North East Shipping Management Plan—July 2021 update

NE SMP 1

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority to work through the International Maritime Organization to introduce a fatigue risk management system approach to the global shipping industry.

In Jan 2019, the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) issued Circular MSC.1/Circ. 1598 ‘Guidelines on Fatigue’.  

In March 2020, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority published ‘Fatigue Guidelines—Managing and reducing the risk of fatigue at sea’. 

This action was completed and closed in January 2020
 

NE SMP 2

Queensland port authorities to investigate and implement where appropriate, systems that reward ships for having higher safety and environmental standards. 

Queensland Ports Association 

Supported by Maritime Safety Queensland 

Queensland Ports Association has identified multiple environmental incentive schemes in use across the world, including a system used by New South Wales ports and a port in Western Australia. This has highlighted the national and international interrelatedness and dependencies and complexities of such systems to have any meaningful impact.

As a result of the review, the Queensland Port Association has formed the view that Great Barrier Reef ports along are very unlikely to be able to achieve the outcomes intended of such a system. Queensland Port Association remains supportive of the outcomes intended, and considers a national review and approach is required. Queensland Port Association has raised this concept with the national peak body for Australia’s ports, Ports Australia.

NE SMP 4

Taking into account increases in traffic density and resultant changes in risk, Maritime Safety Queensland and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to investigate the benefits of REEFVTS and mandatory pilotage supporting shipping for the areas of the upper middle Inner Route.

Maritime Safety Queensland 
and 
the Australian Maritime Safety Authority

Supported by Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority analysed historic vessel Automatic Information System (AIS) data during the months of March and September from 2016 to 2021 to determine if there has been a change in traffic density in the upper middle sections of the Inner Route. The results of this analysis suggest there is no statistically significant change in traffic density. 

The chart below shows the average number of large commercial vessels per day (averaged over a month) (March and September)) in a sample area chosen between Townsville and Cairns (a 130 nautical miles stretch of the Inner Route):

Average Large Commercial Vessels per day March to September

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority will continue to monitor traffic density in the region.

REEFVTS and mandatory pilotage continue to provide appropriate and proportionate navigation support for shipping in this area. 

NE SMP 8

Drawing on the work done to date, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to further investigate research into the potential environmental and socio-economic impacts of ship-generated sediment resuspension.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority 

Supported by Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 
and 
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

There has been no recent research to assess the impacts of sediment resuspension in the Great Barrier Reef. 

Australian Maritime Safety Authority has reviewed reports on sediment resuspension and turbidity impacts on coral reefs. Key findings:

•    In exposed regions, wind driven waves are the biggest contributor to sediment resuspension, whereas in sheltered regions, ships have a larger impact. However, the greatest generation of sediment resuspension is known to come from dredging activities and mining operations. 
•    Many turbid water corals frequently exposed to acute sediment resuspension events do not suffer tissue mortality. Nevertheless, these stress events are potentially causing declines in energy production and allocation (e.g. for growth and reproduction), which will have longer-term repercussions on coral and reef health.
•    The increase in construction and land reclamation activities in the South China Sea has exposed many coral reef areas to high rates of sedimentation and a consequent reduction of the diversity of live corals. 
•    Tourism related activities, such as trampling by divers or snorkelers and resuspension of sediment by boats has increased the mortality rate of corals.

Marine Ecology Progress Series 502:129 (int-res.com)

Reef foraminifera as bioindicators of coral reef health in southern South China Sea | Scientific Reports (nature.com)

NE SMP 9

Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to investigate mechanisms to fund high priority restoration and rehabilitation of reef habitats following a ship grounding.

Parks Australia is working with other agencies on next steps to formalise the source of funding for use in the event of a serious maritime incident to investigate, assess impacts to the marine environment, and to undertake time-critical remediation of the site.

NE SMP 10

Maritime Safety Queensland to engage Murdoch University to expand its risk assessment for cetacean strike in the Great Barrier Reef to include the area offshore the Capricorn and Bunker Group. 

Murdoch University published their ‘Quantitative assessment of relative ship strike risk to humpback whales (megaptera novaeangliae) in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area’ report in July 2019. The report included the area offshore from the Capricorn Bunker Group.

