Weekly Edition 1st July

Channel charge for coasters

A CAMPAIGN by some shipping lines to have coastal cargo exempted from the Port of Melbourne Corporation’s (PoMC) channel infrastructure charge has failed.

New Maersk boss will explore Australia

NICOLAJ Noes is looking forward to the challenges that await him when he takes up his new role as managing director of Maersk Australia today.

WA rail upgrade promises new era for grain farmers

UPGRADING Western Australia’s grain rail network would improve the performance of the above-rail operator, according to Australian Railroad Group (ARG).

CBH confident on ACCC Grain Express probe

GRAIN marketer Cooperative Bulk Handling (CBH) Group has welcomed an investigation into the grain transport, storage and handling arrangements in Western Australia.

Staff changes at Lloyd’s List DCN

THE EDITOR of Lloyd’s List DCN, Sam Collyer, has resigned his position to join Caltex Australia as its chief advisor on media issues.

Port Botany delays raise spectre of new shipping line surcharges

A POTENTIAL discrepancy between Port Botany’s landside performance penalties and the fees paid by stevedores for poor oceanside service has emerged as a key battleground for shipping lines in their fight to stay on schedule after Sydney calls.

Ports plan moves closer to docking

THE WAIT is almost over for the final draft of the National Ports Strategy (NPS) which is expected to outline a vision for the nation’s ports for years to come.

Call for Darling Harbour to stay cruise hub

THE NEW South Wales opposition has re-opened the possibility that Darling Harbour could remain a hub for cruise shipping beyond 2012.

Hancock gets approval for ore rail link

HANCOCK Prospecting has been given Western Australian Government approval to build a 300 km rail line connecting its iron ore deposits to Port Hedland.

Asciano streamlines corporate structure

AUSTRALIAN port and rail operator Asciano plans to simplify its corporate structure in a bid to attract a wider range of domestic and overseas investors.

Hastings falls to the opposition

A VICTORIAN Opposition move to block key changes to the state’s transport legislation last week has thrown into doubt future strategies for the ports of Melbourne and Hastings.

Melbourne port depths seen as being good for two years

AT A RECENT stakeholder function Mr Bradford reported that contractor Royal Boskalis had successfully completed the dredging component of the port’s maintenance program, with only sweeping (bed-levelling) still underway (by the tug Botany Salvor).

Line slams further delay to Webb Dock planning

ONE OF port of Melbourne’s biggest users has expressed dismay at the Victorian Government’s recent decision to put the Webb Dock development on ice.

NSW freight body to set strategy

A FREIGHT strategy for New South Wales will be top of the agenda for the state’s new freight advisory body.

Atlas to quadruple its Port Hedland exports

ATLAS Iron is on course to quadruple the amount of iron ore it ships from Port Hedland with the opening last week of its Wodgina PDS mines.

Asia-Pacific airfreight volumes hit an updraft

THE ASIA-Pacific airfreight industry is going from strength to strength with demand in May surging 39%.

New Australia -Asia service for Merchant Shipping

MERCHANT Shipping will launch a new service between Western Australia, Asia and the Northern Territory this month.

Shipping industry confidence has soared to pre-crisis levels

OPTIMISM in the shipping industry is continuing to grow, according to Moore Stephens.

Hebei Spirit claims lack evidence – assessors

A SIGNIFICANT proportion of the 126,000 separate claims for compensation made in relation to the 2007 oil spill caused by the Hebei Spirit tanker casualty in South Korea have not contained sufficient evidence for surveyors to accurately assess their losses.

McCain seeks to scrap Jones Act

SENATOR John McCain, the defeated Republican presidential candidate in 2008 and a known opponent of the Jones Act, has introduced proposed legislation to abolish the 90-year-old US cabotage statute.

Commercial arbitration is on the move in Australia

2010 is shaping up as a very significant year for international and domestic commercial arbitration in Australia.

Contract guarantees deserve close attention

Appeal court decision shows why refund conditions must be clear from the outset write ANDREW SAVAGE and JAMES SPENCER*

Politicians slip up on oil issue

As the US president adds fuel to the fire with his negative rhetoric over the BP oil spill, he should be aware of the impact on his own image

Bridget gets green chardonnay

Rise in at-market bottling of wine means loss of trade for shipping lines, writes PETER WILSON

Uncapping the wine for a thirsty China

Brand Australia reinvents its approach to improve returns from exports, writes PETER WILSON

Shipboard internet access to grow as owners increase availability

Internet access at sea could become as indispensable and commonplace as it is ashore, writes STEVE MATTHEWS

Box industry sets thrifty course into the future

A LEADING port boss has warned that container lines and box terminal operators will continue to tighten their belts despite the apparent uptick in 2010 volumes.

Europe box port capacity to rise

UP TO 55mteu of annual handling capacity will be added to Europe’s Baltic, North Sea and Atlantic coast container terminal asset base over the next 10 years, “more than sufficient” to accommodate “modest” volume growth, a new report by Dynamar has found.

US Gulf support services at risk from oil spill backlash

SHIPPING services supporting offshore activities in the Gulf of Mexico will “shut down completely” if the US Congress eliminates limitations on liability contained in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, according to the head of one of the biggest US-based operators in this segment.