialises in delivering heavy equipment to remote areas.

Swire Shipping was founded as the China Navigation Company in 1872, with Swire Shipping being the brand name for all liner services operated by the company.

Last year, the company changed its name to Swire Shipping, as part of a streamlining of the brand.

GeelongPort CEO Brett Winter and Campbell Mason, NSW Ports general manager commercial & business development

Environmental Award Sponsored by Major Host Sponsor, NSW Ports

WINNER GeelongPort HIGHLY COMMENDED ANL

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eelongPort is working hard to become Australia’s most environmentally sustainable bulk port and during 2021 implemented a number of significant initiatives focused on protecting and enhancing the environment.

These included receiving global recognition for its ESG practises; becoming the first port in Australia to achieve carbon neutrality; the first port in Australia to make a science-based target commitment to reduce scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030; and entering into a number of partnerships and collaborations with local academic, community and Indigenous groups, all aimed at improving and enhancing sustainability performance.

HIGHLY COMMENDED Swire Shipping regional customer success manager, Pacific, Peta Kelly and Andrew Adam, DP World Australia CEO

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ANL was recognised for the establishment of its Reef Recovery Program, aiming to bring UN SDG 14 – Life Below Water to the fore of our industry, while also aiding the protection and regeneration of the Great Barrier Reef, primarily through the creation of a coral nursery off Cairns.

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What our customers have to say Forwarding about us Non-Freight Non-Freight Non-Freight Forwarding Forwarding

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SHIPPING & MARITIME INDUSTRY AWARDS 2021 WINNERS

Liner Trade Award: Australia-North East Asia Sponsored by Port of Brisbane

WINNER OOCL HIGHLY COMMENDED ANL, COSCO Shipping

ANL senior manager Tim Capes and DCN commercial director Lindsay Reed

Liner Trade Award: Australia-South East Asia Sponsored by Daily Cargo News

WINNER ANL HIGHLY COMMENDED OOCL, Hapag-Lloyd

Tim Mason of OOCL

Liner Trade Award: Australia-North America Sponsored by Daily Cargo News

WINNER Maersk Line HIGHLY COMMENDED CMA CGM, Hamburg Süd

David Pratt, commercial manager PNG trades & Perkins ANL Xpress, with Andreas Mueller of Liebherr

Liner Trade Award: Australia-NZ/Pacific Islands/PNG Sponsored by Liebherr-Australia

Maersk Oceania sales director Kurt Friedeland Anthony Roberts, NSW minster for planning and homes

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WINNER ANL HIGHLY COMMENDED Swire Shipping, Sofrana-ANL

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ANY PORT. ANY CARGO. BBC Chartering leads the industry with the world’s largest fleet of more than 140 multipurpose and heavy-lift vessels ranging from 4,325 to 56,800 dwt able to lift up to 800 metric tons. We are always close to you with our worldclass teams of chartering and operations professionals throughout our global network of 30 offices. Be it project, heavylift, or general cargoes, with our people and our fleet we can take almost anything almost anywhere.

It is an honor participating the DCN Awards 2021 and winning the BULK & SPECIALISED SHIPPING AWARD three times in a row! bbc-chartering.com

INDUSTRY OPINION

A call for a broad ranging reform We are in the midst of an international shipping crisis, with high costs and poor performance; Freight & Trade Alliance’s Paul Zalai says it’s time for big reform

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long-term structural issues affecting the productivity of Australia’s maritime logistics system, Freight & Trade Alliance, the Australian Peak Shippers Association and affiliated associations provided evidence of long-term trends that are adversely impacting the overall competitiveness of Australian exporters and importers.

The submission cites examples of the introduction of foreign-owned shipping line surcharges and freight rates increases, stating if not collusion, it is clearly a case of follow-the-leader facilitated by a market without genuine competitive tension.

contracted stevedore providers. Savings that are clearly not being passed on down the supply chain.

With less quayside revenue, stevedores and empty container parks have resorted to a ransom model, forcing transport operators to pay designated fees or be denied access to container collection/ dispatch facilities. It is not sustainable for our exporters and importers to absorb this additional impost of hundreds of millions of dollars annually whereby they cannot influence service or price.

The FTA/APSA submission also calls for minimum service levels and notification

It is not sustainable for our exporters and importers to absorb this additional impost of hundreds of millions of dollars annually FAIR COMPETITION? The submission does not advocate for the federal government to interfere with price setting, acknowledging the need for foreign-owned shipping lines to continue to be incentivised to service Australian trade in a free and open market.

The alliance does, however, question whether shipping line vessel sharing arrangements should continue to be protected and exempt from competition laws faced by others in Australian commerce.

FTA/APSA is of the view that should exemptions continue for foreign-owned shipping lines, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, or the creation of a federal maritime regulator, is required to oversee proceedings to safeguard the commercial viability of Australian traders.

The submission notes that shipping lines are not only squeezing importers, exporters and freight forwarders, but they are also benefitting from significantly reduced quayside charges administered by their

periods, infrastructure investment, regulation of container detention practices, waterfront industrial relations reform, implementation of biosecurity reform priorities and an extension of short-term aviation funding.

Australia has world class manufacturers and producers who are supported by skilled customs brokers and freight forwarders ready to take advantage of the opportunities created by free trade agreements – these opportunities will not be fully realised while physical access to market and costs of trade are prohibitive.

A well-regulated economy will help Australia to prosper.

Paul Zalai, director, Freight & Trade Alliance; secretariat, Australian Peak Shippers Association Image supplied

GLOBAL DEMAND FOR containerised shipping capacity is at an all-time high. This demand is primarily generated by the pandemic-driven surge of import cargo, limited shipping capacity and poor operational performance in many key international ports. This has caused the erratic positioning of container equipment, spikes in freight rates, escalation of surcharges and an all-time low in service reliability.

Australian exporters are fighting over available equipment and capacity to reach key markets. Importers are failing to get regular supply, resulting in the emergence of new models of onshore stockpiling and resultant inflationary pressures being felt across the Australian economy.

There is no relief in sight in an environment of consolidation and stronger consortia of shipping lines entering vesselsharing agreements creating significant barriers for new entrants into the global market, let alone successfully compete in a somewhat isolated Australian trade lane.

There is significant merit in the comments made by the Australian Prime Minister at the recent World Economic Forum, calling on world leaders to do more in the form of new partnerships between countries, governments and businesses to increase the resilience of global supply chains.

The main beneficiary of the current crisis are shipping lines. They are proudly reporting staggering multi-billion-dollar profits at a time when traders are on their knees.

It is happy days for them; they can charge what they like in a take-it-orleave-it environment.

Who can blame them? Shipping lines servicing our entire container trade are after all commercial, foreign-owned businesses that are profit driven. What is extremely evident is that Australia’s national interest is very much a secondary consideration.

In a submission to the Productivity Commission’s independent review into

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INDUSTRY OPINION

Eyes on the horizon MIAL’s CEO Teresa Lloyd lays out an argument for expanding the Australian strategic fleet to include commercial cargo ships

IF THE PAST TWO YEARS HADN’T

Image supplied

provided sufficient challenge, January 2022 well and truly delivered.

Record COVID cases across much of the country playing havoc with business continuity plans; a flood rendering the east/west and north/south rail connection inoperable; and WA decided to delay its border opening indefinitely.

Now overlay the great resignation.

The Australian maritime sector has seen a shuffling of the deck chairs at unprecedented levels, further adding pressure to business operations.

And please let us not forget the hundreds of seafarers – Australian and foreign – still working under conditions of no shore leave, extended time at sea and who have now endured many, many periods of quarantine just to get to and from work. Not to mention enough PCR tests to make your nose bleed.

It is easy to lose site of the bigger picture with so many daily challenges to deal with. But we cannot afford to – not now when we have near-daily reminders of how fragile business-as-usual is in the Australian maritime domain.

SOVEREIGN CAPABILITY MIAL has a vision for a prosperous Australia with strong sovereign maritime capability. For that to exist, we need an environment conducive to the development of the sector, which will naturally deliver both steel and skills.

Australia already has a strategic fleet: vessels the government sees fit to own or operate or control. This includes the Navy and Border Force fleets and also those vessels in the service of the government for the Antarctic Division, CSIRO and AMSA. Extending our strategic capability to vessels operating commercially make sense on many fronts.

Adding a commercial arm to the Australian strategic fleet will provide sufficient numbers of vessels to ensure adequate training and experience building opportunities to secure the strategic

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skills set the nation requires. It will also ensure sufficient vessels of certain types are available to secure Australian critical infrastructure and supply chains.

A commercial arm will also secure sufficient, suitable vessels for requisitioning, should the nation require such emergency support.

Importantly, maritime sector knowhow will be regenerated by virtue of a greater degree of ship ownership, control and operation from Australia. This would encourage our expatriate talent to return home from Singapore and London, bringing with them the skills and knowledge a maritime nation needs.

Increased Australian maritime activity and the resulting employment opportunities will begin to generate a homegrown supply of the shore-based seafaring skills, such as harbour masters and marine pilots, that are so desperately needed to run our ports.

But a limited list of vessels that form the strategic fleet is not the entire story.

There’s opportunity across the maritime sector to build capability off the back of the structures that will be put in place to facilitate the strategic fleet.

The taxation and regulatory settings for a strategic fleet will have to make the ships as competitive as possible with international options, or the delta between operating a strategic fleet vessel and a foreign vessel will be too high for the fleet to work.

With those policy settings in place, the Australian International Shipping Register and offshore sector can take advantage of those settings to grow naturally, providing even more strategic value to the nation. A collateral benefit if you like from the seed of incentive by way of competitive policies.

Increased Australian maritime activity and the resulting employment opportunities will begin to generate a homegrown supply of the shore-based seafaring skills, such as harbour masters and marine pilots, that are so desperately needed to run our ports.

The domestic commercial vessel sector also stands to benefit as crew feed into and out of the larger maritime skills base.

The economic cluster that develops around any nation’s shipping industry is a powerful driver for just this kind of focus in government policy.

PWC has estimated that with positive shipping policies the industry will contribute $25 billion in GDP; 54,000 jobs; and $2.1 billion in tax revenue.

The Australian Labor Party has once again affirmed its commitment to an Australian shipping capability.

The Deputy Prime Minister has said he wants to see more Australian-flagged ships.

Twenty twenty-two could be the year of bipartisan support for Australian sovereign maritime capability. As the federal election rolls around, it is in all our interests to ensure the industry is not overlooked and that the justification for positive action is well understood.

Teresa Lloyd, CEO, Maritime Industry Australia Limited

March 2022

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WOMEN IN MARITIME

Breaking the bias Jillian Carson-Jackson explores how we make the invisible visible in the maritime sector and beyond

NOT JUST IN MARITIME As we have heard over the past weeks, this is not an issue unique in the maritime industry. Mining company, Rio Tinto released an external review of workplace culture on 1 February. The results were sobering and frightening.

Over the past five years, 28.2% of women and 6.7 % of men experienced sexual harassment at work; 21 women were raped

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or the victim of attempted rape or assault; racism was reported in several areas, with 39.8% of men and 31.8% of women who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders experiencing racism. Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm expressed shame and regret to learn of the findings and underlined the strong desire for transformational change.