The report concluded that the Capricorn Bunker Group had a lower relative ship strike risk than other areas of the Great Barrier Reef, in particular the area offshore from the Whitsunday Islands.

This action was completed and closed in January 2020.

NE SMP 11

Government agencies and industry to evaluate the safety and environmental benefits and viability of a vessel arrival system at commodities ports where ships spend extended periods at anchor. 

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority 

Supported by Maritime Safety Queensland,
Queensland Ports Association, 
and 
Queensland Resources Council 

A 2019 study, to quantify the effect of a vessel arrival system (VAS) on fuel consumption and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from arriving bulk carriers, found GHG emissions from ships travelling to Newcastle reduced by 18% post-VAS implementation. Similarly, comparing voyages of ships travelling to Port Kembla and Newcastle, found GHG emissions to be 13.2% lower for voyages to Newcastle. 

This study demonstrates the potential environmental benefits of a VAS, which is likely to be increasingly important as the shipping industry looks for options to make the emission reductions required under the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Initial Strategy for reducing GHG Emissions from Ships.

In addition to NESMP stakeholders, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority has shared the findings of this study with other Australian ports, through Ports Australia, Australian government agencies, and other maritime authorities that participate in the Asia-Pacific Heads of Maritime Safety Agencies (APHoMSA). 

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority also provided the study to the World Maritime University, to inform the assessment of impacts of the new regulations to be adopted under the MARPOL Convention which will reduce the carbon intensity of international shipping by an average of 40% by 2030. The study demonstrates the benefits of speed optimisation over other approaches, such as blanket speed reduction.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority continues to advocate for the adoption of VAS, where viable, with the relevant organisations.

NE SMP 3

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority to keep under review the use of AIS on non-SOLAS commercial ships operating in the Great Barrier Reef.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority 

Supported by Maritime Safety Queensland

NE SMP 5

Drawing on the work done to date, further investigate the opportunities for conducting research on the impacts of ship anchorages at major commodity ports.

Queensland Ports Association 
and 
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Supported by Maritime Safety Queensland 
and 
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

Queensland Ports Association has commenced collaborative work with Maritime Safety Queensland and all Queensland Ports to further investigate the potential risks associated with ship anchorages, to refine the scope of future research efforts, based on quantified risk profiles. 

A ‘Scope of Works’ has been agreed for a Technical Report, due in 2021, with work currently underway on vessel data collection and background research regarding current operational approaches to anchorages within the region. Queensland Ports Association has commissioned Sprott Planning & Environment Pty Ltd to assist with this study, along with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. 

NE SMP 6

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to keep under review modelling and assessments of risk of ship strike on cetaceans in the north-east region. As the degree of risk warrants, the results would be used to design and implement appropriate safeguards. (Link to SMP 10)

Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment 

Supported by 
the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, 
Maritime Safety Queensland
and 
the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

On 29 March 2019, the Marine Biodiversity Hub’s National Environmental Science Program published their report ‘quantification of risk from shipping to large marine fauna across Australia’. 

This project combined existing data such as vessel density, speed and noise levels with species distribution/habitat models to identify Biologically Important Areas and produce fine-scale relative spatial risk profiles. These risk profiles can be used to help identify when and where marine fauna and shipping may overlap, and to work through a question and answer process designed to help minimise risk. This includes evaluating relative risk, research and resourcing options, and the likely effects of management and mitigation approaches.

Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is monitoring work being done overseas and looking for opportunities to draw any lessons applicable to the waters of the Great Barrier Reef. For example: NW Seaport Alliance Joins Underwater Noise Partnership

NE SMP 7

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority to investigate if the shape and energy of waves generated by passing ships influence coastal erosion in the Torres Strait.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority 

Supported by Torres Strait Regional Authority

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority commissioned Queensland Government Hydraulics Laboratory to undertake a study to investigate the potential impact on Poruma Island of wake from ships transiting the Great North East Channel, Torres Strait.  

Fieldwork and analysis for this study is complete and, once the study report is finalised, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority will share the results with the Poruma Island community, and then more broadly with relevant stakeholders, including the Torres Strait Regional Authority who was involved in initial planning phases of the project.

F1

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority to continue to work through the International Maritime Organization to seek improvement to standards that impact upon ship propulsion reliability and redundancy and emergency towing arrangements.

