Save Australian Shipping

The Solution

1. Build and maintain political and stakeholder consensus for policy and regulatory stability in national shipping policy, to underpin investment in modern fit-for-purpose ships and related port infrastructure to meet the nation’s shipping and maritime support requirements.

2. Streamline the coastal trading regulatory and licensing regime (Coastal Trading Act) to create fair competition for Australian General License (GL) ships supplemented by Temporary Licensed (TL) foreign ships, and to reduce regulatory costs. In addition, extend the application of the Coastal Trading Act to include intra-state trading.

3. Establish a national strategic merchant fleet, available to support the national Defence effort, similar to the US Military Sealift Command and UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and to assist in provision of the nation’s fuel security, in both the civilian and Defence sectors.

4. Amend the Customs Act by refining the requirements for ship importation, with positive flow on effects for industry e.g. for dry docking, aimed at encouraging the development of the large cruise ship sector and for the offshore petroleum sector.

5. Reform the shipping taxation incentives to encourage investment in ships, Australian based ship management and ship service companies and to ensure the Australian International Shipping Register (AISR) is operable and internationally competitive.

6. Alter the application of the Fair Work Act and Part B of the Seagoing Industry Award so that rather than a foreign seafarer being paid a margin over and above the typical ITF Agreement rates that foreign seafarers would normally be receiving on an international ship in the form of Award Part B entitlements while on a TL voyage, the approximate equivalent amount be paid into a dedicated Strategic Maritime Development Fund (SMDF) that would support the National Strategic Fleet, seafarer workforce development and seafarer’s welfare consistent with the ILOs Maritime Labour Convention.

7. Strengthen the Maritime Crew Visa (MCV) so: (i) the existing MCV contains security, character and identify checking consistent with requirements for the issue of a Maritime Security Identification Card (MSIC); and (ii) there is a new and separate ‘maritime crew visa’ for non-nationals employed on ships issued with a Temporary License under the Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012 (CT Act) who regularly work in the Australian coastal trade.

8. Build the maritime skills base by refreshing the 2013 Maritime Workforce Development Strategy and provide funding for its implementation.

9. Develop a new continuous improvement productivity and labour relations compact to accompany regulatory, fiscal and industry policy support for Australian ships.

10. Reduce supply chain costs by reducing port costs (adopting differential pricing for multi-sailing Australian vessels, by providing priority port berthing assess for Australian ships, and restructuring the application of AMSA levies to support Australian registered ships) and by investing in port infrastructure to encourage the establishment of dedicated coastal ro-ro services for containerised cargo/trucks.