Queensland pilotage plan uproar PLANS by a Great Barrier Reef pilots' group to take over harbour pilotage operations up and down the Queensland coast have sparked a storm of protest from pilots who fear their jobs are in jeopardy.
Sedgwick warns of softer market INTERNATIONAL insurance broker Sedgwick warned yesterday that market conditions were likely to remain extremely difficult in the marine and energy insurance sectors.
Shell refinery venture with China shelved PLANS for an an 8m tonne-a-year (160,000 barrels per day) refinery as part of Shell Chemicals' $4.5bn Nanhai petrochemical project in southern China has been put on indefinite hold amid the uncertain economic climate in Asia.
Benor Tankers hit by $1m costs BENOR Tankers, the Oslo-listed products carrier specialist, has taken a total $1m hit from the costs of an aborted share issue and its cancellation of a newbuilding project at a troubled South Korean yard.
HK port expects rise in box traffic CONTAINER traffic through the port of Hong Kong is to grow at an average rate of 5.8% a year to reach 24m teu in 2006, despite growing competition from mainland ports, the semi-governmental Port Development Board has forecast.
UK Club sets up branches in Singapore and Taiwan TWO more operations have been established by the UK P&I Club in Asia, based in Singapore and Taiwan.
Busy start for Wilton Fijenoord REPAIRS to fire damage on board Antrak's 21,643 dwt container/ro-ro ship Kukawa have been among those carried out at Rotterdam's Wilton Fijenoord, which has started the year on a positive note with 12 ships undergoing repair up until the end of January.
Hydrex repairs rudder under water IN what is believed to be the first instance of its type, Belgian inwater shiprepair and maintenance specialist Hydrex has performed an underwater replacement and repair of a rudder pintle and bushing.
Three yards remain in bidding for Superfast GERMAN, Finnish and Italian shipbuilders are still bidding for an order for two or three newbuilding ferries for Attica Enterprises.
New French cruise company set up A NEW cruise company has been set up in France by a salesman at former-French owned Paquet.
Clouds loom over Santos privatisation SANTOS port will be fully privatised by June, according to the president of port operator CODESP, but local sources suggest its prospects are not bright.
Crew agents demand cash bond from owners CREWING agents from the Philippines are clamouring for the imposition of a cash bond on foreign owners employing Filipino crew on their ships.
Sumitomo to set up crane servicing subsidiary SUMITOMO HI has set up a subsidiary in Hong Kong to service about 100 cranes it has sold to-date to container terminal operators in the territory.
Australia warns on shipping industry support AUSTRALIA has warned shipowners there will be no consideration of financial support for their industry unless pool labour is replaced by full company employment.
Halter wins Maracaibo order PARIS-based Sedco Forex has signed a contract worth about $30m with TDI-Halter for three cantilever drilling and integrated servicing barges.
Approval given for Cochin lng terminal INDIA has approved the formation of a joint venture company to set up an lng terminal at Cochin.
Brussels suspends Trasmed concession BRUSSELS has temporarily suspended the concession granted by Madrid to state-owned Trasmediterr'nea covering ten subsidised ferry routes.
P&O Nedlloyd starts new US/east Med link P&O Nedlloyd is to launch a new North America-eastern Med service at the end of this month.
Indian breakers warned to pay dues in full GUJARAT Maritime Board has served notice on shipbreakers at Alang Beach stating that beaching of ships will be halted until all necessary dues have been paid.
Hanjin adds China-US link SOUTH Korean liner operator Hanjin is adding a second loop to its global service network by introducing a weekly service linking north China's main ports with the US west coast.
Silja reaffirms backing for Ramsgate SILJA, the Finnish ferry group, has reaffirmed its backing for the UK port of Ramsgate and Sally UK Holdings.
Le service de pilotage flamand modernisé d'ici 2003? "De nouvelles décisions qui donneront un caractère irréversible et définitif aux réformes du service de pilotage interviendront dans les mois à venir." C'est ce qu'a promis Leo Meyvis, le chef de cabinet du ministre flamand du transport Eddy Baldewijns lundi dernier à l'occasion de la réunion statutaire de la Fédération Maritime d'Anvers. Meyvis remplacait son ministre malade.
