DCN AUGUST Edition 2019
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
“We’ve announced as part of our port<br />
master plan the commitment to deliver<br />
[international shipping] in Burnie. That is<br />
a challenging project but the benefits to the<br />
state if that is successful are huge.<br />
where we can pretty quickly attract the<br />
larger vessels that are stored in the region.<br />
“So this is about putting in place some<br />
short term initiatives but really with a longterm<br />
objective.”<br />
“I’m very confident that if we can<br />
deliver an international container service<br />
that reduces costs of international freight<br />
movement then we’ll see new markets<br />
within the state of Tasmania.”<br />
PORT OF MELBOURNE EXPERIENCE<br />
Mr Donald’s years with Port of Melbourne<br />
are well documented and he believes this<br />
experience is positive given that port’s role<br />
in Tasmania’s maritime trade.<br />
INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER<br />
TERMINAL FOR BURNIE<br />
While Burnie has been a vital port for<br />
years, in 2015 much was made of a<br />
memorandum-of-understanding between<br />
TasPorts and DPWA about plans for an<br />
international container terminal at the<br />
Anthony Donald, CEO, TasPorts<br />
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the<br />
Port of Melbourne Corporation and<br />
learned a significant amount about ports<br />
generally and about customer relationships<br />
and infrastructure project delivery.<br />
“Some of the customers we have today...<br />
are customers of the Port of Melbourne. I<br />
Bass Strait terminal.<br />
That MOU has lapsed but Mr Donald is far from throwing in<br />
the towel on the concept even as others have doubted its viability<br />
– former ANL executive Tom Holyman (now with Kalmar) used a<br />
shippers’ forum last year to say it would never be built.<br />
“We remain in contact with DPWA. All that has happened is the<br />
MOU we had in place with DPWA has elapsed (October last year),”<br />
Mr Donald says.<br />
“One of the benefits [the MOU] provided DPWA was exclusivity.<br />
have the benefit of knowing a little about their operations from a<br />
number of different perspectives which I think is helpful,” he says.<br />
“Also about looking at what is possible in terms of larger<br />
investment and larger projects.<br />
“I don’t think for a moment we are on the brink of the Webb<br />
Dock redevelopment project that I led the infrastructure delivery<br />
on, but I think that with a project like that you get to understand<br />
some of the issues and risks and certainly some of those ‘learnings’<br />
you get to take forward.”<br />
Notwithstanding that, we still have maintained contact with DP<br />
World. I have stated publicly and happy to say so again we have had<br />
interest from others.”<br />
He talks of a possible “staged development” with containers and<br />
bulk commodities.<br />
“One of the challenges and complexities is getting the right<br />
vessel size,” he says.<br />
“We think there is an opportunity, if we can use the same berth<br />
for two commodities, then our utilisation is going to go up.<br />
“It is more likely that our business case for dredging will be<br />
positive and that would enable us to move into an environment<br />
OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE<br />
Mr Donald is also excited about other infrastructure upgrades for<br />
the new TT-Line/Spirit of Tasmania vessels (Devonport), the new<br />
SeaRoad vessel and a new Australian Antarctic Division vessel set<br />
to be delivered at Hobart.<br />
SeaRoad brought in its impressive Searoad Mersey II vessel two<br />
years ago and plans are in place for a new sister vessel to replace the<br />
aging Searoad Tamar.<br />
“So those critical upgrades at our project delivery team are welladvanced<br />
in their planning and preparation,” he says.<br />
Spirit of Tasmania Searoad Tamar Tasmanian Achiever II Frisia Aller John Duigan<br />
FACT BOX SOME KEY SHIPS SERVICING TASMANIA<br />
TT-LINE<br />
SEAROAD<br />
Two Spirit of Tasmania<br />
ro-pax vessels, carrying<br />
vehicles, freight and<br />
people between<br />
Devonport and<br />
Melbourne.<br />
Searoad Mersey II<br />
(182 metres) and the<br />
Searoad Tamar (135<br />
metres), ro-ro cargo<br />
ships that move freight<br />
between Devonport and<br />
Melbourne; the latter is<br />
set for replacement.<br />
TOLL<br />
Tasmanian Achiever II<br />
and the Victorian<br />
Reliance II; new 210-<br />
metre ro-ro vessels that<br />
began operations early<br />
in <strong>2019</strong>; they move<br />
freight between Burnie<br />
and Melbourne.<br />
MSC<br />
Frisia Aller a 147-metre<br />
general cargo ship and<br />
Charlie B a 161-metre<br />
container ship, vessels<br />
that link Bell Bay with<br />
Sydney, Brisbane and<br />
Noumea via a weekly<br />
service.<br />
BASS ISLAND LINE<br />
John Duigan, an 80-metre<br />
barge that links King<br />
Island in Bass Strait with<br />
mainland Tasmania.<br />
thedcn.com.au August <strong>2019</strong> 43
Change language