And, on 8 February, a joint Statement of Acknowledgement was delivered in the Australian Parliament acknowledging the unacceptable history of workplace bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault in Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces (CPWs). This statement addressed Recommendation 1 of the Set the Standard Report. The report, released in November 2021, noted that 37% of those working in CPWs experienced some form of bullying; and one in three people experienced some form of sexual harassment. Overall, 77% of people currently working in CPWs witnessed or heard about bullying, sexual harassment and/or actual attempted sexual assault within the workplace.

must – do better. All these reports end in a common theme: a need for action. The actions that need to happen are pretty straightforward and include leadership, education, accountability and support.

Leaders need to be visible, vocal, consistent, and clear in setting and modelling priorities for a safe, respectful culture.

Education must highlight the role of diversity, equality, equity and inclusion.

A change in culture is required to truly respect boundaries always and realise there is no place in our industry for bullying, sexual assault and sexual harassment or racism. Bias needs to be acknowledged, addressed and overcome.

Accountability includes providing clear reporting mechanisms, articulating clear expectations about roles and responsibilities, and ensuring there are opportunities for victims to report without fear of reprisal.

Support recognises that, unlike physical wounds, wounds related to trauma and assault may not show, but also may never fully heal. Workplace health and safety is more than PPE and FROM WORDS TO ACTION ergonomics – it is providing a truly safe So, the invisible is actually pretty visible. work environment that supports physical Yet it continues to occur. We need to – we and psychological safety.

Make 2022 the year we move from words to action to truly support each other as we see the dawn of a new era in maritime. An era where all, regardless of race, gender, cultural background, religious affiliation, or any other diversity group feel welcomed and supported.

The theme for International Women’s Day 2022 is “Breaking the Bias” – forging a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that is diverse, a world where difference is valued and celebrated. How are you going A group of women working in the Australian maritime sector strike the IWD to break the bias? How can you #BreakTheBias pose, which shows commitment to calling out bias, smashing make a difference? stereotypes, breaking inequality, and rejecting discrimination

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Image supplied

ONE THING THAT THE PANDEMIC

has brought into focus is the critical role seafarers. Maritime matters. It really does. But how do we make the invisible visible? The ships may be seen, but are the seafarers? If we do see the seafarers, do we see a diverse, inclusive workforce?

The IMO reports the percentage of women working at sea as a mere 2%. In the 2021 BIMCO/ICS Seafarer Workforce Report that percentage is estimated to be 1.28%. In almost two decades of knowing women are under-represented, with years of engagement to promote and support women in the maritime industry, we continue to have women representing between 1% and 2% of seafarers. Why? There are many different factors that contribute to this. One is knowing what opportunities are available; another is the challenges that women face. However, the factor that I want to investigate further is the continued reports of harassment, bullying and assault experienced not only by women, but also by other underrepresented groups.

The industry was rocked when the report from Midshipman X was released in the US. Yet, what was more depressing, was that this report was not unique. Over the decades there have been many Midshipman-X experiences – some who have come forward and tried to make change, many who have tried to forget it ever happened.

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INDUSTRY OPINION

How and when should the shipping industry decarbonise?

During the climate conference COP26 at Glasgow in November last year, several countries, including Australia, committed to net zero emissions by 2050.

But what about the shipping industry, Peter van Duyn asks

moves goods and people between countries, so who should be responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions? Shipping contributes more than 3% of global carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to that of Germany, while transporting about 90% of the world’s trade. If gone unchecked, this could lead to an increase in emissions by up to 17% by 2050 as further globalisation occurs and the world’s GDP grows.

INTERNATIONAL CO-ORDINATION The International Maritime Organization is tasked with co-ordinating measures to curb shipping emissions among its more than 170 members. The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) has spent the past decade developing a series of regulations to improve the energy efficiency of ships as part of carbon-cutting efforts. It aims to halve maritime emissions by 2050, from 2008 levels. That falls short of the 2050 target of net-zero emissions, a goal scientists say the world must meet to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

The international shipping and aviation industries recently came under heavy criticism from UN secretary-general António Guterres. He accused the industry of not doing enough to stop global warming. The IMO target has also been criticised by environmental organisations for being too weak and unambitious.

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PROPOSALS FOR GHG REDUCTION At a meeting of the MEPC after COP26, two member countries put forward a resolution to commit to net zero emissions from shipping by no later than 2050.

The International Chamber of Shipping put forward a weaker resolution for a target of net zero emissions by 2050, seeing this as a more plausible goal with current zero-carbon technologies and fuels in mind. The ICS was concerned that agreeing to the more ambitious goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 could in due course lead to the need to “ration the supply of maritime transport” or “undermine economic development”.

Neither of the above resolutions was adopted. Nevertheless, recognising the need to accelerate the reduction of GHG emissions from shipping, the IMO agreed to revise its GHG strategy and revised their guidelines to short-term and mid-to-long term GHG reduction measures, although without expressly committing to a zero or a net zero target by 2050.

EMISSIONS STILL ON THE RISE Data released recently from UK broker Simpson Spence Young (SSY) showed the shipping industry’s 2021 carbon dioxide emissions increased 4.9% from 2020, not only rebounding from the 2020 COVID lows but also surpassing 2019 levels.

Explaining the increase, SSY analysts noted in a market update, “The key driver

was the recovering 2021 world economy where demand for durable goods has remained firm while services demand has increased. Added to this is a trend towards longer ton-mile trade, higher steaming speeds in some segments, and increased port congestion”.

THE LNG DEBATE Recently, shipowners announced that they would be building new ships which run on LNG; however, whilst cleaner than heavy fuel, it is still a fossil fuel and creates methane slip, which is arguably more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

The World Bank said that LNG would likely play a limited role in decarbonising the industry and recommended that countries avoid new public policy supporting its use.

Several shipping lines, such as Mediterranean Shipping Company and Maersk – the two largest container shipping lines in the world – have recognised that the IMO target is not enough and have committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or even before.

More shipping lines are expected to follow.

Building more energy-efficient types of ships will be 10 to 15% more expensive, but Maersk and MSC hope that having zero-emissions ships will entice major shippers to use their services in their quest to reduce their environmental

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Michele Ursi; PVD

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

footprint. Several big companies – including Amazon, Ikea and Unilever – have pledged to move their cargo on ships using zero-carbon fuel by 2040.

THE SEARCH FOR AN ALTERNATIVE Shipping is one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise and industry groups cite a lack of commercially viable technologies.

Currently, most ships run on heavy marine fuel which is heavily polluting, but efficient to store and use over long distances onboard ships. The use of alternative zero-emissions fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia are still in development by ship engine manufacturers and replenishing these fuels in port presents significant challenges.

To achieve the development of viable zero-carbon emission ships, the ICS and its industry partners are proposing the establishment of a research and development fund. The fund would be financed by a mandatory levy of US$2 per ton on marine fuel, generating a core US$5 billion over a 10-year period.

ICS believes this approach is critical to accelerate the research and development effort which will be needed to achieve

commercially viable zero-carbon ships in the next 10-15 years. The fund will support research, development, and deployment of zero carbon technologies, carrying out pilot projects and tertiary research that can be later scaled up across the industry.

CARBON PRICE NECESSITY? A report prepared for the Getting to Zero Coalition – a partnership between the Global Maritime Forum, Friends of Ocean Action, and the World Economic Forum, suggests a carbon price is required under full decarbonisation by 2050.

The introduction of a relatively low carbon price in the 2020s, which is gradually increased to around US$200, would make it possible to fully decarbonise shipping and create an industry that is powered solely by net zero energy sources by 2050.

For international shipping to decarbonise, zero-emission fuels need to become the dominant fuel source by the 2040s. However, there is an urgent need for the development of policies that can close the competitiveness gap and accelerate the maritime zero emission trajectory while also addressing global inequities.

Peter van Duyn, logistics expert, Deakin University

“Decarbonisation policy for shipping needs to be as much about equity and fairness as it is about climate change mitigation. Vast inequalities exist globally, many of which are worsening in the face of climate change. With careful policy design and use of carbon pricing revenues, we can ensure that maritime climate policies do not exacerbate these inequalities,” the report states.

Shipping is still the most energy-efficient method of transporting large volumes of goods long distances; however, businesses (and their customers) are placing more emphasis on the environmental impact of shipping. The shipping industry must aim for net zero emissions by 2050, or earlier, to play its part in minimising the impact of climate change on our planet.

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37

QUEENSLAND

Aerial view of Fisherman Island, Port of Brisbane

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March 2022

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THE

STATE Sustainability, renewable energy, diversification and building for the future are on the agenda as Queensland ports navigate their way out of the pandemic, Abby Williams writes

PBPL

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haracterised by supply chain upheaval and widespread port congestion, 2021 proved another turbulent year for trade, but ports in Queensland reinforced their importance to the state’s economy as critical freight gateways.

The Port of Brisbane reported an overall positive year for trade in 2021 (January-December), with full container imports increasing by 11%. The increase reflected a surge in demand for building products, household items and electrical equipment. The demand was largely driven by government stimulus, travel restrictions, and consumer spending.

The port also reported a strong year for full export containers, up 3.6% from 2020. Agricultural exports such as grain and cotton were bolstered by rains in drought-affected regions. Motor vehicle volumes increased 21% off the back of low volumes in 2020, however continue to suffer due to a shortage of component parts, such as microprocessor chips.

Port of Brisbane interim CEO and CFO Neil Stephens told DCN, “On the bulk imports side, crude imports were up 77% however, again, this reflects a return to normal production levels after the Ampol refinery’s planned closure for several months in 2020.

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“Refined oil imports were down 31% – simply a reflection of crude coming back online, although there was a general demand decrease in both automotive fuels and AV gas.”

In 2021, overall bulk exports were up 23% on the previous year, largely attributed to an 850% increase in grain exports. However, this figure was influenced by particularly low volumes in 2020 due to drought.

Coal exports decreased during the year while refined export tonnages were up 135% on 2020 volumes, reflecting the increased refinery output.

“Thanks to significant co-operation and strong management between our port customers, the regional harbour master and other supply chain stakeholders, Port of Brisbane has handled the increase in demand with minimal disruption or delays at the port,” Mr Stephens said.

NEW DIRECTIONS In August 2021, the port’s CEO Roy Cummins announced his resignation after six years in the role.

Mr Stephens said the former chief executive oversaw a significant period of growth for the company and has left Port of Brisbane in a strong position for the future.

Neil Stephens, interim CEO, Port of Brisbane

March 2022

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QUEENSLAND

Completion of Townsville’s new rock wall, part of the channel upgrade project

“Our board is currently overseeing an international recruitment process and we look forward to announcing PBPL’s new CEO when that process is finalised,” Mr Stephens said.

“I believe that PBPL and Port of Brisbane are in a strong position to continue delivering for Queensland in 2022.”

Early this year, PBPL reviewed the strategic framework underpinning its business and the strategic programs designed to achieve the company’s objectives.

This led Port of Brisbane to evolve its strategy and amend its vision and purpose.

“We’re still going to be here for the future, but now we aim to be Australia’s premier port and logistics hub as well,” Mr Stephens said.

“This evolution, which puts sustainability at the core of our business strategy, drives a number of programs that we believe are key to supporting the long-term

growth and development of our business and supporting our customers now, and into the future.”

The port’s commitment to net zero remains in force and it plans to deliver a raft new and innovative initiatives to achieve these outcomes and reduce its emissions across the board.

