Port shipping kept safe
Published Wednesday, 31 October, 2007 at 04:03 PM
Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Maritime Safety Queensland Port Procedures for cruise ships entering the Port of Brisbane are based on internationally-recognised guidelines of the highest standard, and are applied along with a rigorous risk assessment process.
Transport Minister John Mickel today categorically rejected a suggestion that the Regional Harbour Master and Maritime Safety Queensland made arbitrary rulings about the size of ships allowed into the port.
"The Regional Harbour Master is a highly skilled and professional mariner who is responsible for the safe movement of vessels in the Port of Brisbane," Mr Mickel said.
"The suggestion that he had set an arbitrary limit of 240 metres on the length of ships that could sail up the Brisbane River is plainly wrong.
"Indeed, a respected national newspaper today has a feature about a well-known cruise liner being in dry dock in Brisbane now – and it's 261 metres long.
"Maritime Safety Queensland determines the limiting sizes based on proven simulation results when going outside recognised international standards.
"Other factors including weather, tides and critical port infrastructure are also taken into consideration.
"As most people know who follow the arrivals and departures of the big cruise liners in the Port of Brisbane, the safety of the Gateway Bridge is a prime example."
Maritime Safety Queensland and officers of the Department of Tourism and Regional Development met representatives of the Brisbane Cruise Ship Terminal in April when ship size limitations were discussed in detail.
At that time Rhapsody of the Seas was denied access to the terminal because of its size.
A total of 57 cruise ships have utilised the Brisbane Cruise Ship Terminal since its opening in August last year, with visitors from these ships injecting more than $56 million into the local economy.
No approach has been made to the agency on behalf of another large liner, the Queen Victoria.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3237 1944 or Elouise Campion 3237 1125.
October 31, 2007
Transport Minister John Mickel today categorically rejected a suggestion that the Regional Harbour Master and Maritime Safety Queensland made arbitrary rulings about the size of ships allowed into the port.
"The Regional Harbour Master is a highly skilled and professional mariner who is responsible for the safe movement of vessels in the Port of Brisbane," Mr Mickel said.
"The suggestion that he had set an arbitrary limit of 240 metres on the length of ships that could sail up the Brisbane River is plainly wrong.
"Indeed, a respected national newspaper today has a feature about a well-known cruise liner being in dry dock in Brisbane now – and it's 261 metres long.
"Maritime Safety Queensland determines the limiting sizes based on proven simulation results when going outside recognised international standards.
"Other factors including weather, tides and critical port infrastructure are also taken into consideration.
"As most people know who follow the arrivals and departures of the big cruise liners in the Port of Brisbane, the safety of the Gateway Bridge is a prime example."
Maritime Safety Queensland and officers of the Department of Tourism and Regional Development met representatives of the Brisbane Cruise Ship Terminal in April when ship size limitations were discussed in detail.
At that time Rhapsody of the Seas was denied access to the terminal because of its size.
A total of 57 cruise ships have utilised the Brisbane Cruise Ship Terminal since its opening in August last year, with visitors from these ships injecting more than $56 million into the local economy.
No approach has been made to the agency on behalf of another large liner, the Queen Victoria.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3237 1944 or Elouise Campion 3237 1125.
October 31, 2007