MISC renoue en direct avec Anvers via la "Grand Alliance" Les porte-containers de plus de 4.000 TEU commencent à se succéder à intervalles réguliers à Anvers, plus précisément aux terminaux de l'Escaut. Mardi dernier, c'était au tour du PC "Bunga Pelangi" (4.469 TEU) de faire escale au Noordzeeterminal qu'exploite la Noord Natie. Cette escale, qui s'inscrit dans le cadre du service "B" du groupe Grand Alliance, sortait de l'ordinaire, en ce sens qu'il s'agissait du retour en direct, après plus de 20 ans d'absence, de l'armement MISC (Malaysia International Shipping Corporation Berhad).
Patrick Ponsolle plaide pour une LGV complète en Grande-Bretagne Pour la première fois de son histoire, Eurotunnel a donc réalisé l'an dernier un bénéfice d'exploitation de 4 milliards de BEF, contre une perte de 1,45 mia. de BEF en 1996. Toutefois, la perte nette est encore de 36 mia. de BEF, contre 37,8 mia. au terme de l'exercice précédent. Par ailleurs, le co-président d'Eurotunnel a plaidé pour que la ligne à grande vitesse à construire en Grande -Bretagne le soit dans sa totalité.
P&ONL lance un service entre l'Amérique du Nord et l'Est méditerranéen Etant membre du groupe Grand Alliance, P&ONL a toutes les possibilités de développer divers services de ligne dans le cadre de connexions branchées sur les grands services segmentaires conjoints du groupe. Ainsi, il a décidé de lancer vers la fin de ce mois un service entre l'Amérique du Nord et l'Est méditerranéen en se basant sur le service "Grand Alliance" AEX/PNX, la connexion se faisant à Malte d'où l'armement dispose d'un service feeder dédié.
MUA warns of March chaos Australian shipping will be thrown into chaos if current industry-wide employment arrangements for seafarers are unilaterally abandoned on 1 March. This was claimed yesterday by the national secretary of the Maritime union of Australia, John Coombs, who spoke at the Waterfront and Shipping Reform Congress in Sydney.
Damages claims against union LEGAL action on several new fronts is expected following the latest strike by members of the Maritime Union of Australian at East Swanson Dock in Melbourne. DCN sources said yesterday they expected legal action for damages to be launched either late yesterday or this morning. The 48-hour strike which crippled the Patrick operation is due to end today, but the company took the matter to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission yesterday in an effort to put an end to any further stoppages of this kind.
Poor watchkeeping ‘caused collision’ THE DEATHS of two children and their father following a collision between the US yacht, Melinda Lee, and the South Korean merchant vessel, Pan Grace, off northern New Zealand in November 1995, could have been avoided if proper watches had been kept on both vessels, according to the coroner’s report on the incident. The Northland Coroner, Heather Ayrton, said given that the coast off Northland was a busy shipping area and that a large number of yachts access ports along the coast, vigilance by all crews was required in order to avoid similar collisions.
ACCI: Users must take action WHILE it is still important for government to provide the right legislative environment, the days of waiting for the government to directly solve problems are well and truly over, according to Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry executive director John Martin. He told the Waterfront & Shipping Reform Congress organised by IBC Conferences at Darling Harbour yesterday that it was now up to those who use and are dependent upon the waterfront themselves to create the sort of industry that is required to ensure Australia’s international competitiveness.
ALP says ‘Blind hatred is driving govt’ VINDICTIVENESS and blind hatred of the Maritime Union of Australia are driving the federal government in the current waterfront dispute in Melbourne. This is the belief of shadow transport minister Lindsay Tanner, who spoke at the Waterfront & Shipping Reform Congress in Sydney yesterday. Mr Tanner was highly critical of the recent actions of the federal government as well as Patrick and the National Farmers’ Federation.
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