Shipping fears grow over OECD budget Fears are growing that the latest round of budget negotiations within the OECD will result in a reduction of resources devoted to shipping and shipbuilding issues, or even to their elimination.
R&B Falcon strikes $345m rig deal R&B Falcon has finalised a $345m deal for its first state-of-the-art ultradeepwater semi-submersible, RBS-6, and is negotiating with an unnamed operator to build a second rig.
Mbeki's home truths of hope chart a path from despair Should you laugh with derision, cry with frustration, or take South Africa's president-elect, Thabo Mbeki, seriously and look with hope to the future?
China's coal output hit by steep decline China's coal output has dropped precipitously in the first half of 1998 without any recovery in sight as demand is sapped by environmental controls and shifts to other energy sources.
OMM under legal pressure in US Independent P&I club Ocean Marine Mutual (OMM) is coming under increasing pressure as legal moves in the US intensify.
Barbados presses US over banana access There is a connection between drugs and bananas, insists the prime minister of Barbados, Owen Arthur, and unless the US co-operates on the latter, Barbados will not co-operate on the former.
Staying more in tune with the elements One of the pleasures of living close to the sea is the opportunity to casually beachcomb as one walks the dog.
Ranform Banff is radical departure Today's christening of the Ramform Banff floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel at Aker McNulty, signals the culmination of a project which marks a radical departure for the offshore industry. Banff, which lies 200 km east of Aberdeen, is the first use of the Ramform hull design as a floating production system.
'Risky' vote underway Members of Maritime Union of Australia will vote today and tomorrow on whether to accept Patrick's new enterprise agreement which is due to come into effect next Monday, 7 September. Although seen by many as a forgone conclusion, this is by no means the case. In fact, it is understood that union members who have sighted the agreement have expressed some serious reservations about its contents. Observers note that the vote, while following the best democratic traditions of the union, could provide a danger on two fronts. Firstly, the agreement could be rejected and secondly, Patrick could press for even more reductions in conditions if and when the matter then proceeded to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.
ASA seeks policy briefings The Australian Shipowners Association has arranged for the shadow minister for transport, Lindsay Tanner, to brief its members on the ALP's shipping industry policy. This follows the release of the party's tax reform policy which only directly addressed the issue of financial help for Australia's freight transport industry for the road and rail sectors. ASA chief executive Lachlan Payne said the association had recently invited Mr Tanner, Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith, and Democrats' transport spokesman Senator Andrew Murray, to address ASA members on aspects of the maritime policy platforms. "Mr Tanner has responded saying he would like to take up that opportunity when the election run-up commences, so we anticipate he will have something to say there," Mr Payne.
ALP promises disappoint road, rail The ALP's tax reform policy has fallen short of the expectations of the road and rail industries despite the promise of a $150 million injection of infrastructure funding for each over the next three years. The Road Transport Forum said the ALP's policy announcement offered a "band aid solution" to the problems associated with improving Australia's road infrastructure. "Putting the value of improving the road system on top of the agenda is a credit to the Australian trucking industry," RTF chairman Ron Finemore said. "However, the $300 million back to road and rail over three years should be looked at as the initial investment.
Safety authority marshals spill detectives The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is holding discussions with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority on a number of options which would make tracing vessels spilling oil in Queensland waters more effective. AMSA's general manager, marine environment protection services, Captain David Baird said "Following (last week's) spate of incidents in the reef we are looking at a range of options including improved surveillance and taking the matter forward into international forums."
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