Shipping industry 'in dire predicament'

Australia's seafarers work to provide more than 90 per cent of the country's exports
and imports and yet the industry is in a "dire predicament", Transport Minister
Anthony Albanese says.

Its problems are due to a combination of issues including workforce shortages, he said.
At the launch of the International Year of the Seafarer, Mr Albanese said seafarers
played a vital part in trade for the nation and the world.
"We are a trading nation and virtually all of our exports and imports - over 99 per
cent - are carried by nearly 4000 ships per annum," he told the gathering.
"We have the fifth largest shipping task on the planet."
Despite this fact, the shipping industry is in a "dire predicament", he said, noting
that while there were 2000 officers in Australia, the predicted shortfall, globally,
would reach 43,000 by 2013.
The government had already committed to establishing single regulatory bodies to
oversee heavy vehicle, rail and maritime transport industries, he said.
"We will rewrite the navigation act 1912, which, as it suggests, is a bit old. We
need to better support the contemporary needs of the industry.
"That's not about moving backwards to old-style protectionism, it's about moving
forwards to ensure the Australian industry can actually survive and thrive."
Australian Shipowners Association (ASA) executive director Teresa Hatch said the
last serious round of investment in shipping was two decades ago.
"Industry is willing to invest but industry needs to be able to invest knowing what
the rules of the road are, and being able to compete with others," Ms Hatch said.
At present, foreign ships can come into Australian waters and move cargo along the
coast without any cost burden compared to locally-based ships which are required to
pay fees.
"So I think the Australian companies are willing to invest but they need to know
that they can compete with that foreign ship that's doing the same task alongside
them," she said.