Across its property portfolio this year, the Port of Brisbane has delivered new warehouses that are fivestar equivalent and have also trialled the use of earthfriendly concrete in these developments.

The port also commenced a trial of carbon neutral fuel within its marine fleet, offsetting scope 1 emissions from its fuel use.

The South East Queensland region is in the midst of what Mr Stephens has described as a “renewable energy boom”. In 2022, there are two wind farm projects in the Port of Brisbane catchment which are set to commence importing componentry.

On New Year’s Day 2022, Poseidon Sea Pilots began operations at the Port of Brisbane.

It marked the end of operations for Brisbane Marine Pilots, which had provided pilotage services in the area for 30 years.

Glen Marshall, CEO of Australian Maritime Systems Group (owner of Poseidon), said the company has bought greater technology to pilotage operations in South East Queensland.

The pilots use sophisticated portable pilot units, the quality of which remains consistent no matter which vessel is boarded. AMS designed the automatic identification system and the vessel traffic management system used by the pilots.

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“Everything within 50 to 100 the maritime skills and experience kilometres of the port we’ve built, gathered over the past 20 years and is installed, and maintained, and then now looking into landside operations in we bring our pilots in with all this new Queensland. technology, which talks to all those He said the group would focus on systems as well. That’s why applying technology systems we’re very confident in what to ports to increase efficiency we’re doing,” Mr Marshall for terminal operations. told DCN. “We believe there are Poseidon Sea Pilots’ significant efficiencies to be operations fit into the broader achieved, not necessarily for landscape of AMS’ work the freight coming in, but for along the Queensland coast. terminal operations,” he said.

Headquartered in Brisbane, “AMS is an enabler. We the company operates in five use technology to enable Queensland ports: Brisbane, our clients to be more Glenn Townsville, Gladstone, efficient, and to have a better Marshall, CEO, AMS Group Cairns, and Hay Point. Mr understanding of their own Marshall said AMS combines operations.”

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Port of Townsville ; AMS

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QUEENSLAND

Ranee Crosby, CEO, Port of Townsville

BUILDING CONNECTIONS At the top of Port of Brisbane’s strategic agenda is advocating for a dedicated freight rail line connecting the port to the Inland Rail, which is expected to reach completion in 2027.

“It is impossible to understate the importance of this project, not just to Port of Brisbane, but to the broader South East Queensland community given the significant environmental, economic and social impacts it will bring,” Mr Stephens said.

He said fewer than 2% of containers currently travel to Port of Brisbane by rail, demonstrating an unsustainable road/rail modal balance.

“Without a dedicated freight rail connection, a tsunami of trucks will travel through Brisbane to the port by 2050, causing more congestion, more pollution and more road safety issues,” Mr Stephens said.

“We’ve been advocating at all levels of government now for years and some progress has been made, but more needs to be done.”

Port of Brisbane welcomed six new businesses to the port in the 2021 financial year and helped eight existing customers expand their operations.

Mr Stephens said the company has several property developments underway and a healthy pipeline.

Within the port vicinity, projects have been driven by significant capital investments, with approximately $466 million forecast for port infrastructure over the five years from 2020-21.

An aid to navigation maintained by AMS Group, one of many along the Queensland coast.

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Stage one of the Port West Industrial Estate at Lytton, located six kilometres from the port’s wharves, is reaching capacity. Ground improvement works on stage two of the project are currently underway following strong demand for industrial land from businesses. The first land is expected to appear on the market this year.

“We’re also continuing to progressively develop our 224-hectare future port expansion area on Fisherman Island, to create new land to support customer and trade growth,” Mr Stephens said.

“We expect to welcome our first new customers in this precinct over the coming months.

“We have also seen significant interest in our Port North precinct, with multiple projects expected to be announced over the coming months, many of which have a manufacturing or processing component with a significant focus on sustainable industries.”

CLEAN ENERGY FOCUS Renewable energy is on the agenda Australia-wide, with Queensland at the forefront of ambitions to develop the nation’s green hydrogen industry.

The state government has identified North Queensland as a major hub in the state’s green hydrogen supply chain and Townsville was recently declared one of four hydrogen technology clusters across the state in a bid to build the region’s skills and advance commercialisation opportunities.

The Port of Townsville signed three agreements with a range of partners in 2021, to explore the feasibility, challenges, and opportunities of a green hydrogen trade.

Port of Townsville chief Ranee Crosby told DCN the three energy companies – Origin Energy, Ark Energy, and Edify Energy – have all shown a commitment in positioning Townsville as a global leader for clean energy exports.

“With Townsville enjoying more than 320 days of sunshine each year, the region is well-positioned to take advantage of solar technology for hydrogen production,” Ms Crosby said.

“Combined with the Port of Townsville’s existing trade connectivity to 75% of Asia and key areas across North Queensland via road and rail networks, Townsville is poised to put Queensland on the world map for hydrogen.”

DEVELOPING MARKETS The Port of Townsville’s existing markets are also expanding. The port’s agricultural customer base will grow to include the region’s grain, pulse, and cotton growers, which seek to capture markets in South East Asia and the Middle East.

“The Port of Townsville plays a vital role in improving growers’ landside efficiencies by offering a closer point of export to North Queensland’s farming regions than southern ports,” Ms Crosby said.

Port of Townsville is also working closely with industry to increase direct imports of retail

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Port of Townsville ; Glenn Marshall/AMS Group

“These, and other projects still obtaining necessary approvals, will see the market move further towards the Queensland government’s renewable energy target of 50% of the state’s electricity consumption being sourced from renewables by 2030,” he said.

and whitegoods via Townsville, which is ideally positioned geographically as a logistics hub for northern Australia.

Ms Crosby said the appeal of these imports is the lower economic cost for retailers and consumers, as well as the environmental benefits of reducing road and rail transport of goods shipped to southern ports for transit back to the north.

As electric vehicles grow in popularity, the port is also experiencing high demand in sulphates, highpurity alumina and vanadium, which northern Queensland industries are beginning to produce.

“The port’s remit has always been to facilitate the north’s diverse range of industries and we are working closely with customers and potential customers to ensure we continue to do so,” Ms Crosby said.

previous year, however containerised trade volumes increased by 17% and motor vehicle imports by 34%.

The port also recorded an increase in trade exports of fertiliser and refined metals, and imports of cement, fertiliser, and petroleum products.

“The overall decline in trade was driven by changes in mineral concentrates supply chains, with major mining customers supplying domestic refineries, rather than exporting to overseas markets,” Ms Crosby said.

She said this highlighted the strength of the state’s North West Minerals Province to service refineries in the region.

“The Port of Townsville’s resilience in an uncertain global landscape demonstrates the importance of facilitating trade for a diverse range of industries across northern Australia.”

TOWNSVILLE TRADE The Port of Townsville has remained operational throughout the pandemic, and while disruptions to domestic and global supply chains have had some impact on trade figures, shortfalls for some commodities have been counterbalanced by the increased trade of others.

At the halfway mark of the 2021-22 financial year, trade is reportedly tracking slightly ahead of the same time last year. Port of Townsville expects to finish the financial year with similar overall trade throughput.

In 2020-21, the port reported a strong operating result of $14.3 million net profit after tax, up 3.3% on the previous year. Overall trade dropped to 7.7 million tonnes in comparison to 8.2 million tonnes in the

ENABLING GREATER TRADE The Port of Townsville expects to see overall trade treble in the next three decades and is preparing for an increase in demand with investment in infrastructure and supply chain facilities.

Ms Crosby said the port’s capital works program is driven by a focus on sustainable infrastructure design, to optimise the efficiency and capacity of existing assets.

“Our recent upgrades to Berth 4 are a prime example – by raising the quayline, building an onsite container terminal for storage of up to 1600 containers and commissioning a new ship-to-shore crane, we have been able to unlock another 20% handling capacity on the berth,” she said.

In 2021, the port welcomed the arrival, construction, and commissioning of the new Liebherr

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Commissioning of new ship-to-shore crane at Port of Townsville, July 2021

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QUEENSLAND

A containership at the Port of Brisbane

ship-to-shore crane, which was the final component of a $70-million upgrade to Berth 4 to increase container handling capacity. The year also saw the construction of a $4.5-million truck staging area, which will improve safety and efficiency for the 300,000 trucks visiting the port each year.

Progress on the port’s channel upgrade project will be a key focus throughout 2022, with dredging works already underway. The project is the first stage of the $1.6 billion Port Expansion Project.

“While the Townsville port is northern Australia’s largest multi-cargo port, the current shipping

channel is one of the narrowest in the country, restricting access to vessels more than 238 metres long,” Ms Crosby said.

“By widening the channel from 92 metres to 180 metres at the inshore [port] end, tapering to 120 metres at the seaward end, we will be able to accommodate vessels up to 300 metres long.

“This will allow us to welcome ships that would otherwise bypass Townsville for southern ports and unlock greater efficiencies and cost-savings for port customers and north Australian residents as a result,” she said.

The Port of Townsville recently congratulated marine pilot Captain Hugh Ripley for notching up 50 years at sea – 23 of those navigating thousands of ships through the channel at the port.

In his seagoing career, Captain Ripley has travelled more than 50,000 nautical miles or the equivalent of circumnavigating the globe, twice.

Captain Ripley started as an apprentice deck officer in the New Zealand Merchant Navy and after 15 years went on to become a ship’s master on vessels including cargo, bulk carriers and cruise ships.

“They used to say at the time this was your passport to fame – the world is your oyster.

Back in the mid-70s they were crying out for deck officers like myself, so after completing my apprenticeship I joined Swires and ended up doing 10 years with them. It was great,” Captain Ripley said.

One of Captain Ripley’s fondest experiences was as the second officer (navigating officer) onboard a 70-metre

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expedition ship, the Lindblad Explorer, especially travelling to Antarctica.

“We went to Antarctica which was an amazing experience. It was the world’s very first expedition ship built to travel there and we went everywhere from the Philippines, Indonesia and China,” he said.

“From Singapore to South America (subAntarctica) we visited some of the world’s most remote islands and we went through some of the most horrendous weather but it was an amazing experience. I’ll never forget it!’’

Despite climbing ships’ ladders in all weather at Townsville, Abbot Point and Lucinda, Captain Ripley loves his job in north Queensland.

“It’s the nearest thing to paradise. It makes my job a lot easier when you’ve got good weather. The lifestyle is fantastic – I did a lot of diving when I first moved here, like on the Yongala and on the Reef,” he said.

Reflecting on his career Captain Ripley has a relaxed approach: “I want to go a bit longer – while I still have my health.’’

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Port of Townsville; PBPL

CAPTAIN HUGH RIPLEY CHALKS UP 50 YEARS AT SEA

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NEW ZEALAND & PACIFIC ISLANDS

NZ’s BIG

PORT CHOICE

New Zealand may not have come to a decision on a future replacement for the Ports of Auckland yet – after years of considering report after report – but it finally looks like the government is closing in on one. NZ correspondent Dave MacIntyre reports

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Ports of Auckland

ew Zealand’s transport minister Michael Wood has confirmed the government’s intention to make a decision about a replacement for the Ports of Auckland (PoA) before then end of its term in office in 2023.

It will follow the completion of a Ministry of Transport report on a National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, which will consider the role of ports within the context of the wider supply chain.

