Shipping Australia Limited release 2014 Annual Review

Shipping Australia Limited have launched their yearbook for 2014. The annual update brings together a broad range of updates from across the shipping industry. In his CEO’s report Rod Nairn, who was in Adelaide for SAFC/ICHCA’s Conference in October, discussed the major developments to the Shipping Industry over the past 12 months.

In terms of policy Commodore Nairn highlighted the two major Federal government reviews, The Review of Coastal Shipping and The Root and Branch review of Coastal Policy as the dominant issues of the year. Commodore Nairn was particularly disappointed with the Competition Review Panel recommending the removal of the existing shipping exemptions in Part X of the Competition and Consumer Act. Out of 316 submissions on the subject, only 2 called for its abolition according to Mr. Nairn.

SAFC Vice-Chairman and Shipping Australian South Australian Chairman Geoff Rose contributed the SA State Committee Report. Mr Rose outlined shipping industry developments throughout the past year in South Australia with particular attention to the Container Terminal Monitoring Panel, Flinders Ports, and SA’s economic outlook going forward.

Mr Rose’s report included discussion on Flinders Ports upgrades to Outer Harbour Berth 4. The berth  in the past year has been upgraded to handle tankers up to a displacement of 56,000 metric tonnes via an underground pipeline to a new 85 million litre capacity tank to create a new $22.5 million fuel import facility.

Despite these improvements, Mr Rose urged Flinders Ports to reinvest in improvements along Berths 18-20.

Completing the round-up on the year in South Australian shipping was CEO of Flinders Port Holdings, Vincent Tremaine. Mr Tremaine developed on his company’s “record year” with cargo volumes exceeding 20 million for the first time. He also covered Flinders Port’s reinvestment into port facilities and productivity support structures over the past year.

As well as the developments on the new fuel import facility at Outer Harbour, Mr Tremaine covered the five new Terex straddle carriers (boosting their numbers to 22) and also the two new Post Panamax cranes that arrived in January that will increase the port’s productivity and hopefully contribute to another ‘record year’ for 2015.

To download the full report click here