Shipshape

New Emergency Vessel

MUA seafarers will crew a purpose built emergency towage rescue vessel earmarked for Cairns under an enterprise agreement, Assistant National Secretary Mick Doleman reports. The Federal Government and Productivity Commission investigated harbour towage and emergency towing arrangements before issuing the license. It will come under Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) control with Swire Pacific awarded the eight-year contract. The vessel will also do navigation and channel beacon work referred to Nav/Aids similar to old lighthouse vessels. It will not be involved in normal harbour towage.

World's Biggest

The world's largest hopper dredger, the 10,000/35,508 cubic metre capacity Van Oord Dredger Volvox Asia, and the Boskalis dredger Fairway will undertake contract dredging of the South Channel, inner harbour and berths at Weipa for the Queensland Ports Corporation between May and September.

South Queensland Branch Secretary Mick Carr reports the crowd arrived in Beijing to mobilise the vessel for the six-month contract. It will employ an MUA complement of 16 and with an extra AB welder 17. The project also involves a sweep tug, barge and survey boat.

LNG Talks

National Secretary Paddy Crumlin, Assistant National Secretary Rick Newlyn and WA Branch Secretary Chris Cain put our case for ongoing MUA and Australian seafarers' involvement in the LNG trade with Woodside and Pluto Project management in Perth in April.

The heads of agreement signed with Kansai Electric covers LNG deliveries from the end of 2010 for a 15-year term with an option to extend a further five years. Combined with the heads of agreement with Tokyo Gas for 1.5 to 1.75 metric tonnes per annum, it gives the MUA the security to go forward in the LNG trade post 2009.