The strategy is expected to identify which investment options need to be made by government and other players to optimise the supply chain over the medium to long-term. For months, the Ministry of Transport has been hosting national workshops with around 150 freight industry stakeholders and experts, which will inform the release of a consultation paper early this year.

In the meantime, the spotlight has switched back to the case being presented for a new port at Manukau on Auckland’s west coast.

Long-time Manukau proponents and port development consultants Mark Oxley and Mick Payze put more heat into the debate in the closing months of 2021, first via a webinar which argued the existing Auckland and Tauranga ports would not have capacity to handle requirements past the 30-year mark.

The potential for increased transhipments from feeder vessels to bigger ships (assuming more hubbing and greater coastal feedering) could amount to more than 645,000 TEU a year, which would be double handled from the feeder to the main ship. This represents a 10-fold increase compared to current tranships.

The conclusion was that a new port on the Manukau was the answer, with an adjacent hinterland for efficient distribution of imports in particular. Rail and road connections are excellent.

Additional benefits would be shorter shipping routes for services that come to NZ via Asia, and then move through Cook Strait to South Island ports. This would strengthen the benefit-cost position of the Manukau option.

The big question mark against Manukau has always been the need for dredging but modelling that was done for the 2020 Sapere report (one of the multitude of prior reports on Auckland options, which favoured Manukau), stated, “There is a perception that weather events and the bar at the Manukau Harbour entrance could make access uncertain. In [maritime engineering consultants] Black Quay’s view, shipping access to the harbour is a sound concept, taking into account that modern vessels likely to use a new port in the Manukau Harbour are significantly more advanced and manoeuvrable than those in the past.

“Tug boats could be stationed to escort ships through the entrance as a safety measure, if needed, and this is not uncommon at ports worldwide.”

And on maintenance dredging, Sapere stated, “A further factor that has been raised is the sedimentation of the dredged channel. While maintenance dredging would be required, sediment flow modelling prepared for this study suggests that a dredged entrance channel would be achievable and stable, with annual dredge volumes being comparable with other ports around New Zealand”.

Other NZ ports require maintenance dredging – Port Taranaki, Port Otago and the Port of Tauranga among them.

However, what is needed to satisfy doubters is targeted fieldwork with more precise calibrations. It could take time, perhaps a year, but if Manukau is to be seriously put in the frame, it is one of the first things to do.

Port of Auckland

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NEW ZEALAND & PACIFIC ISLANDS

Tug procession at Auckland

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COASTAL SHIPPING There is great interest in whether the government would be a shareholder in any new port solution, or whether a public-private partnership (PPP) option would be favoured, but Michael Wood is not committing to anything until consultation has run its course.

One thing he does appear to be firmly backing is support for coastal shipping, which has lain in the “too hard” basket with successive governments for several years.

Not since the short-lived Seachange initiative of the Labour government in 2008, has the door been

March 2022

opened for a government agency to invest in new coastal shipping services.

Just before Christmas the government released the Coastal Shipping Investment Approach report that outlined the challenges facing New Zealand’s coastal shipping (dry and liquid bulks, containerised cargo, rail and road ro-ro cargo and passenger services).

The report will help guide decisions on how best to invest the $30 million funding that has been earmarked for coastal shipping in the 2021-24 National Land Transport Programme.

Minister Wood said, “Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) is currently developing guidance for the sector on how to develop proposals and apply for funding, and they’re expecting to engage with the sector in early 2022 on next steps”.

Of NZ’s total freight task of 278.7 million tonnes, coastal shipping carried about 10 million tonnes (3.5%). In terms of containers, in 2019 (the last steady year before COVID-19 disrupted volumes and over a year after the road and rail links through Kaikoura were reinstated) 418,470 TEU of coastal cargo were loaded – 251,134 full and 167,336 empty.

About 278,440 TEUs were domestic cargoes, 98,945 export tranships and 41,085 import tranships. Most were loaded at Auckland, with Lyttelton the other significant load port; Pacifica’s domestic service carried 22%, the remainder (78%) by international ships.

Currently, NZ’s coastal container cargo movements are dominated by six international carriers, mainly

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Ports of Auckland

Straddle carriers at the Port of Auckland

ANL/CMA CGM and Maersk/Hamburg Süd, then COSCO and MSC, with OOCL and PIL handling small quantities. They all move tranship cargoes and empty containers, their own and possibly for others.

The biggest impediments to a domestic operator competing against the overseas lines are that international ships can marginally cost; levies such as the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) aren’t paid by international lines; NZ-flagged ships have higher pay rates; and there appear to be subsidies for domestic road and rail competitors.

Competitive fuel prices are also difficult to obtain for ships that cannot bunker overseas.

For international operators who wish to increase their presence on the coast, section 198 (the cabotage provision) of the Maritime Transport Act is the main hurdle. This depends on the role that the government wishes foreign-flag vessels to take in future.

The report points to four ways in which to increase the resilience and efficiency of the domestic shipping network.

It needs to be independent of international shipping, and of the terminals that serve international ships. This requires more capacity within the domestic fleet. It may be beneficial to handle coastal vessels through separate but closely located terminals, and a new hub import/export port may help.

MODAL CHOICE The key will be in developing guidance for the sector on how to develop proposals and apply for funding, without being deemed to have upset the competitive balance with alternative transport modes such as longdistance rail freight and trucking.

The balance between those modes is important, as the government is focused on a significant reduction in domestic transport emissions.

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INVESTMENT IN COASTAL SHIPPING The NZ government has committed $30 million in funding for coastal shipping in the 2021-24 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP). Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) will look at investing in: enhancing domestic shipping, with new services, increased frequencies and additional ships for new or existing container and bulk services; reducing shipping emissions through testing emerging technologies; proposals for new or enhanced intermodal links such as rail track works or road access improvements; and proposals for new or enhanced maritime infrastructure including shore power connections at ports, small new regional ports and expanding existing ports.

• • • •

It is prepared to use the ETS to give price signals.

These signals may influence the modal choices that freight movers make in the future. ETS pricing will begin to rise this year and the industry can expect to see further tweaks when price control settings are made in 2022 to support the government’s agreed emissions budget for 2023-27.

Another issue which could do with resolution is the building of a drydock that can cater the interisland ferries, Navy fleet and other commercial ships.

Last year, the minister agreed there was a prima facie case for a new dock, with Northport being the prime site. Northport is continuing with its consenting process to enable this to occur and ministers are still discussing this with officials and the port to understand what the best role for government might be.

Domestic shipping companies will be hoping for a swift go-ahead, given the millions of dollars they currently have to spend steaming to Australia or Asia when they need to send a vessel for survey or repair.

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A QUIET

The focus of Lyttelton Port on its people and culture is changing the way the business operates, not least its relationship with workers’ unions, Paula Wallace writes

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here has been talk for some time of a quiet revolution going on at the Lyttelton Port Company (LPC), which was evident in its most recent annual report released last year and a landmark agreement reached with unions in late 2021.

Lyttelton Port is situated close to Christchurch, on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand, facilitating around $10.4 billion in trade in 2020-21.

The port recorded a net profit after tax for the financial year 2021 of $16 million, $7.5 million better than its statement of intent target and an improvement of nearly $6 million over the previous year.

LPC’s budgeted net profit for the current year is $17.6 million, according to the organisation’s acting CEO Kirstie Gardener.

“We remain confident that we will achieve this figure, however we are conscious of the headwinds presented by the rise of the Omicron outbreak in New Zealand,” she told DCN. The 2020-21 report also included data on LPC’s Workplace Culture Action Plan, with projections

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through to FY23. It makes for interesting reading, with progress being made on diversity and mental health awareness training, diversity targets and review of selection and recruitment processes.

Importantly, LPC has prioritised a joint LPC/union statement on commitment to eliminating bullying and harassment at the organisation.

CULTURE UNDER REVIEW In December 2020, LPC released an independent review into workplace culture. It clearly laid out the need for cultural change at the port. The review was commissioned in May 2020 and was led by Maria Dew QC. The review’s terms of reference covered allegations relating to bullying, racial and sexual discrimination, harassment and unfair selection of family members for roles. The review covered the three-year period from 2017 to 2020.

Nearly 100 current and former staff came forward to speak to the review and all four workforce unions who were fully engaged in the review process.

Former LPC chief Roger Gray said, “Whilst the findings of the review were sobering for us an organisation, it did allow us to set a clear direction for change.

“In April 2021, we released an action plan to implement all 32 of the report’s recommendations.”

In October 2021, LPC took an important step towards strengthening its partnership with its workforce unions, signing a commitment to work

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Image supplied

REVOLUTION?

together under a high-performance, high-engagement (HPHE) model.

LPC, the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ), the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) and the Amalgamated Workers Union New Zealand (AWUNZ) negotiated and signed a charter introducing the HPHE model to Lyttelton Port.

The charter jointly commits LPC and the unions representing LPC employees “to each other’s success and the development and fostering of a safe, co-operative and inclusive culture”.

The charter lays out shared aims and outcomes for Lyttelton Port and its workers and specifies decisionmaking and engagement protocols for HPHE processes.

The history of the port has been one of industrial conflict, but recent moves are designed to create an environment of “mutual respect and problem solving”.

Ms Gardener said, “The agreement recognises that both Lyttelton Port and our unions have shared aims, covering safety, sustainability, profitability, employment security and benchmark wages and conditions.

“Employees are meaningfully involved in decisions to improve results for workforce and the company, and LPC and unions respect and support each other’s roles and responsibilities.”

While there was some apprehension from unions when this process began, all parties saw this way of working as a step forward for LPC’s people.

Gerard Loader, president of MUNZ Local 43 (Lyttelton Branch), said, “We entered into the process to discuss HPHE with some trepidation as, historically, all parties have had their misunderstandings with each other.

“However, as we learned more about HPHE and what it involves, we can see that it is necessary for MUNZ to be involved to help deliver key priorities for our members and the port.”

Heiner Benecke, RMTU Lyttelton branch secretary, said, “This charter lays the foundation for a new way of doing things at Lyttelton that is based on co-operation and mutual respect. It is a marked departure from the very entrenched adversarial approach that has been the hallmark of the relationship between LPC and the waterfront unions for many years”.

Errol Walker, LPC AWUNZ Delegate, said, “AWUNZ and I are pleased to be signing up to HPHE and working together in a co-operative, respectful and meaningful way with LPC and the other unions.

“We look forward to contributing to HPHE with the common aim in place of achieving a more profitable and sustainable company, a safer and healthier work environment, security of employment and improved wages and conditions,” he said.

The agreement was signed on 28 October 2021 in the LPC boardroom by LPC and the three unions.

The combined unions represent 95% of LPC’s collectivised workforce.

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GREATER INCLUSION LPC has stated it wants to create a more inclusive culture and it has instigated actions towards this goal.

One has been to build that stronger partnership with our unions and employees.

It has also employed a dedicated culture and transformation team, with backing from LPC’s board of directors.

“The aim of our culture work is that LPC staff enjoying coming to work and feel valued for their contribution while working in a diverse, inclusive, and respectful environment. At the end of the day, they go home safe mentally and physically,” Ms Gardener said.

“We have a range of actions we are taking to improve our workplace culture, and we’ve already come a long way. However, there is a lot we want to do as we continue to build and improve.”

The company is building cultural confidence and competence and is weaving t kanga (practices and values of matauranga M ori) and te reo (M ori language) throughout its work.