F2

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority to undertake initiatives focused on the contribution of the human element to shipping incidents and address ways of reducing risk.

• the importance of interactions between seafarers and technology, particularly given the growing use of automated systems
• the benefits of a ‘systems approach’ to safety to reduce the risk of maritime accidents and incidents
• the roles, responsibilities and training required of the Master, ships officers and shore-based personnel
• the need to improve awareness and develop educational material for seafarers on fatigue, safety and error management
• the use of automated (using AIS) messaging to remind crews of critical course alterations when transiting the waters off Cairns.

F3

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority to promote the use of high quality ships, operated by competent crews, to trade in the region by stringently enforcing standards in compliance with International Maritime Organization guidelines for port State control.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority to maintain and publish a Compliance and Enforcement policy that applies to ships regulated under the Navigation Act 2012 and Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law 2012.

• flag State inspections
• marine surveys
• cargo related inspections
• marine qualification duties.

• ISO accreditation for Quality Management (AS/NZ ISO 9001:208)
• environmental management (AS/NZ ISO 14001:2004)
• workplace health and safety (AS/NZ 4801:2001)

• support the objects of the maritime safety legislation
• encourage compliance with the maritime safety legislation through application of a cooperative regulatory approach which builds effective compliance performance capacity
• enable identification of, prevent and manage contraventions of maritime safety legislation and the associated risks to safety, the environment and Australia’s reputation
• facilitate consistent decision making.

F4

he Australian Maritime Safety Authority to continue its technical cooperation on maritime standards and technologies with neighbouring countries and particularly with Papua New Guinea (PNG) to ensure ships and crews operate to the highest international ship safety standards.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority provides a range of technical capacity building assistance to the PNG National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA).

In early 2020, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority completed a review of PNG’s maritime legislation to identify gaps against the requirements of key international conventions such as SOLAS, MARPOL and the Maritime Labour Convention, and support NMSA with redrafting their legislation based on this review.

In November 2020, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority commenced development of a framework and suite of templates to allow NMSA Managers to assess the competency of their Port State Control and Flag State Control Ship Inspectors.

This framework will assist NMSA to develop targeted training programs in the future. The Australian Maritime College has agreed to provide Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS) training to PNG Search and Rescue officers via remote means in February 2021.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has also agreed to plans for 2021 to review PNG’s capacity to disseminate Maritime Safety Information to ships in PNG’s Search and Rescue region.

F5

Government agencies to work with the Australian Hydrographic Office to identify areas of the north-east region that will benefit from improved hydrography and oceanographic observations.

The Australian Hydrographic Office established a HydroScheme Review Panel, to guide the prioritisation of hydrographic surveys for nautical charting purposes.

In bringing together key program stakeholders, the HydroScheme Review Panel provides a focal point for prioritisation of survey effort and minimise duplication of efforts across jurisdictions and programs.

All agencies have an opportunity to submit survey requests, through the survey coordination tool, which are then risk assessed and prioritised by the panel.

F6

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority and Maritime Safety Queensland will continue to apply a risk-based approach to managing shipping related risks stemming from changes in shipping density and the profile of ships calling at Queensland ports and transiting through the waters of the north-east. (Linked to NE SMP 4 Pilotage and VTS action)

After consultation with industry and government agencies, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority established a new section to the two-way route in the Great Barrier Reef, passing North of Pipon Shoals off Cape Melville. The route is charted and is being used by transiting ships. It enhances safety by separating north and south bound vessels and increasing the width of navigable waters.

The International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee adopted this amendment in November 2020, to be implemented on 1 June 2021. Maritime Safety Queensland has implemented corridor alerts into the REEFVTS system for this new section.

All ship arrivals at the port of Cape Flattery are risk assessed, by the regional harbour master in conjunction with the marine pilot, against weather conditions for arrival and loading. Maritime Safety Queensland SmartShip simulator has been used to assess the design and effectiveness of the Cairns Shipping Development Project that has widened the Cairns channel to enable larger cruise ships to enter the port of Cairns, reducing the need for these vessels to anchor offshore at Palm Cove.

