We are committed to fostering collaboration, sharing knowledge, and driving innovation within the maritime and port industry

Environment

Ports Australia supports opportunities for ports to maximise positive environmental impacts and mitigate adverse environmental impacts. We support the research and implementation of evidence-based changes that are evaluated to be sustainable, providing a long-term cost benefit.

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Overview:

The Australian federal government and the jurisdictions have responsibility for environmental regulation.

The key federal environmental legislation is the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The focus of this legislation is the protection of matters of national environmental significance. The federal government also regulates biosecurity, and this is via the ​​​​​Biosecurity Act 2015. The focus of this legislation is to monitor, control and respond to pests and diseases that enter proximity of Australia or its external territories. It outlines that biosecurity is a shared responsibility of the federal government, the jurisdictions and industry. The Australian federal government and the jurisdictions have responsibility for environmental regulation.

The key states and territory environmental responsibilities are for regulation of environmental matters other than those regulated by the federal government, and for resource management. Jurisdictions differ in their approaches and processes around environmental regulation, and this is reflected in their specific legislation and regulation.

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Ports Australia position

Ports Australia supports measures for ports to maximise positive environmental impacts and mitigate adverse environmental impacts. It supports the research and implementation of evidence-based changes that are evaluated to be sustainable, providing a long-term cost benefit.

Ports Australia thus engages in open dialogue with government bodies that are responsible for environment, decarbonisation , biosecurity research, and national policy and initiative implementation. As environmental protection is a whole of supply chain responsibility, Ports Australia also engages with other relevant supply chain industry associations where appropriate.

Land-Use Planning

Ports Australia advocates for considered industrial land use planning with suitably sized and located land allocated for the supply chain, particularly as populations and freight volumes increase. This is essential to enable cost-effective and efficient freight and logistics activities.

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Overview:

Industrial land includes but is not limited to land used for ports, transportation corridors, intermodal terminals and warehousing.

The Australian Federal government has limited governance related to land use planning, with the key federal responsibilities coming from the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Also, as part of the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, and the Arts developed the National Urban Freight Planning Principles in consultation with all levels of government along with industry. It details the principles that should be adopted when undertaking urban freight planning in Australia.

States, territories and local governments have primary governance over land use planning. The most significant aspect of which is to determine areas that will be assigned for certain uses as part of zoning.

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Ports Australia position

Planning policies need to ensure adequate industrial land protection and allocation to meet the freight demands of the nation now and into the future. Ports are part of an interconnected supply chain that relies on other transport modes and distribution centres to make freight transportation as timely and cost-effective as possible.

Proper planning allows for the realisation of positive social and economic outcomes for industry and individuals, and in turn the economy; and reduces the likelihood of negative long-term impacts such as disturbance in residential and commercial areas from increased road congestion. As the supply chain is interconnected across Australia, the impact of not allocating or properly planning for industrial space in one jurisdiction could have consequential effects on the supply chain across the country.

Ports Australia’s position aligns with the National Urban Freight Planning Principles, developed by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts in consultation with industry and endorsed by Infrastructure and Transport Ministers.

Security

Ports Australia advocates for and supports operational resilience of the sector and the supply chain with the adoption of practical outcome focused approaches, including cybersecurity and in response to emerging risks.

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Overview:

A subset of ports in Australia has additional security requirements. The primary security requirements for the maritime sector are contained in the Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Act 2003 (MTOFSA). The maritime sector entities covered include security regulated ships, port operators, port facility operators, offshore facilities, and offshore service providers. It requires that these entities assess their security risks; have an approved maritime security plan; and report on incidents. The MTOFSA also details levels of maritime security, and maritime security zone and maritime security guard requirements under the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018. It defines 20 ports in Australia as critical assets, and states that these ports are subject to the following measures:

• Ports to provide operational information for a register of critical assets;
• Ports to advise the Australian Government should a notifiable event occur at one of the ports; and
• Ministerial directions power which will allow the Minister for Home Affairs to require an entity that is facing a threat which may have national security implications to undertake or refrain from a certain action within a specified period.