“We’ve commenced the roll-out of an in-person development program to support building a culture of respect at work,” Ms Gardener said.

“We’re focusing on building mental fitness (resilience and grit), supported by an extensive program with Dr Paul Woods.”

CONTAINER GROWTH Container volumes remain on budget at LPC and the port is expected to handle around 500,000 TEU this year, a considerable increase on the past financial year.

The projection is driven primarily by the increase in transhipment and the increasing move to a hub and spoke model between the small and large container ports in New Zealand.

Overall, import dwell times have remained largely unchanged during COVID-related disruptions.

“From late-2020 and throughout 2021 we observed export dwell times slightly increasing due to vessels windows being disrupted across the wider port network,” Ms Gardener said.

“During this time we have been actively managing export receivals to ensure that cargo keeps moving through the port. In recent months, dwell times in Lyttelton have reduced closer to long term norms.”

Increased volumes are expected to come from longterm natural growth in container volumes.

LPC also has a strong capacity development program allowing it to compete for cargo opportunities such as the recently acquired transhipment work, plus increasing its hinterland scope to outside of the Canterbury region and into the wider South Island.

“The large number of shipping services that call at Lyttelton provide shippers with a wide range of options for connecting to international services once the container is in Lyttelton,” Ms Gardener said.

Kirstie Gardener, Lyttelton Port Company

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TRAINING & CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Students using a facility at the National Centre for Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics, Australian Maritime College. Read more about AMC’s program for engineers on page 56

IT’S TIME TO TRAIN Captain Ian Anderson examines what is needed to produce more qualified seafarers and how we can bring back a sense of pride in having a well-trained and loyal workforce

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S

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AMC

ALL ABOARD

hipping companies and recruitment agencies within Australia have, in recent years, become increasingly desperate for qualified, skilled, and experienced crew onboard their ships. It’s very common to now see the words “urgently seeking” pop up on LinkedIn and SEEK. However, it’s important to look at not just what the companies are urgently seeking but try to figure out why there’s a need to be urgently seeking in the first place.

Fortunately – and unfortunately – a lot of maritime workers in the offshore sector were incredibly lucky to have once worked for a company that would train all staff, no matter what position they held on a ship.

The gold standard of companies who trained their employees was Farstad Shipping. Farstad even went as far as to open a state-of-the-art simulator in Perth to improve the skills of the entire industry.

However, once Farstad stopped training due to being a casualty of the oil and gas downturn, who took over? Who continued? No one stepped up. Now, years later, the roll-on effect is showing. As an example of required training, in order to receive their first Watchkeeper’s Certificate of Competency, a deck officer needs four months of initial college training,

18 months of sea service (which generally takes about two years to complete with their time at home) and then they need to follow that up with another 10 months at college. That’s 38 months!

Image supplied

A MATTER OF PRIDE? There really is little incentive to cough up the money to train someone, especially when shipping rates are so low.

Doing it because it’s the “right thing to do” just doesn’t seem to be part of the company strategy anymore.

The pride of being a company that promotes an entire maritime industry can surely still exist, but if it’s so easy to poach employees from other companies that actually do invest in training, then why would they bother paying for it themselves?

This poaching culture has led to the workforce becoming increasingly casualised to the detriment of company loyalty. Some companies will even go as far as choosing to employ casual workers for higher ranks rather than promoting and training their own permanent employees. This demonstrates a lack of connection and commitment to those employees that chose to be permanent and devoted to those companies. This subsequently sees more of them turn to being casuals because there is no incentive to remain loyal to a single employer.

For the foreseeable future, rather than sponsor one of your own employees to undergo a higher level of training at college, it’s cheaper to pay a casual’s slightly higher wage. One would think that having a permanent work force would give a company peace of mind knowing that they are able to fill positions on their ships without the need for an “urgently seeking” advertisement – but that doesn’t seem to be the case at all.

So, what has led to this lack of desire to take ownership of training good seafarers and who can lead the way in revitalising a shrinking industry – seafarers, human resources, unions? Surely the negative culture of “us and them” that has begun to grow needs to stop.

CRUCIAL SPONSORSHIP Higher pay and better conditions will undoubtably attract more people to work at sea, but there is already a line of people looking for a start that can’t achieve their sea time due to this lack of desire to invest in training.

For people wanting to enter the seagoing element of the maritime Industry, there is almost always a portion of training that needs to be done onboard a ship. This can range from several weeks to 18 months of onboard training.

Registered training organisations such as the Australian Maritime College and select TAFE locations around the country have always been ready and willing to provide young and eager men and women with the education and certificates they need, they just need a shipping company to sponsor them during the seaservice component of their training.

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Most of the people that fall within the category of “experienced” would be closer to retirement, which should send alarm bells ringing.

That’s the toughest part of all, but it shouldn’t be because this not only benefits seafarers starting out in their career, but the employers who train them often have contracts that stipulate a period which that worker will dedicate to them once training is completed.

When I started off as a deck cadet trainee, I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity I had been given. The company I worked for sponsored me for my entire cadetship which lasted nearly three years.

That training included a year at college and the full 18 months sea service requirement.

That same company then decided to further my education and sponsor me for my next level of certification and up until I became a 28-year-old with a Masters Certificate of Competency (unlimited tonnage) – the highest achievable level.

If that company hadn’t fallen victim to the oil and gas downturn, I’d still be working for them today.

The dedication they showed towards my training is a critical component of the seafarer I have become and instilled in me a huge sense of gratitude and loyalty.

However, that level of commitment just doesn’t seem to be around these days and the capitalistic approach that is putting profits above people has paved the way for a lack of connection between companies and their seafarers and a shortage of highly skilled employees from which to draw.

FINAL THOUGHTS Most of the people that fall within the category of “experienced” would be closer to retirement, which should send alarm bells ringing. A properly trained seafarer takes years to train, not just weeks.

Are employees just out for themselves, are companies just looking after their profits, or can we work together to build stronger companies and industry for generations to come?

Like a strong marriage, there needs to be trust and commitment to function properly and we need to work to get it back.

I would say that for the most part, people care about good training, but just don’t know how to make it happen. Change and positivity comes from within.

We already have people ready to work, ready to take on the challenge of a training program. So, who will take the chance at training a valuable and dedicated team member?

Let’s hope someone steps up soon.

Captain Ian Anderson, captain, Inco Shipping and board member and volunteer, Offshore & Specialist Ships Australia and Mission to Seafarers Sydney

March 2022

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Sean Griffiths, deck cadet, Port Authority of NSW

ANSWERING THE CALL OF THE SEA At the age of 32, Melbournian Sean Griffiths decided to put the brakes on his corporate career, get out of the office and go to sea. And, 12 months later he has come further than he ever imagined.

He’s working onboard SeaRoad’s charter vessel MV Liekut – a 209-metre ro-ro vessel – his first deployment as part of the deck cadet program offered by the Port Authority of NSW. When Mr Griffiths spoke to DCN, he was about to enter his third month of sea time to gain a total of 18 months at sea in order to obtain his Deck Watchkeeper Unlimited Certificate.

But it hasn’t all been easy and there have been sacrifices along the way, including giving up the BMW and a taking a drop in salary.

“I was working in advertising and I was sitting at my desk one day and thought, ‘I don’t want to be here’,” Mr Griffiths said. “I enjoyed the work but it wasn’t what I loved … I kept thinking

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about being on the water because I went sailing every weekend.”

From that moment, his life was to change dramatically.

“It was just before COVID hit that I made the decision that I wanted to be on the water. I didn’t know how or where or what I was going to do,” Mr Griffiths said.

“I literally sold everything, moved out of my house and started to ride on the bus,” he said. “I got an unpaid deckhand role on an 18-metre catamaran… then COVID became serious and that plan fell to bits.

“That’s when I stumbled upon the AMC in Launceston and the rest is history.”

Mr Griffiths enrolled in a Bachelor of Nautical Science, moved to Tasmania and became a full-time student.

During this time, Mr Griffiths heard a marine pilot from the Port Authority of NSW, Michael Kelly, speaking to students about the organisation’s deck cadet program.

“What made me want to do the program was that they run the program for the good of the industry.

The port authority doesn’t have to train seafarers but they do and they also place you on a wide variety of vessels,” he said.

“It definitely shows their commitment to the industry.”

Mr Griffiths didn’t get accepted in the first-round application for the deck cadet program.

“It’s very competitive,” he said. “I started volunteering for Stella Maris in Melbourne … I was living at my parents’ and then one day I got a call saying a vacancy was available.”

The Port Authority of NSW had also put Mr Griffiths in touch with OSSA (Offshore & Specialist Ships Australia), which he subsequently joined as a member.

“They have a mentorship program where they pair you up with someone to help you get ready for a career at sea,” he said.

“I got a captain to give me a bit of coaching … they’re a really good bunch of people.”

Due to COVID there were some delays in getting a placement on a vessel but eventually Mr Griffiths was offered a place on the MV Liekut.

“I felt like a little kid when the captain walked me up the gangway, like it was my first day at school,” he said.

“I had this preconceived idea that seafarers were a bit rough and ready and I’m an office guy and I wasn’t sure how I was going to go with that, but I couldn’t have been further from the truth as the entire crew have been extremely welcoming and absolute professionals onboard.

“SeaRoad themselves have their own cadets to train so the fact they have taken me onboard shows their commitment to train future seafarers in the industry.”

After being on a number of ships, Mr Griffiths will return to college for a year to complete his qualifications, to enable him to serve as a second or third officer on a vessel.

“Even deciding to get into the industry is a massive commitment … so I’m just taking each day as it comes,” he said, adding that he has an interest in working on cruise ships.

As for what his former colleagues think of his decision, Mr Griffiths said, “They think I’m pretty brave and they’re probably a bit envious”.

thedcn.com.au

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Australian Maritime College, Tasmania

More choice, more opportunities Paula Wallace spoke to Michael van Balen about an innovative program offered by the Australian Maritime College

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Initially, the partnership was on Naval Architecture, which is the discipline focusing on the design and construction of platforms that move through the water, including everything from submarines and naval ships to luxury yachts, ferries, and cargo vessels.

As of 2021 all three now offer the Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in all three specialisations: Naval Architecture; Ocean Engineering; and Marine and Offshore Engineering.

How is this an improvement or complimentary to maritime engineering programs that have historically been offered by AMC? Flinders, Edith Cowan and AUT students now have the opportunity to start their studies at home and then move to Tasmania for specialisation years.

This provides more flexibility for students and an

To meet the market demand, we came up with this hub-andspoke model where students can start elsewhere in the country and come to Tasmania for the specialisation years only. thedcn.com.au

AMC

Michael van Balen, principal, Australian Maritime College

You have a program that involves two Australian universities and a third one in New Zealand offering a maritime engineering program of study, can you explain how long this has been running and what it offers?

The AMC formed a strategic partnership with Flinders University in 2009 to focus on the joint delivery of undergraduate maritime engineering degrees.

The outcome of the partnership was called the AMC/ Flinders 2+2 Bachelor of Engineering with Honours, where Flinders University students undertake their first two years of study in Adelaide and then relocate to AMC in Launceston for their final two years.

