Weekly edition 12 April

Chance question makes Melbourne privatisation major topic of interest

IT STARTED with an ambiguous answer to a journalist’s question.

Stevedore stoush with union shows variation productivity at Port Botany

STEVEDORE Patrick has won a case before Fair Work Australia after alleging that Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) members at Port Botany were engaged in a go-slow, as evidenced by a decline in average crane rates.

Sector is cruising – but needs spending boost

ECONOMIC analysis by Deloitte Access Economics shows the Australian cruise industry contributed over $828m to the national economy in 2010/11.

NZ court intervenes to cool strike and lock out impasse at Ports of Auckland

PORTS of Auckland last week agreed to cancel a lockout of workers who had been on strike and also to put on hold plans to contract-out labour at the kiwi harbour.

Australian box terminal sale lifts profits at DP World

PORT operator DP World has unveiled full-year profits of US$751m, up 82% over 2010, helped by gains from the part sale of its terminals in Australia.

Boxship market cools: bookings slow

EARLY optimism sparked by a flurry of activity and rising rates for larger sizes of boxships has proved short lived, with the mood on the charter market cooling down again as activity slows, ending several weeks of increased carrier demand.

Third generation takes helm at OOCL

ANDY Tung, the eldest son of former Hong Kong chief executive Tung Cheehwa, will become Orient Overseas Container Line’s top executive when Philip Chow steps down at the beginning of July.

Global car carrier market is on the verge of a rates boom

CAR CARRIER demand growth is set to overtake fleet growth this year by a wide margin, leading analysts to predict growing rates and profits for the sector.

Oakland welcomes first ultra-large boxship arrival

CALIFORNIA’s port of Oakland received the largest containership yet seen on the US west coast last month as MSC Fabiola made its way north from Long Beach.

The need for certainty in supply chains

SIMON Moore, chief executive of London Gateway, the largest ports and logistics project in Europe, was effusive about Asian nations’ flexibility to address the logistics demands of fast-growing economies.

Expert points to the challenges of bigger ships in port planning

LEADING port economist David Bayne says ship sizes are significantly increasing the demands on Australian and international ports.

Focus on environment in huge resource projects

DR STEPHANIE Turner, Mermaid Marine Australia’s senior environmental advisor has spoken about some of the key challenges facing the maritime logistics sector.

Logistics stakeholders demand ‘less talk, more action’

“LET’S stop talking about it, and let’s get on with it.”

Why miner chose new method for shipping iron ore

MARK Hoepfl, the logistics manager of the Cairn Hill Project for IMX Resources, has spoken of the challenges and success stories that have come out of the iron ore export operation.

Defence salutes high value of logistics efficiency

AIR VICE-Marshal Margaret Staib has addressed some of the logistics challenges for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in the years to come.

Sanko Steamship and the Zen of bankruptcy

Troubled company’s 1980s reorganisation led to early emergency from receivership, reports TOM LEANDER

Germany’s Peene-Werft yard appears about to stop building ships

GERMAN yard Peene-Werft’s days as a shipbuilder seem to be numbered.

Looking into the crystal ball

Deutsche Post DHL examines five different scenarios of the world in 2050, writes ROGER HAILEY

Qingdao Port to commission iron ore valemax terminal

CHINA’s Qingdao Port Group will commission its Dongjiakou iron ore import terminal that can receive 400,000 dwt vessels this year, but the official ban on valemaxes could mean the berth will have to accept vessels smaller than its design allows.

Casualty briefs 5 April 2012

Maritime

Gulf of Guinea piracy worsens – fears for crew

PIRACY off West Africa is booming, with nine attacks during February, twice as many as in the previous month. Of these, five were serious attempts or successful attacks at distances up to 110 nautical miles off the Nigerian coast.

UN to transfer pirates from Seychelles

THE UNITED Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) has confirmed that it is to deport 19 convicted pirates to Somalia to serve their sentences at home because prisons in the Seychelles are now full.

New capesizes to get even bigger

THE NUMBER of large capesize vessels is set to increase in the coming years, but with few of the world’s ports able to handle ships much larger than 200,000 dwt, there are questions over how many terminals can handle these bigger bulkers.

Owners’ cash claw back blocks green recycling push

INTERNATIONAL efforts to improve ship recycling standards are being jeopardised by the shipping downturn as owners attempt to claw back every dollar possible from vessels sold for demolition.

First China-owned cruiseship sets sail

EVEN though the cruise industry faces tough times in certain jurisdictions, things look more hopeful in Asia where the first mainland China-owned cruiseship set sail from Hong Kong on March 8.

Owners are taking risks with cargo hatch covers

RECENT statistics from port state inspection campaigns have shone a light on the number of owners that appear to be shunning vital maintenance work on hatchcovers.

FMC develops freight index for US exporters

US SHIPPERS may soon have the choice of a new index against which to price ocean freight.

India in lead as top global shipbreaker

BREAKERS continue to pick over a steady supply of demolition candidates, with sales reported to all major markets, including a few at prices above US$500 per ldt, and with India clearing a lead on its rivals.

Lloyd’s List view

Stronger ISM Code

Better welfare for seafarers – because they are worth it

Seafarers often face a tough time and an ITF seminar suggests ways to improve their lives, writes MICHAEL GREY

2012 Seacare Conference and awards

THE BIENNIAL 2012 Seacare Conference will be held this year on 24–25 October at Crystal Palace, Luna Park in Sydney.

Deegan to address ports’ infrastructure needs

INFRASTRUCTURE Australia coordinator Michael Deegan says Australian ports face challenging times in providing for the needs of a growing economy.

This week in maritime history

Fremantle Ports mulls over Kwinana facility

The Grill

This week’s subject of The Grill is Neil Murphy, CEO of the South Australian Freight Council.