As part of this, the Department of Home Affairs is  currently undertaking reform work to the Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Act 2003.

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Ports Australia position

Ports Australia recognises the importance of ensuring that Australia’s ports are secure and the increasing threat of cyber-attacks to supply chain operations and is pleased that the Department of Home Affairs is attempting to address these concerns by reforms to the Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Act 2003. Ports Australia emphasises the need for these reforms to:

• Define the default responsible entity as the port facility operator, as opposed to the port operator which is currently the default responsible entity;
• Outline a clear framework for appropriate identification of critical ports and intermodal terminals, and have this duly applied;
• Ensure aligned governance across sectors, as some entities may be captured under multiple sectors; and
• Undertake significant industry consultation for sector specific thresholds and obligations.

Ports Australia has a long-standing port security working group and has established a cybersecurity working group to address heightened risks in this space.

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Sustainability

Ports Australia supports ports to be sustainable, including advocating for the implementation of evidence based and cost-effective approaches for decarbonisation of the maritime sector.

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Landscape:

The Australian government is committed to the 2030 Agenda, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development.

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Ports Australia position:

Sustainability is a guiding principle for all of Ports Australia’s work including all policy positions as well as being a key policy focus.

Ports Australia recognises that sustainability is relevant to all aspects of port business, stakeholders and along supply chains, and is taking action to support government and ports in policy and initiatives that are sustainable.

Ports Australia initiatives which intend to support the sustainable growth and prosperity of ports in Australia and beyond, which include but are not limited to:

• Development of tools to assist with improved asset condition inspections;
• Development of industry guidelines focused on sustainability including the Port Sustainability Strategy Development Guide;
• Facilitation of knowledge sharing across the industry via communities of practice; and
• Extension of port connections across New Zealand and the Pacific.

Workforce

Ports Australia encourages capacity, capability and diversity within the maritime sector.

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Landscape:

The Australian government supports skilled work through the promotion of certain occupations and education offerings, targeted and/or subsidised education offerings, and support of migrant programs.

Many maritime roles require  highly skilled professionals, including but not limited to, pilots, towage operators, linesmen, hydrographic surveyors, stevedores and vessel traffic service operators. Due to the specific knowledge required in these roles and a port function being contingent on having these personnel, it is critical that there are sufficient maritime professionals for the sector.

Australia has limited higher education maritime institutes  the Australian Maritime College is an example of one of the few institutions.

Australian ports invest significant resources in cadetships, apprenticeships, and personnel development for onshore and offshore maritime roles.

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Ports Australia position

Ports Australia recommends enhanced government support of maritime skills through maritime education offerings and skilled migrant programs.

Ports Australia supports ports in building greater awareness about the sector offerings to people outside of the sector, enhancing skills and knowledge amongst port employees, and in increasing port workforce diversity.

Work Health and Safety

Proper work health and safety is fundamental to port operations and Ports Australia supports Australian ports in the continuation and where possible, uplift, of work health and safety systems and practices, across the industry.

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Overview:

Every employer has a responsibility towards the health and safety of its employees, contractors and visitors while in the workplace. Under the National Work Health and Safety Act 2011 a duty is imposed on employers to ensure that risks to health and safety are eliminated or minimised so far as reasonably practicable.

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Ports Australia position:

Proper work health and safety is fundamental to port operations and Ports Australia supports Australian ports in the continuation and where possible, uplift, of work health and safety systems and practices, across the industry and through the Ports Australia Work Health and Safety Working Group.

Ports Australia seeks to strengthen resources and networks available to the ports around safety. The Australian Port Marine Safety Management Guidelines is one publication that exemplifies this, which is aimed at promoting the implementation of good practice standards in the conduct of safe and efficient marine operations within commercial ports, thereby focussing on the protection of life, human injury, and damage to the port marine and terrestrial environment, property, and infrastructure.

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