This gives students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience using AMC’s specialist maritime engineering facilities, which are the most comprehensive of their kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

For example, AMC has Australia’s only towing tank, a 100-metre by three-metre pool used to conduct experiments on newly-designed hulls of maritime vessels. Combined with our test basin, cavitation tunnel, underwater collision facility, Maritime Infrastructure Integrity and Environment (MarIInE) Lab and bridge simulator, these facilities are unique to Australia and provide the basis of the 2+2 program.

In 2010, the 2+2 was expanded to include Edith Cowan University, Western Australia and in 2014, the Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.

opportunity to grow the number of graduates in maritime engineering at AMC. It also affords those students access to associated maritime research facilities and laboratories at AMC, that otherwise would not have been available to them.

The flexible approach from all involved institutes, ultimately enables growth in the number of maritime engineers in Australia and New Zealand, and provides a workforce capability that is in high demand across the industry.

To meet the market demand, we came up with this hub-and-spoke model where students can start elsewhere in the country and come to Tasmania for the specialisation years only.

Many choose to relocate to Tasmania to complete the entire four-year degree, while others take up the option of combined study with AMC and these partner institutions. It’s all about increasing choice and giving more students the opportunity to study maritime engineering and work in this growing field.

What has the response been to this program and what kind of outcomes are students achieving from this?

Students have appreciated the 2+2 offerings, as it allows them to spend more time with their existing home base commitments; whether it is a part-time job, an internship or living with family. The advantages that are realised by students when they move to AMC include access to courses developed with industry inputs and world-class facilities. AMC also offers low student-to-staff ratios and the opportunity to be immersed in a maritime environment, working with maritime professionals.

AMC graduates are highly sought after by industry and the structure of the course heightens their prospects for gaining employment on completion of their studies.

PPA

What are some of the pathways that aspiring students can take to get into the study of maritime engineering?

It is open to everyone; you just need to enjoy and meet the maths and physics requirements. We find that many of our students have an interest in the ocean, boating or the opportunity to work in a dynamic industry.

If a student has previously completed another aligned degree, they can seek a credit transfer and usually get exemptions for the fundamental engineering units.

Can you tell us how AMC has designed this program of study to address the potential shortfall of maritime engineers in the future?

We work very closely with the Australian maritime industry, and hence we know how much demand exists in the sector. There is a huge demand for maritime engineers in Australia, and there will continue to be into the future.

The government is spending around $270 billion on various naval infrastructure and assets, all requiring qualified maritime engineers and expertise.

AMC graduates have a choice of careers in diverse and vibrant industries, for decades to come with developments within the oil and gas industry, start-up programs within the blue economy, along with renewable, hydrogen and ammonia use in the maritime sector.

thedcn.com.au

Kyal Randazzo

PPA CELEBRATES GRADUATION OF FIRST MARINE CADET THE first-ever marine cadet from Pilbara Ports Authority’s program has completed training. Kyal Randazzo, who has been through the Marine Cadetship Program and will now embark on his journey to become a captain.

Mr Randazzo started his cadetship in 2018 and, after three years in the program, at the age of 21, has graduated with an Advanced Diploma of Nautical Science – 2nd Officer Licence.

As a cadet, he completed a total of 18 months sea-going time onboard iron ore and cargo vessels, visiting more than 11 countries including China, Japan, the US, Russia and Germany.

Mr Randazzo said, “The nature of the voyage is worldwide, so I got to travel all around the world, experiencing different cargos and different ports. It was incredible.

“Some of the things we learn through the cadetship is navigational watchkeeping, celestial and coastal navigation, proficiency in equipment, leadership and teamwork, cargo operations, ship stability and medical and emergency preparedness.”

Originally from Port Hedland, Mr Randazzo has ambitions to one day return and take up a marine pilotage role at the Port of Port Hedland, a position which takes years of sea experience and additional study.

“My goal is pilotage. You reach the master level and then you get special port knowledge and you’re involved in flying out to the vessel and manoeuvring it into port,” Mr Randazzo said.

“It’s a role which requires a high level of professionalism and experience and is definitely the peak of the career that I’m aiming for.”

PPA was the first in Australia to offer a marine cadetship program, which gives school leavers experience on international trade routes.

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INDUSTRY ANALYTICS

Trade during the pandemic: a snapshot The value of world merchandise trade has been volatile over the past two years; data from UNCTAD shows the decline in 2020 and recovery in 2021

THE PAST TWO YEARS WERE A ROLLER COASTER RIDE

GLOBAL MERCHANDISE TRADE, 4Q 2021 Value

Volume

3

2

1

0

-1

28 Dec

14 Dec

30 Nov

16 Nov

2 Nov

19 Oct

5 Oct

21 Sep

7 Sep

-2

Source: UNCTAD calculations

MERCHANDISE TRADE ANNUAL GROWTH RATES 2020 Exports

Source: UNCTAD HBS2021

Developed economies

Imports

Developing economies Percent

exports amounted to $17.6 trillion, a $1.4 trillion fall from the previous year. This was the biggest annual decline since 2009, when trade fell by 22%.

Over 2020, global exports amounted to US$17.6 trillion, US$1.4 trillion less than the previous year. UNCTAD said this reflects the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Global exports were distributed in almost equal shares, by value, between developing and developed economies.

In 2020, developing economies contributed US$8.1 trillion and developed economies US$9.5 trillion to the total value of global exports.

4

Percent

for the entire shipping and logistics industry the world over.

Data published by the UN Conference on Trade and Development shows that the value of global merchandise trade saw a strong increase last year after a sharp decline in 2020.

In its most recent Global Merchandise and Services Trade Nowcast publication, for January 2022, UNCTAD estimated the value of global merchandise exports rose by 3.1% from the third to the fourth quarter of 2021 after a rise of 2.5% in the quarter before.

This steady increase resulted in an estimated growth of 25.3% in value of world trade for the 2021 calendar year.

According to UNCTAD data, the value of world merchandise trade decreased by 7.4% in 2020. This was the second year that saw a decrease after two consecutive years of growth.

UNCTAD said the value of world merchandise trade recorded a decline of 7.4% in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Global

Developing economies: Africa Developing economies: America Developing economies: Asia and Oceania

-20

-15

-10

-5

WORLD MERCHANDISE EXPORTS BY VALUE, QUARTERLY, SEASONALLY ADJUSTED

0

Source: UNCTAD HBS2021

Trillions of US dollars

6

5

4

3 2017

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2018

2019

2020

2021

thedcn.com.au

GOVERNMENT

Working together Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Communications Simon Atkinson provides an update on the department’s work in support of the maritime sector THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS BEEN particularly challenging for Australian shipping with significant disruption to global supply chains, leading to delays and higher freight costs. These impacts have been exacerbated by increasing demand for international shipping services outstripping supply.

These challenges are being tackled head on, with government and industry working together to keep supply chains operating.

Shipping will continue to be an important focus for my department over 2022 in supporting Australia’s Economic Recovery Plan.

I would particularly like to thank those in the shipping industry who recently assisted in the sourcing of shipping space and prioritisation of cargoes to address a national shortage of the diesel additive AdBlue.

Ports are the gateway of our economy and Australian businesses rely on efficient and affordable supply chains to prosper.

While the current situation is expected to moderate with time, it is vital we better understand the fundamental drivers behind these supply chain issues and identify potential solutions.

The Australian government is committed to supporting Australia’s supply chains and has tasked the Productivity Commission to inquire into structural issues affecting

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the productivity of Australia’s maritime logistics system. The government looks forward to receiving the commission’s report in mid-2022 and will consider what domestic changes can be made.

The department continues to meet regularly with industry, ports, maritime unions and other government agencies to discuss COVID-19 related challenges. It has been pleasing to see foreign seafarers given the opportunity to receive their COVID-19 vaccination in Australia, which serves to protect maritime crew and safeguard our supply chains. Seafarer vaccination will be an ongoing priority for the maritime industry in 2022.

Apart from addressing the challenges posed by COVID, the department continues to deliver on its core business activities to support freight operators and ensure goods are being delivered to Australia’s remote and coastal communities.

Specifically, the department administers Part X of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, the Shipping Reform (Tax Incentives) Act 2012 and the Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012.

A SINGLE WINDOW The Australian government is finding opportunities to strengthen the digital

GREEN SOLUTIONS Australia continues to engage through the International Maritime Organization to support the sector reaching net zero emissions by 2050 through a trajectory that is achievable, practical and in step with technological advancements.

Australia is well positioned to be a major supplier of clean alternative fuels which will create jobs for many regional communities, including through the establishment of hydrogen hubs near regional ports.

We need green ships to transport green fuels. To do this, Australia is participating in practical international partnerships to make low emissions maritime technologies more affordable and reliable.

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, we signed up to the Clydebank Declaration with 21 other countries to deliver at least six green shipping lanes by 2025.

Closer to home, the Australian and Singaporean governments are investing $20 million, and industry $10 million, over the next five years to develop clean hydrogen fuels and technologies for shipping and port operations.

DOMESTIC SHIPPING Beginning in 2022, there will be an important independent review of domestic commercial vessel safety legislation and associated costs and charging arrangements.

For more information on the review, including the terms of reference and how you can engage with the review, visit: www.infrastructure.gov.au/domesticcommercial-vessel-safety-review.

I look forward to continuing to work closely with stakeholders across the maritime sector in 2022.

thedcn.com.au

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Communications

economy and better engage with industry by simplifying interactions and obligations imposed on both importers and exporters.

The department is working with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and other government agencies on the initial stages of developing a maritime single window. The maritime single window will support increased trade and efficiency of the supply chain through faster and more efficient information exchange in connection with the arrival, stay and departure of ships.

MISSION TO SEAFARERS

The view from New Zealand The Reverend Lance Lukin, Wellington Port chaplain and MTS regional director for Oceania and the Pacific region, explains how the Mission to Seafarers works together with other organisations to serve seafarers visiting New Zealand

THE WORK OF MISSION TO Seafarers in New Zealand and the Pacific is small compared with the operations across Australia.

The first Mission to Seafarers ministry in New Zealand started in Wellington in 1899 and the first dedicated centre opened three years later, making it the oldest charity in Wellington.

Over the years, the Mission to Seafarers was joined by the Apostleship of the Sea and the Sailors Society, all working for the welfare of seafarers. Eventually the societies opened other centres in each of the major ports in New Zealand and in the Pacific.

In 1964 the three societies formed a central body to co-ordinate the work of the various ministries and centres in New Zealand. The Seafarers Welfare Board for New Zealand (SWBNZ) was born. It comprises representatives from the three founding societies, maritime unions and the government regulator. The board’s

main aims are to promote collaboration, to promote the work of the member organisations and to advocate for funding.

Today, maritime welfare provision in New Zealand is a mix of sole-charge centres (where only one of the three societies operates) or joint-venture partnerships. With the advent of COVID19 collaboration became more necessary.

The SWBNZ works with each centre to co-ordinate ship visitation across the network of ports. Where a ship cannot be visited in one port (either due to its arrival, or due to restrictions) it becomes a priority for visitation in the next port. Equally, if a welfare issue is identified in one port and cannot be addressed fully while the ship is in port, the case is passed to the next port.

Another outcome from the pressures of the global pandemic was the recognition, by the New Zealand government, of the importance of the welfare needs of seafarers. Like many Pacific nations, New Zealand relies on sea trade, and therefore relies on the men and women who crew the ships that transport New Zealand’s import and export trade.

