Transport Industry News, Tuesday 1 May 2007
The shipping sector is somewhat dismayed at the lack of attention paid to the development of coastal shipping, expressing disappointment in Australia's policymakers failing to include thesector in the AusLink Perth-Darwin Corridor Strategy.
Seacorp managing director Craig Thompson said an ongoing obsession with "road-centric" solutions among federal transport planners meant that the more environmentally friendly transport mode of coastal shipping was not utilised to capacity in Australia.
He said the current approach to transport planning not only put increased pressure on the nation's road system, but it also deprived Australians of the massive social, economic and environmental benefits that shipping offered.
"We're an island nation with one of the largest coastlines in the world and the majority of our population hugs this coastline," he said.
"Why is it that our transport policies are so out of kilter with this geographical reality?"
Thompson said there was nothing to indicate that the historic lack of attention paid to the development of coastal shipping at a federal level would change, as was signalled in the AusLink Perth-Darwin Corridor Strategy.
Seacorp, the Broome Port Authority and the Kimberley Development Commission have written to the Department of Transport and Regional Services to express disappointment in the AusLink report.
However, according to Thompson the trio have not yet received any acknowledgement from the Federal Government, despite sending the letter some weeks ago.
He said the road-centric document, which was meant to outline the shared strategic priorities and challenges of the Federal Government and state governments on an important transport corridor, did not include any input from the maritime sector.
In its current draft form, the strategy document was flawed because it mainly focused on the road links which constituted part of the AusLink National Network, according to Thompson.
He said the vast stretch of coastline between Perth and Darwin demanded that use of coastal shipping be part of the AusLink consideration when planning for this transport corridor.
Thompson said it was extremely disappointing that Seacorp Coastal Shipping, which was the sole licensed carrier to ship cargo along the west coast up to Darwin, had not been invited to contribute to the strategy.
He said Seacorp was already carrying 14% of the annual cargo task on the Perth-Darwin transport corridor.
Thompson said he was confident that the shipping service, which is partly underwritten by the Western Australian Government, could grow to handle 20% of the cargo task between Perth and Darwin.
A substantial increase in the cargo task over the past few months has prompted Seacorp to search for a vessel with an additional 20% cargo handling capacity.
The larger vessel was due to be in operation by mid-2007; however, there was scope to eventually upgrade to a two-ship service offering regular weekly shipping services to ports along the Perth–Darwin transport corridor.
"With the right support by way of long-term transport planning through both state and government authorities, it is possible to eventually upgrade to a two-ship service able to lift up to 40 percent of the total transport requirements," Thompson said.
"Maybe it is time for transport planners to take their blinkers off and seriously consider the wider economic, social and environmental benefits that shipping offers.
"We're an island nation with endless miles of coastline around it and some excellent port infrastructure. But unfortunately, shipping is not used it its maximum capacity here."
Thompson said Australian policymakers defied trends in other parts of the world to make greater use of coastal shipping.
In the United Kingdom, Sea and Water executive director Dr Heather Leggate is promoting coastal transport as a means to re-route millions of tonnes of freight from road and rail to sea transport, according to Seacorp.
Thompson said there was increasing global recognition that shipping provided an ideal opportunity to reduce the transport sector's high carbon emissions.
He said successive WA governments, which had supported coastal shipping in this state, had shown a more progressive attitude than the Federal Government.
The benefits generated from this support include a downward effect on freight rates in the north of WA, a significant reduction in the number of trucks on the road system and savings of $1.5 million per annum in unfunded road maintenance and accident costs, according to Seacorp.
At full capacity, the Seacorp vessel – currently used on the 17-day turnaround service – can carry the equivalent of 65 road trains on each voyage.
Seacorp said the coastal shipping service also reduced the amount of overdimensional and hazardous goods carried on the road system.
About 20% of containers carried on the vessel, the SCS Anne, are filled with chemicals and other dangerous goods, according to the company.
This article has been reprinted with the permission of Transport Industry News.
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