DCN May Edition 2019

MISSION TO SEAFARERS
The value of seafarer
welfare committees
Shane Hobday explains how charities, the private sector
and government are improving the lives of seafarers
THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY DEPENDS
on the seafarers who crew the ships of the
world’s commercial fleets. The welfare of
those seafarers is a major factor in the safe
working and operation of the industry.
However, until early last decade, there
had been little in the way of a coordinated
international and national approach to this
vital human aspect. As an island nation,
Australia is totally dependent on the
shipping industry for the export and import
of many of its day-to-day products, with
more than 98% of our trade with the rest of
the world being delivered by ship.
Shane Hobday, director,
Mission to Seafarers & chair,
Sydney Seafarer Welfare Committee
Meetings are attended by representatives
from the welfare organisations (Mission to
Seafarers, Stella Maris, Seamans Christian
Friend Society), Australian Maritime Safety
Authority, Australian Mariners Welfare
Society, Shipping Australia, Port Authority
of NSW, NSW Ports, stevedores, ITF and
Tas Bull Seafarers Foundation.
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Through the relationships developed in
these meetings during recent months the
welfare organisations were able to provide
prompt support to seafarers on a number of
ships that had been involved in incidents.
In addition, the committee has actively
pursued a number of initiatives to improve
the experience of seafarers when visiting
Sydney’s ports including:
• Working with the Port Authority of
NSW to ensure all ships are aware of the
seafarer welfare services available before
entering Sydney ports;
• Free Wi-fi on the Mission to Seafarers
Sydney bus during the trip to and from
Port Botany with the support of the Port
Authority of NSW;
• Free Wi-fi for seafarers at various
locations at the Port Botany facilities of
NSW Ports and Patrick Terminals;
• Investigation by Tas Bull Seafarer
Foundation of how to provide a portwide
Wi-fi system;
• Delivering small gift packs to the
seafarers in port on Christmas Day.
Based on feedback from seafarers visiting
Sydney’s ports, access to the internet is
viewed as the most important port-based
welfare service, hence it has been a key
focus area of the committee.
The Sydney Seafarers Welfare Committee
provides a report to the Australian
Seafarers Welfare Council. The report
outlines progress on key initiatives and
identifies where assistance is required.
EYES AND EARS
These port committees are the eyes and
ears of seafarer welfare in Australia
and therefore key to improving the
lives of seafarers visiting Australian
ports. To be effective the committees
need representation from all welfare
organisations, port operators, AMSA,
shipping industry, stevedores and other
relevant stakeholders.
SEAFARERS AND THE MLC
The Maritime Labour Convention 2006
requires the establishment of seafarer
welfare committees at the port, at both
a regional and national level. At the
national level Australia has established
the Australian Seafarers’ Welfare Council
to ensure the adequacy of existing
seafarer welfare facilities and to assist
in coordination of port/regional welfare
committees. By way of example, at a
port level Sydney has a seafarer welfare
committee which covers Port Botany and
Sydney Harbour and meets on a quarterly
basis to consider seafarer issues and
opportunities to improve their time in port.
PROVIDING CARE FOR SEAFARERS IN SYDNEY
In Sydney, the Mission to Seafarers provides the vast majority of the welfare
services for visiting seafarers including:
A free bus from Port Botany to the city and return (four trips a day);
• The Seafarer Centre at Walsh Bay offering money changing, free Wi-fi, discounted
souvenirs and personal shopping items, cable TV, amenities etc;
Chaplains who visit ships to support those seafarers unable to obtain shore leave;
Assistance as needed when there have been incidents on board;
• A new initiative to provide services to the crew of the many passenger ships
entering Sydney Harbour.
If you would like to volunteer as a bus driver or in some other capacity please
contact the Mission to Seafarers 02 9241 3009. Please contact us also if you are
interested in making a donation.
For more information on the Mission to Seafarers Sydney please visit our website
or look us up on Facebook.
Image supplied
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