In 2021 a national levy was announced. The levy provides funding

Reverend Lance Lukin, Mission to Seafarers regional director Oceania and Pacific Region and Wellington port chaplain

directly to the SWBNZ for welfare support. This funding has allowed the SWBNZ and the three societies to employ ship visitors in most ports.

Today the SWBNZ works to support centres and ship visitation programs across 12 New Zealand ports. Collectively, the network of ship-visiting teams visited almost 95% of ships entering those ports in 2021. The network of teams responded to almost 11,000 social media contacts and provided direct mental health support to around 7000 seafarers.

The biggest lesson we have learnt from the pandemic is this: working together achieves more for seafarers than working in isolation. A co-ordinated approach ensures that more seafarers’ needs are met, and limited resources are not wasted.

RECOGNISING THE UNSUNG HEROES

Images supplied

Reverend Wayne Sutton and wife Gladys

My life of serving seafarers began at the Dampier Centre in 1986 where I was a volunteer and centre treasurer, and in 2016, after three years in retirement, I accepted the role of chaplain at the Geraldton centre in Western Australia.

I was nothing special as a seafarers’ chaplain, as we know there are so many passionately dedicated, wonderful people all over the world who give their time to caring for seafarers.

thedcn.com.au

Reverend Wayne Sutton shares his thoughts following his retirement after five years as chaplain at the Geraldton mission My time at Geraldton was a time of learning about the life of seafarers and that led to a passion for caring for them. Seafarers are a special and dedicated group of men and women who serve the global community with incredible sacrifice.

My role as chaplain turned out to be more than caring for seafarers.

It included ministering to the centre ambassadors (volunteers).

All those involved in seafaring, and those who take care of them, are unsung heroes.

The dedication of many volunteers, the work of many groups and associations, the work of the Mission to Seafarers, Port Welfare Committees, and many, many more, are the heroes.

All of them do their work selflessly and with a dedication, passion and love that is unsurpassed.

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TRADE LAW

The rise of ESG issues in the supply chain

OVER TIME, THERE HAS BEEN extensive discussion on how the supply chain is moving to include issues that go beyond merely moving goods from points of origin to points of destination, the cost of that movement, the safety of that movement, and the impediments to improving that movement.

In more recent times, that narrow focus has widened to include other issues that demonstrate that the supply chain is not isolated from other, less commercial issues.

For several years, I have written and presented on the introduction of corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues into the supply chain. In this work, I have covered a variety of other considerations, such as the expansion of who is “fit and proper” to hold licences in the supply chain and, the absolute prohibition on the import of products containing asbestos. It also includes the need to ensure goods are not the product of illegal logging and eliminating goods containing certain chemicals and

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sanctions against goods of a certain type or from certain countries.

The lists of prohibited imports and exports grow every year and Australia has recently given itself the power to introduced “thematic” sanctions, which will not be limited in effect to countries but will be able to be applied to sanction the trade in goods or investment by parties believed to be involved in behaviours that the government considers unacceptable.

MODERN SLAVERY Probably the most recent and public example of CSR concerns in the supply chain is the increased attention as to whether goods are the product of “modern slavery” or “forced labour”. In this context, the US is active in its interdiction against such goods with provisions enabling the seizure and destruction of goods that are believed to be the product of forced labour (whether wholly or in part). That lead is being followed in other jurisdictions where, regardless of legislation, companies

do not want goods and services which may be the product of forced labour.

Those companies are now seeking assurances from their suppliers of goods and services that there is no forced labour involved in the provision of goods and services to those companies.

Australia’s position is less intrusive in the supply chain. Our Modern Slavery Act 2018 (MSA) requires larger companies to provide annual reports on their measures against modern slavery, but the government has, to date, stopped short of specifically legislating against the import of goods the product of forced labour. That may change soon as legislation prohibiting such imports has passed through our Senate and is under consider by our House of Representatives.

While that legislation may not pass, changes could be made following the review of the MSA this year. There is significant pressure for Australia to take more action on forced labour/modern slavery risks, especially with the findings

thedcn.com.au

HTWE; Ian Ackerman

Trade law expert Andrew Hudson takes a look at the increasing importance of environmental, social and governance considerations and the consequences for industry

of a report entitled Paper Promises?

Evaluating the early impact of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act. The report found that companies are failing to comply with the mandatory reporting requirements and that companies are failing to identify or disclose modern slavery risks.

Regardless of legislative amendment in Australia, given the focus on such modern slavery/forced labour issues, it is fair to assume that companies, their officers and inhouse counsel will include due diligence on such issues and seek assurances that their supply chains are free from such concerns.

AN EVOLVING ENVIRONMENT The expansion of the CSR agenda will not stop with modern slavery/forced labour. It continues to evolve, both in terms of its title and in terms of the issues being considered.

“Environmental Goods Agreement” led by Australia at the World Trade Organisation, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises from 2011 and the United Nations Global Compact. Further, many of the free-trade agreements recently concluded by Australia include ESG issues as specific areas of focus, such as in the recent Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement.

The importance of ESG is now also being seen in the supply chain in several practical ways. In one example, those providing international carriage of goods (whether by air or sea) are increasingly focused on environmental concerns ranging from the carbon footprint of air cargo services (and how it can be offset), through to the use of cargo vessels powered by hydrogen, to cargo vessels incorporating sails to be used to reduce reliance on carbon-based fuels, through

The expansion of the CSR agenda will not stop with modern slavery/forced labour. It continues to evolve, both in terms of its title and in terms of the issues being considered.

The CSR term is being replaced with use of the term “environmental, social and governance Issues”, or ESG, to also include environmental sustainability, gender and human rights issues as being important in the supply chain and part of the governance considerations of companies and those providing goods and services to those companies.

In the international context that includes the negotiations for an

to autonomous vessels which are run by computers incorporating artificial intelligence and no longer requiring human crew.

A SHIFT TOWARDS ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS Ultimately, the supply chain and the requirements on parties in the supply chain will continue to evolve over time and shift further from what have been

Andrew Hudson, partner, Rigby Cooke Lawyers

traditional supply-chain issues. We could anticipate that ethical considerations will also be imposed.

I have discussed the problems of defining what are additional ethical obligations and how they can be met at many recent forums and in many articles.

That evolution of additional requirements will be driven, in part, by governments, their agencies and international organisations. However, that evolution will also be driven by popular opinion which reaches into the wider political agenda and becomes part of the accepted policy framework.

The imposition of additional obligations will require those in the supply chain to be more flexible and be prepared to pivot to new technologies and practices. This will be a challenge to drafting of relevant agreements to allow for variation to include new and desirable outcomes and who is to pay for those outcomes. The ability to adopt such new practices will also reward those willing to invest in monitoring current and future ESG requirements. Failure to meet ESG standards, whether imposed by legislation or imposed in contractual obligations could create real and significant problems for many in the supply chain.

ACTIONS TO BOOST ESG “CREDENTIALS” The rise and spread of the ESG agenda impacts the whole supply chain. Regardless of legislative requirements, those using and providing services in the supply chain realise that their ESG “credentials” are vital to commercial outcomes and their reputation.

That will require the adoption of such issues in their corporate governance policies and more specifically, would suggest the following actions will need to be taken: Ensuring that there is a process in place to map current ESG requirements as well as anticipating future developments (for example in terms of animal welfare).

Incorporating ESG in the corporate planning for those using and providing supply chain services as well as those producing and acquiring the end–products.

Working within companies and with external advisers

• • •

• • •

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•

to develop ESG policies which are consistent to current practices and likely future practices.

Ensuring that the ESG policies are transparent and known both in the market and within companies with appropriate actions being openly recorded.

Reporting on compliance against ESG policies and statements.

Undertaking appropriate due diligence to ensure compliance with legal obligations and the wider ESG governance policies both by the providers and users of supply chain services. That due diligence should be undertaken before companies are appointed to provide goods and services and throughout the period of those contracts.

Ensuring that promises of ESG compliance are actually delivered by parties who make those promises.

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ADVERTORIAL

The Merchant Navy War Memorial Fund (MNWMF) ADVERTORIAL The Merchant Navy War Memorial Fund (MNWMF) Vision Statement To ensure that the Australian Merchant Navy “A title emblazoned in battle and honoured in freedom” is recognised as an important part of Australian Maritime History and Social Culture.

Primary Objective Honouring the memory of Australian Merchant Navy Mariners who gave their lives in the service of their country in World Wars I and II and giving thanks for those that were able to return to their families.

What we do “Making a difference”

Make Difference Day Logo Copyright: USA Weekend

The aim of the MNWMF in all that we undertake is to ‘Make a Difference’, and the AMNF is guided by its supporting objectives. These are: • Accepting the responsibility of the current generation to ensure

the greater recognition of the vital role undertaken by the Australian merchant navy in WWI & WWII. • Identifying and partnering with other organisations that can assist our efforts to advance the cause of the greater recognition of the Merchant Navy.

Bequests and Donations to offset costs and assist to fund new initiatives.

• Producing an ongoing three year ‘Strategic Plan’ that documents policies and procedures of key activities that can be followed and further developed by those who follow.

• Ensuring ongoing viability and vitality • Working with the Merchant Navy of the Annual Commemorations at RSL Subbranch, the Merchant Navy Rookwood, NSW (April) & the National Association (MNA) and the Company of Merchant Navy War Memorial, Master Mariners Australia (CMMA) in Canberra, ACT (October) by further thethe achievement of our joint objectives. greater recognition of the vital role Vision Statement developing the partnership with the undertaken by the Australian merchant • Encouraging the next generation To ensure that the Australian Rookwood General CemeteryMerchant (RGC) and navyup in the WWI & WWII. to ensure to take commitment Navy “A title emblazoned in battle and the National Capital Authority (NCA) that future Australian Merchant Navy honoured in freedom” is recognised as an • Identifying and partnering with other and encouraging increased participation, recognition is as that secure inassist the future as important part of Australian Maritime organisations can our efforts especially among younger generations. in the past and the present.

We remain History and Social Culture. to advance the cause of the greater • Supporting, where possible, other highly committed to continuing to work recognition of the Merchant Navy.

Merchant Navy War Memorials in what we believe is the best interests of Primary Objective • Ensuring ongoing viability vitality throughout Australia. our cherished Merchant Navyand Veterans of the Annual Commemorations at Honouring the memory of Australian and the wider Australian Merchant Navy • Enhancing the close partnership Rookwood, NSW (April) & the National Merchant Navy Mariners who gave their Community. developed theofAustralian Maritime Merchant Navy War Memorial, lives in thewith service their country in World College (AMC), through the “Merchant Canberra, ACT (October) by further Wars I and II and giving thanks for those Annual Navy Warable Memorial Fund Scholarship” developing the Projects partnership with the that were to return to their families. Major and identifying potential areas of part Rookwoodhas General The MNWMF severalCemetery important(RGC) and and/or full-time sea going opportunities National Capital Authority majorthe Annual Projects.

The April (NCA) What do for AMCwe Cadets. and encouraging increased participation, Commemoration that commemorates “Making a difference” especiallysacrifice among younger generations. the ultimate of merchant • Prudent management of the MNWMF during the World Investment Portfolio, in partnership with seafarers • Supporting, where possible, other Wars is held at the Memorial & our external Financial Advisor, to ensure Merchant Navy War Memorials Columbarium, Rookwood Sydney, that the Fund can meet the cost of its throughout Australia. in partnership with the Rookwood activities and maintain the value of the • Enhancing the close partnership General Trust (RGT). portfolio in real terms. developed with the Australian Maritime The October Commemoration • Pursuing opportunities for Federal and College (AMC), through the “Merchant is held at the National Merchant State Grants, Corporate Sponsorship, Navy War Memorial Fund Scholarship” and identifying potential areas of part and/or full-time sea going opportunities Make Difference Day Logo for AMC Cadets.

