Paul Neville (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—This Navigation Amendment Bill 2011 that has been referred to the committee is very interesting both from the point of view of the parliament and of the committee. This was one of the first pieces of legislation, certainly in the transport area, that was referred to a committee under the new paradigm, so it brings that Senate overview type of activity into the House of Representatives. This was not a particularly controversial piece of legislation but there were aspects that needed to be looked at, and the committee brought in witnesses who were central to that, including the Department of Infrastructure and Transport, the Maritime Union of Australia, the Australian Shipowners Association et cetera.

There are two aspects to this bill. One is minor, which is to improve tracking services in the southern area of the Great Barrier Reef. That resonates with me personally because the incident that is cited in the bill is that of the Shen Neng 1, which went aground on the southern barrier reef in April 2010. It resonates with me because when it was pulled off the reef it had to be taken into some clear or protected water to be unloaded. It was decided to take it into Hervey Bay. The water mass or the maritime area of Hervey Bay, from the western shores of Fraser Island to the mainland, is in my electorate. Hervey Bay is a pristine environment, with sea grasses and various marine activities, and I, for one, was quite nervous about it. I was given the opportunity to go over the ship in a helicopter while the unloading process was carried out. Thank heavens, it was carried out effectively and without spillage. It emphasised how important the tracking of shipping going through the Barrier Reef is.

Over the years various pilots and captains of vessels have found short cuts. Where people know what they are doing, probably those short cuts are not something we should get terribly excited about. But there are other areas where it is plainly dangerous to go out of the regular channels. That was the suggestion made in relation to the Shen Neng 1. Had that vessel been so damaged that it could not be unloaded, it would have been something quite tragic. That minor amendment in the bill seeks to fix that up.

The other aspect of this bill, as the chairman of the committee has just said, gives effect to an ILO convention, the Maritime Labour Convention. That convention is fairly important, and is recognised by the whole maritime industry as very important, because it consolidates 68 different instruments of the ILO into this one convention.

The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties also had a look at this, and there was a dissenting report built largely around the lack of consultation and another matter referring to whether cadets—being young guys, largely—on vessels share accommodation as part of their initial training. The MUA had some concerns about that. It was agreed that AMSA should look into that. They point out in turn that not every cadet is forced to share. Nevertheless, that one aspect is still up in the air a little. However, the committee has recommended approving this convention. Paragraph 112 of the report says:

The ASA indicates that passage of the Bill and ratification of the MLC will improve protection for workers, benefit shipowners by addressing some areas of competitive disadvantage by levelling standards of employment, and provide certainty to stakeholders that basic social standards can be enforced. The ASA describes its commitment to ratification as ‘unwavering’ and urges ratification at the ‘earliest possible opportunity’.

That is a very good overview and it is supported by the Maritime Union of Australia as well. It is important because, for this convention to take effect, 30 nations have to give assent to it. Fifteen nations have done so far, but Australia has been a bit on the slow side, and all the players in this particular activity leading up to the presentation of this bill have asked that it be expedited. The committee shares that view and the committee puts to the House in its one recommendation that the House of Representatives pass the Navigation Amendment Bill 2011. We commend the report to the House.

See this speech in context