NATIONAL NEWS

Jettisoning a coastal burden

SEACORP has put its Western Australian coastal shipping operation out to tender after this week confirming its intention to withdraw from the trade.

Weekend blues for Patrick at Botany

Significant delays at the Port Botany container terminals this past week forced Patrick to allocate additional resources to help decrease landside congestion.

CBFCA urges caution over Port Botany logistics deals

THE CUSTOMS Brokers and Forwarders Council of Australia (CBFCA) has warned its members to be cautious about logistics service operators offering “solutions such as rail and road in the context of the emerging Port Botany reforms”.

ATSB finds steering failure in grounding of Iron King

PORT Hedland Port Authority is expected to be advised to source tugs more suitable for the open ocean in the wake of an investigation into a grounding at the port in July last year.

Receiver confident of prospects for fallen truck enterprise sale

FERRIER Hodgson has had a fast start in its buyer search for troubled second-tier haulage and logistics firm Mannway.

Watchdog sets terms for AAT

THE AUSTRALIAN Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is proposing to grant Australian Amalgamated Terminals (AAT) conditional permission to operate motor vehicle and general cargo handling facilities at five ports.

Toll joins chorus of praise as airfreight shows signs of life

THE RESTOCKING of inventory was supporting growth at Toll and Asciano, senior officers for the firms said this week

Solo sailor took a catnap before collision – report

JESSICA Watson, who had been preparing for an around-the-world solo sailing attempt, was catnapping when her yacht collided with a Hong-Kong registered bulk carrier in Queensland last month, according to a preliminary report released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).

Cairns sets sights on direct shipping service to PNG

THE CAIRNS business sector is to explore the viability of a dedicated shipping service to Papua New Guinea as it seeks to take advantage of the country’s resources and construction development.

Crackdown on crews in holds during coal loading

PORT Waratah Coal Services (PWCS) will further tighten procedures at both its Newcastle terminals after a series of incidents involving crews working in the holds of ships during coal loading.

SA body welcomes road plan

FREE-FLOW traffic for the freight industry took a “large” step forward after the South Australian and Federal Governments released design plans for the redevelopment of Adelaide’s north to south transport corridor, the SA Freight Council said.

Boskalis wins US$744m Gorgon contract

THE AUSTRALIAN subsidiary of Dutch dredging firm Boskalis has won a US$744m contract to build a terminal connected with Chevron’s Gorgon gas project off Western Australia.

Atle Jebsen dies in Norway car accident

A LEADING Norwegian shipowner and familiar figure in Australia and New Zealand shipping circles, Atle Jebsen, has died in a car accident in Norway.

Third Montara attempt fails

PTTEP is preparing for its fourth attempt to plug the Montara oil and gas leak after its third effort failed at the weekend. The energy explorer aims to make its latest pass at the leaking well today.

Sounds of sabres rattling in island service squabble

SOUTHERN Shipping got back to the job of fulfilling its Flinders Island freight contract this week to the sound of sustained Tasmanian Government sabre-rattling about the service echoing around the island state.

Plenty of positive buyer interest in seized reefer

THE REEFERSHIP arrested in New Zealand two months ago has received a “good” level of interest from potential buyers around the world, the company handling the sale said.

WA harvest is tipped to dip

UNFAVOURABLE weather in parts of Western Australia could see the state fall short of the 2008/09 grain harvest of more than 12m tonnes, according to CBH Group. The 2009/10 grain harvest kicked off in WA last week, Australia’s biggest grain handler said.

The flag fleet imperative

The majority of OECD/EU countries do it: why can’t we? Past governments have sat on their hands and watched Australia’s fleet wither. The time has come to stop the rot, writes BARRY LEWARN

Australia joins IOPC but Rotterdam Rules to wait

Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPC), federal transport minister Anthony Albanese said last week.

New liability regime may prove hard to avoid – lawyer

AUSTRALIA and New Zealand’s acceptance of the Rotterdam Rules can be expected to depend on how trading partners treat the new sea carrier cargo liability regime, according to DLA Phillips Fox lawyer Andrew Tulloch.