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NavyNavy War War Memorial, Memorial, Kings Kings ParkPark The Scholarships • Additional recognition recognition of theofrole theofrole of The Scholarships beganbegan in 2008 in 2008 and 51 and 51 • Additional Canberra, Canberra, in partnership in partnership withwith The Thescholarships the merchant the merchant navy navy withinwithin the Australian the Australian scholarships will have will been have awarded been awarded by by National National Capital Capital Authority Authority (NCA).

(NCA). the end War Memorial War Memorial (AWM).

(AWM). theofend 2021. of 2021.

They They will have will provided have provided It is held It is to held honour to honour and reflect and reflect on theon the $127,000, $127,000, to students to students at undergraduate at undergraduate level level • Campaign • Campaign for approval for approval of merchant of merchant memory memory of those of those bravebrave and courageous and courageous and who andcan whodemonstrate can demonstrate financial financial need.need. navy navy logo on logo existing on existing war memorials war memorials in in merchant merchant navy navy men who men gave who their gave their lives lives Australia.

Australia. in theinservice the service of their of their country country during during Strategic Strategic PlanPlan 20222022 – 2024 – 2024 • Support • Support the AWM the AWM ‘Places ‘Places of Pride’ of Pride’ WWIWWI and WWII. and WWII. It is also It isan also opportunity an opportunity We are We conscious are conscious of the of need the need to identify to identify launched launched by thebyAWM the AWM in November in November to give to thanks give thanks to those to those who were who were able able projects projects that can thatassist can assist in theinonthe on2018 2018 to record to record all memorials all memorials throughout throughout to return to return to thetolove the and lovecare and of care their of their otherother going going greater greater recognition recognition of the of role the ofrole theof the Australia Australia on theonnational the national register. register. families. families.

Also acknowledged Also acknowledged are those are those Australian Merchant Merchant Navy,Navy, in times in times of war of war withinwithin today’s today’s Merchant Merchant Navy,Navy, who are who are Australian and peace. and peace.

Our rolling Our rolling three-year three-year Strategic Strategic away away from from their their families families for long for periods long periods Smaller Projects Projects 20222022 – 2024 – 2024 Plan covers additional additional majormajor and smaller and smaller Smaller and may and face may loneliness face loneliness and ill-health and ill-health or or Plan covers • To • establish To establish shipping shipping company company names names projects, projects, that we that feel we can feel further can further assist assist to to injury.injury.

The Memorial The Memorial itself itself includes includes a a and logos and logos to match to match the ships the ships on the on the achieve achieve this important this important objective. objective. number number of merchant of merchant marine marine and naval and naval WWI WWI & WWII & WWII plaques plaques and consider and consider war themes. war themes. having having an additional an additional plaque plaque mademade for for Major Major Projects Projects 20222022 – 2024 – 2024 the Canberra the Canberra and Rookwood and Rookwood Merchant Merchant • Design • Design & installation & installation of WWWI of WWWI Scholarships Scholarships andand Funding Funding NavyNavy memorials. memorials. and WWWII plaques plaques at Rookwood at Rookwood In partnership In partnership with the withAustralian the Australian Maritime Maritime and WWWII • To•support To support the Australian the Australian War Memorial War Memorial Merchant NavyNavy Memorial.

Memorial.

College College (AMC) (AMC) in Launceston, in Launceston, we fund we four fund four Merchant project project ‘Honour ‘Honour Our Fallen’ Our Fallen’ wherewhere annual annual MNWMF MNWMF scholarships scholarships and help andto help to the purpose the purpose is to ensure is to ensure a flagaisflag flown is flown identify identify potential potential careercareer opportunities opportunities for for each ANZAC each ANZAC day from day from 2018 2018 on every on every AMCAMC Cadets.

Cadets.

The Scholarships The Scholarships are inare thein the gravegrave or memorial or memorial plaque plaque in Australia, in Australia, following following areas areas of study: of study: to honour to honour thosethose who have who served have served their their country. country.

Ocean Ocean Seafaring Seafaring • Bachelor • Bachelor of Applied of Applied Science Science (Marine (Marine Engineering) Engineering) • Bachelor • Bachelor of Applied of Applied Science Science (Nautical (Nautical Science) Science) Maritime Maritime Operations Operations and Coastal and Coastal Seafaring Seafaring • Certificate • Certificate III inIII Maritime in Maritime Operations Operations (Master (Master up to up 24 to metres 24 metres Near Near Coastal) Coastal)

• To•establish To establish a protocol a protocol with the with the Australian Australian War Memorial War Memorial that on that on National National Flag Day Flag /Day Merchant / Merchant NavyNavy Day that Daythe thatMerchant the Merchant NavyNavy flag be flag be flownflown with the withAustralian the Australian National National Flag Flag aboveabove the War the Memorial War Memorial and that andathat a Merchant Merchant NavyNavy representative representative be among be among thosethose layinglaying wreaths wreaths on that onevening’s that evening’s Last Post LastCeremony.

Post Ceremony.

WWI &WWI WWII& plaques WWII plaques commissioned commissioned in 2019, in at 2019, the at the• To•have To recognition have recognition of ANZAC of ANZAC Day 25th Day 25th • Certificate • Certificate IV inIV Maritime in Maritime Operations Operations Merchant Merchant Navy War Navy Memorial, War Memorial, King’s King’s Park, Canberra Park, Canberra April April at Rookwood at Rookwood & Canberra & Canberra merchant merchant (Master (Master up to up 35 to metres 35 metres Near Near Coastal) Coastal) navy memorials: navy memorials: flags flying flags flying and poppies and poppies • Equal recognition recognition of theofmerchant the merchant navy navy on ouronWWI • Certificate • Certificate III inIII Maritime in Maritime Operations Operations • Equal our WWI and WWII and WWII plaques. plaques. flag on flag National on National Flag Day, Flag which Day, which is on is on (Integrated (Integrated Rating) Rating) • To•have To Merchant have Merchant NavyNavy badgebadge the 3rd theof3rd September of September each year. each It year. is also It is also • Diploma • Diploma of Maritime of Maritime Operations Operations (Marine (Marine Merchant recognition recognition at the at Hyde the Hyde Park, Park, Sydney, Sydney, Merchant NavyNavy Day. Day. Engineering Engineering Class Class 3 Near 3 Near Coastal) Coastal) War Memorial.

War Memorial.

HowHow you you can can helphelp - donations, donations, bequests, bequests, sponsorships sponsorships of projects of projects

Our ability Our ability to cover to cover annualannual costs, costs, fund major fund major and smaller and smaller projects projects and specific and specific grantsgrants to other to other merchant merchant navy associated navy associated organisations, organisations, requires requires prudent prudent financial financial management. management.

The MNWMF The MNWMF BoardBoard recognises recognises that each thatgeneration each generation of office of office bearers bearers has a responsibility has a responsibility to do all to do they allcan theytocan ensure to ensure the greater the greater recognition recognition and promotion and promotion of theofvital therole vitalplayed role played by by the Australian the Australian Merchant Merchant Navy. Navy.

We place We high placepriority high priority on theon professional the professional management management of theof the MNWMF MNWMF Investment Investment Portfolio Portfolio by working by working in partnership in partnership with our withexternal our external financial financial advisors. advisors.

At theAt same the time, same we time, arewe conscious are conscious to maintain to maintain the value the value of theofportfolio the portfolio in realinterms. real terms.

Inquiries Inquiries aboutabout donations donations may be may directed be directed to thetoSecretary the Secretary of theofMNWMF the MNWMF at at secretary@mnwmf.com.au. secretary@mnwmf.com.au.

The grill George Midas, founder of Midas Insurance Brokers, spoke with DCN about how the insurance game has changed and the need to always read the fine print

What was your first job and how did you get it?

I got my first job in the 1960s in the neon sign industry. One of my relatives encouraged me to join the firm he had a connection with. This lasted some five years before I joined the insurance industry, where I have remained.

What do you appreciate most about working in the maritime and logistics sector?

It’s an industry that I have been a part of for at least 38 years. When we started serving the maritime and logistics sector of our economy, we encountered a great diversity of players. There were mostly small and medium-sized local Australian companies, and a handful of large entities, including international companies.

How did you meet the insurance needs of such a diverse sector?

We identified opportunities to create insurance products to cater for their needs, such as professional indemnity insurance, marine cargo insurance for their clients, business insurance and the like. The freight forwarders and customs brokers have a particularly unique role to play in the supply and distribution of goods globally, because

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of the plethora of players involved in the journey. Things can go wrong in some cases in the supply chain cycle.

That’s where we find our involvement becomes challenging, as we attempt to mitigate the loss, delays, and demands imposed on our clients. In the mix we have the freight forwarders, the shipping company, the governmental authorities, the insurers, and lawyers we must deal with. Having all these professions in the same circle is what we are proactive about. We engage to assist the client and endeavour to find a resolution that does not disadvantage the client on the issues and causes that arise.

What have been some of the major changes you’ve seen in the insurance industry?

The biggest catalyst was the Insurance (Agents and Brokers) Act 1984 in which the federal government established definitions for agents’ and brokers’ responsibilities and duties. That led to the flourishing of broker businesses operating to serve the best interests of those insured. This also compelled me to pursue a brokerage business, given my commitment to having a modus operandi that supports a broker business model.

What are some of the most interesting insurance cases you’ve been involved with in the maritime sector?

There are some interesting cases; one that springs to mind was the rejection of Australian meat exports to Sweden. The authorities rejected the supply for some obscure reasons. The insurers had to find alternative markets that would accept the perishable goods at a heavily discounted

price. This had to be achieved within just a couple of weeks, but the claim was settled soon after, with a six-figure payout.

Another case took place in the USA where an error was made by the freight forwarder, which triggered a claim under the policy wording, thus not making good the loss, which cost the insurer at least a million dollars. A substantial sum of this was paid to the lawyers.

How would things be different if you were starting your career journey today?

I would have needed a tertiary education to be starting now. The industry has evolved for the better over the past 10 years. You need to have an analytical mind and knowledge to understand contracts and their implications. As an insurance broker, the advice is crucial and of paramount importance to the client.

What is your favourite place in Australia?

We live in such a vast country with so many contrasts in colour and landscape – where do I start? Melbourne is my favourite city. I also like the Kimberley region in the west and the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland.

Which Australians do you admire the most, either past or present?

In literature, I admire Thomas Keneally, David Malouf, Karl Kruszelnicki, Patrick White, and Henry Lawson, to mention a few. In the art world, I admire Sidney Nolan, Brett Whiteley, Albert Namatjira, and John Olsen. In politics, I admire Arthur Caldwell, Robert Menzies, Paul Keating, and John Howard.

thedcn.com.au

Image supplied

You’ve been in the insurance game a long time. How did this career start for you?

My career began in 1972 when I joined National Mutual as a representative selling life and superannuation policies.

In 1979, I started a general insurance agency where I acted for insurer companies selling business and personal insurance.

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