F7

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority to continue to consult with all relevant aids to navigation stakeholders in the north-east and ensure access arrangements for aids to navigation maintenance are practical and within agreed environmental parameters.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority

Supported by Maritime Safety Queensland

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s aids to navigation maintenance contractor undertakes regular reviews of their practices and materials used to maintain the aids to navigation network in consultation with stakeholders in the north-east.

This includes the use of environmentally friendly and recyclable materials and more environmentally friendly vehicles and machinery. Pre-site training and checklists are required for all personnel before mobilisation to site, which includes information on significant habitats, waste management, biological controls and reporting of environmental incidents.

Site inspection reports contain a section on environmental management which triggers a review of the environmental aspects of each site and identifies areas for improvement and innovative ideas and practices. The contractor’s maintenance activities are governed by an environmental management system in accordance with ISO14001.

F8

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, in conjunction with shipping interests and pilotage providers, to review, as needs dictate, the effectiveness of Under Keel Clearance Management arrangements in Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority

Supported by Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

The long-standing draught regime for vessels transiting Torres Strait, including the maximum draught limit for Under Keel Clearance Management system use, was amended in July 2019.

This follows extensive trials between 2016 and 2019 to determine the ability to safely modify the draught regime. Bulk carriers and tankers, where suitable tidal conditions prevail, are permitted to transit Torres Strait with draughts up to 12.5m (up from 12.2m).

The 12.2m maximum draught limit still applies to container and other fine form hull vessels. Marine Order 54 Exemption 2019 (No.3) refers.

F9

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority to continue to work with government agencies and Queensland port authorities to encourage the improvement and use of waste facilities in line with International Maritime Organization guidelines and information.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority

Supported by Maritime Safety Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority conducts regular workshops with Commonwealth and state/NT agencies that implement the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (known as MARPOL). The workshops focus on consistent application of the MARPOL Convention.

Issues addressed include reception facilities for ships’ sewage, general garbage, and exhaust gas cleaning system waste. Opportunities for greater alignment of MARPOL legislation and implementation between jurisdictions is also discussed.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, only one workshop was held in 2020, and this was by an online meeting. On invitation, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority attends meetings of the Ports Australia Environment, Planning and Sustainability Working Group and presents on relevant issues, including the adequacy of ships’ waste reception facilities.

The Working Group considers environmental matters impacting ports (e.g. climate change, dredging and regulation) and the interaction between Ports and the surrounding environment.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority will continue to work with relevant authorities on waste reception facilities and assure these actions align with the IMO Action Plan to address marine plastic litter from ships.

This Plan has also been adopted into the National Waste Policy Action Plan. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is in the process of obtaining funding from the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment under the National Waste Policy Action Plan, to investigate opportunities for the recycling of waste from international ships at Australian ports.

This will build on work conducted in 2018, and further investigate the feasibility of recycling clean and segregated waste from international ships at Australian ports and establish a nationally consistent framework to support this activity in the longer term.

F10

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to share lessons learnt from the restoration of habitats affected by shipping incidents (e.g. coral and seagrass restoration, eradication of marine pests, and halt impacts from biocides).

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Supported by Australian Reef Pilots

The Douglas Shoal remediation project has commenced procurement of contractors to remediate the shoal following the grounding of the bulk carrier Shen Neng 1 in 2010. The focus is on removing loose rubble and contaminated sediment that are preventing natural recovery.

Substantial information is available on the project website, including reports, raw data, and imagery.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority will continue to share lessons learned as this project progresses, and has allocated funds for long-term monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of the remediation.

F11

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority to assess the availability of HNS cargo information currently available from ships in the region in the event of an incident. If necessary, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to seek to amend the requirement of the mandatory ship reporting system REEFREP to require all ships to which REEFREP applies to report further details of the carriage of Hazardous Noxious Substances.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority

Supported by Torres Pilots

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s domain awareness system has the capability to filter all vessels carrying dangerous goods based on the information contained in vessels’ Automatic Identification System (AIS) radio transmissions.

Torres Pilots advise that for each voyage booked, the vessel is asked to declare all dangerous goods and/or hazardous substances being carried. Maritime Safety Queensland also advise that Queensland ports’ arrival booking systems asks for notification if the ship is carrying dangerous goods. Maritime Safety Queensland is able to request a ship’s cargo manifest through the ship’s agent if required.

