Maritime industry awash with expectation in Canberra
Today, senior representatives from Australia’s maritime industry descended on Parliament House, Canberra at an event designed to enable a frank exchange with senators and MP about the challenges and opportunities inherent to the sector.
The event was attended by more than 70 dignitaries, including embassy officials, senators, MPs, and MIAL members who offered a wealth of insights and optimism, as well as practical solutions to major and newly emerging challenges facing the industry.
In her opening remarks, the Hon Catherine King MP, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government acknowledged that the Australian Government is fully aware that the maritime industry is a primary driver of the Australian economy and workforce.
MIAL Chair David Borcoski emphasised that Australia’s sovereign commercial shipping industry has played a critical role in supporting our economy and national security.
“It is a role that has until recently gone relatively unnoticed and is out of sight and out of mind to most people. As a result, Australia’s role in international and domestic shipping has experienced a sharp decline over decades,” he said.
But the message was not all doom and gloom.
“This is an extraordinary time in the history of Australian shipping. Through the Maritime Strategic Fleet Policy we will be joining our allies in recognising that a national commercial fleet is essential to national resilience and that actively investing in maintaining a base level of sovereign maritime capability is essential to support our strategic interests.
“We welcome the government’s decision to proactively invest in our national resilience by moving forward with implementation of the strategic fleet policy through the 3-vessel pilot. However, the job is not yet done.
“The importance of addressing the competitive position of Australian shipping generally through adjustments to existing tax arrangements is captured in Recommendation 1 of the Strategic Fleet Taskforce Report. To ensure the long-term success of the strategic fleet policy and to enable natural growth in Australian flagged shipping, including our international register, the AISR, MIAL urges the government to quickly move onto the next step – implementation of Recommendation 1 to enable our industry to compete on a level playing field,” he said.
MIAL CEO Angela Gillham made it clear that bipartisan support and genuine action are what’s needed for the industry to succeed.
“We are a large island at the end of the global supply chain. Securing sovereign commercial maritime capability to service the needs of an island nation – the skills, the knowhow, and the assets – is an urgent national resilience issue,” she said.
Images from the event
