The Roundtable was held at the spectacular Melbourne offices of MIAL Associate Member Colin Biggers & Paisley.

Yesterday, MIAL convened a Trans-Tasman Maritime Roundtable with the New Zealand Shipping Federation (NZSF) in Melbourne, which brought together key players from industry as well as both the Australian and New Zealand regulators.

Industry representatives were delighted to seriously engage with both AMSA and Maritime New Zealand on measures that can be adopted to make shipping in the region more of an attractive prospect for operators. The group discussed a range of barriers and issues, devising a number of meaningful actions that will be pursued in the coming weeks.
 
MIAL CEO Angela Gillham said the roundtable was about attracting quality shipping to our region by making it easier to operate between the jurisdictions.

Her message, echoed by NZSF Executive Director John Harbord, is that if we want people to want to base their operations in this region then we need to help both governments to prioritise decision-making based on industry needs.
 
The roundtable served to spark innovative ideas and suggestions, and it was fantastic to see industry leaders willing to make the time to engage in the frank discussion.

MIAL and NZSF are especially grateful to the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Spors and the Arts, and AMSA CEO Kaylene Dale and Chief Executive and Director of Maritime New Zealand, Kirstie Hewlett, and their senior executive teams for attending and contributing to the open and honest exchange of views.

It is envisaged that the roundtable will become a biannual event on the MIAL and NZSF calendar.

Networking at Majella

The roundtable was followed by a wonderful evening networking reception, generously sponsored by ASP Ships Group.

The event was held at Melbourne’s historic “Majella” mansion where ASP Ships Group CEO for Australia and New Zealand, Tim Asome delivered a well-received speech that served as a warm welcome to colleagues and peers from across the ditch.