The Reef VTS pre-entry report requires vessels to ‘give the normal name of cargo and state whether it is classified as hazardous’. Marine Order 41 requires masters to ‘provide to an Australian Maritime Safety Authority office, at or nearest to the port of loading, a special list or manifest for dangerous goods at least 24 hours before dangerous goods are loaded on the vessel.’

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is satisfied with the assessment work that has been carried out and as of December 2020 this action will be marked as complete.

F12

Maritime Safety Queensland, port authorities and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority are to ensure they have adequate response assets and emergency towage capabilities and that they undertake training that targets responses to search and rescue incidents, maritime casualties and ship-sourced oil and chemical spills.

Maritime Safety Queensland

Supported by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and Queensland Ports Association

Maritime Safety Queensland and Queensland-based response partners maintain stockpiles of strategically located, pre-positioned marine pollution response equipment. Maritime Safety Queensland delivers an annual marine pollution response training and exercise program.

Maritime Safety Queensland is working with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and other states to review the efficacy of the National Plan for Marine Environmental Emergencies, and to ensure a framework is in place to deal with complex maritime emergencies.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has the emergency towage vessel Coral Knight permanently stationed in the northern portion of the Great Barrier Reef.

The Coral Knight is also equipped to respond to other maritime incidents such as search and rescue or limiting the effects of ship-sourced pollution of the sea and carries oil pollution response equipment.

F13

Members will seek opportunities to promote the communication of accurate and factual information about shipping activities and relevant initiatives in the Great Barrier Reef area

From October to December 2019, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority ran a safety awareness campaign targeting dory reef line fishing activities in Queensland’s offshore waters. The Australian and Queensland governments are updating the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan as part of the first five yearly comprehensive review. Read further information on the review.

In February 2020, Maritime Safety Queensland conducted a multi-jurisdictional ship-sourced marine pollution response exercise in Mackay to help ensure Queensland is prepared to respond in the event of an incident, such as an oil spill. View the video of the exercise.

In February 2020, Maritime Safety Queensland released a draft ship vetting guideline for bulk carriers transiting the Great Barrier Reef for public consultation. Maritime Safety Queensland is currently reviewing and assessing the feedback provided. Get further updates.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service’s joint Interventions Policy provides direction on assessing, developing and implementing restoration or adaptation activities in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Read more information.

F14

Identify and implement marine biosecurity best practice management and early detection marine pest surveillance at key Queensland Ports.

In 2019-2020 Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, in partnership with port authorities, implemented the Queensland Seaports environmental DNA Surveillance (Q-SEAS) pilot program to enhance early detection of marine pests at the ports of Brisbane, Gladstone, Townsville, Mackay and Cairns.

Surveillance methods include settlement plates, plankton samples and shoreline searches and used molecular analysis techniques to detect the presence of DNA of target pest species.

The program functions as a screening tool to monitor high-risk port environments, providing the best chance of early detection and to facilitate early intervention and preparedness.

The Q-SEAS pilot program has provided valuable and informative baseline data on marine biodiversity in port environments to help understand the current status of marine pests in Queensland.

The program’s validity was demonstrated with the detection of the invasive sea squirt Didemnum perlucidum in Mackay, Townsville and Brisbane and the exotic black scar oyster Magallana bilineata in Cairns.

Outcomes demonstrate that this approach improves our capacity to detect small and cryptic species using methods that are faster, cheaper and safer than traditional methods, and demonstrates its effectiveness as an early warning surveillance tool.

Continued surveillance over time will increase our confidence in the status of marine pests within those environments, inform marine pest management efficacy and practices, and enable evidence-based decision-making.

Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, and port authorities, are committed to continuing this valuable marine pest surveillance program and are currently assessing options for the ongoing implementation of the program into the future.

F15

Maintain communications with agencies with interests in higher-risk ships transiting the Torres Strait and the Coral Sea but not calling at an Australian port.

In July 2019, the National Plan Strategic Coordination Committee released the final report of the National Plan ‘Exercise Torres 2018’. This exercise in the Torres Strait and Kaiwalagal Region, focused on the interaction of the Queensl and maritime incident and disaster management arrangements with the National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies.

Maritime Safety Queensland is meeting with regional disaster management groups on a regular basis due to the COVID-19 response requirements.