Unloading of Stranded Australian Livestock Begins
Thousands of sheep and cattle stuck on a ship that was forced to abandon a passage through the Red Sea last month have begun disembarking at the same Australian port they left nearly six weeks ago, Australia's agriculture ministry said late on Monday.The MV Bahijah sailed from Fremantle, Western Australia on Jan. 5 for Israel with about 14,000 sheep and 2,000 cattle on board, but diverted from its route due to the threat of attack by Yemen's Houthi militia before being ordered…
Ship Carrying 16,000 Sheep and Cattle Stranded off Australia
A ship carrying around 14,000 sheep and 2,000 cattle is marooned off the coast of Australia in sweltering heat after it was forced to abandon a trip through the Red Sea, causing outcry from people concerned about the animals' welfare.The vessel left Australia on Jan. 5 for Israel, where it was to unload, but diverted from its course in mid-January due to the threat of attack by Yemen's Houthi militia before being ordered home by the Australian government.The animals are now in limbo and could be discharged in Australia…
Australian Climate Change Activists Disrupt Shipping at Coal Port
A climate change protest off Australia's east coast disrupted operations at the country's biggest coal export port on Saturday, the port operator said.Climate activist group Rising Tide, which claimed responsibility for the action, said around 1,500 people were at the protest, 300 of them in the shipping channel near the Port of Newcastle, as part of a 30-hour blockade set to run until 4 p.m. (0900 GMT) on Sunday.Climate change is a divisive issue in Australia, the world's biggest exporter of thermal coal behind Indonesia…
Australia Says 'Not Necessary' to Cancel Chinese Firm's Lease on Darwin Port
Australia said a security review of a 99-year lease held by Chinese company Landbridge on the northern port of Darwin, a key focus of its defense strategy, found it was "not necessary to vary or cancel the lease".In a statement, the prime minister's department said: "Australians can have confidence that their safety will not be compromised, while ensuring that Australia remains a competitive destination for foreign investment".It added that monitoring of security arrangements would continue around the northern port…
Australia’s Portland to be Renewable Maritime Fuels Hub
Australia’s Victorian Government is backing a new feasibility study that could see Portland become home to one of Australia’s first green shipping fuel production hubs.Minister for Regional Development Harriet Shing announced the new study for a renewable fuel manufacturing hub in the portside city, with A$500,000 invested through the Labor Government’s Portland Diversification Fund.The feasibility study will be led by Portland H2 – a subsidiary of HAMR Energy – towards establishing a plant converting plantation forestry residue to green methanol.
Rodriguez Appointed Interim Director of MITAGS
The Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) announced it has appointed Mike Rodriguez as interim director."I am pleased that Mike Rodriguez has agreed to take on the day-to-day administration of MITAGS' academic programs and courses as we begin the process of bringing onboard a new director,” said Eric Friend, MITAGS executive director. “Mike brings a wide range of experience and skills to our crew as we move our organization forward.”“I have been fortunate throughout my career to work with great people in education, labor, government and the military.
Op/Ed: Australian Naval Shipbuilding in Limbo
The Abbott Government is committed to a sustainable Australian naval shipbuilding industry. Sadly, years of neglect by the former Labor government has left shipbuilding in a precarious and uncertain state. Labor’s ‘valley of death’ – which will soon be upon us – could have been avoided. For all their posturing, in six years they did not commission a single naval vessel from an Australian yard. Decisions on the replacement frigates for the ANZAC fleet and new submarines to replace the Collins Class should have been taken during the previous Government’s time.
Adani, GVK Get Oz Nod for Port Expansion
The Government of Australia has cleared project proposals to expand a port for two coal projects of both Adani Enterprises and GVK Hancock opposed by green groups. The Labor government in Queensland will allow mining companies Adani and GVK to dredge in Great Barrier Reef waters to expand a coal port but will make them pay for it themselves. "The Queensland Government is restarting the approvals process for expanding the Abbot Point coal terminal in north Queensland in a bid to keep dredge spoil away from both the Great Barrier Reef and nearby wetlands," says an official statement. The government’s deal with the miners on Abbot Point…
Morris Challenges Owners To Fight Slave Ships
A former Australian transport minister challenged oil tanker owners, who were meeting in Sydney on Tuesday, to join him in the fight against "slave-ships", which still thrive in the world's shipping trades. At the end of a vigorous debate on corrosion in tankers, Peter Morris challenged the industry to take more interest in its human resources. "You've all been worrying about the rates of corrosion of metal, but what about the corrosion of lives?" he asked. "I think you and I are going to be working very closely in the future," he told Intertanko chairman Westye Hoegh. Morris, transport minister from 1983 to 1987 in Bob Hawke's Labor government…
Mersey Reports Profits, Eyes British Port Consolidation
Mersey Docks and Harbour Co. has reported an increase in profits of nearly eight percent in the first half, its shares following suit with a similar rise. Representatives of Mersey, which owns the Port of Liverpool and the ports of Sheerness and Chatham in southeast England, said the company’s investment program was reaping rewards as it managed to push up profits despite flat volumes of cargo. The program was buoyed by achieving record volumes in two key market sectors — containers and Irish Sea roll-on roll-off freight — which gave it a better overall mix of cargo, officials added. This helped compensate for the loss of nearly a million tons of business due to the ban made effective Jan. 1 on the dumping of river sludge out at sea.
Malta Docks To Bid For U.S. Navy Work
Malta Drydocks last week signed an agreement with the United States Navy enabling it to bid for ship repair work on U.S. vessels but the opposition Labor Party said the deal violated the island's neutrality. Economic Services Minister Josef Bonnici said the agreement did not violate the constitution since the dockyard would only bid for work on auxiliary vessels, such as tankers. Repairs would not be carried out in military emergencies. The agreement, he said, was part of the government's efforts to find more work for loss-making Malta Drydocks and would serve as an advertisement for the dockyard to win more commercial work from American shipowners.
