John Murphy (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have been approached by constituents who are concerned about the standards of training for Australian marine engineers and proposals to change the current standards. I place on the record the following salient facts about the profession of marine engineering and the importance of maintaining the current standards of training.

Marine engineers are the officers employed on ships and other maritime vessels who are responsible for the operation and maintenance of the ship's machinery. This includes the main propulsion machinery with all its control systems and the steering gear. It also includes all of the ancillary machinery that provides electrical power for the vessel, the fuel storage and transfer system, and fire-fighting systems.

The standards of training and certification of marine engineers are covered by Marine Orders, which are regulations under the Navigation Act. These Marine Orders, or MOs, are issued by the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority—AMSA. Marine Orders Part 3, or MO3, is the Marine Order dealing with qualifications of deck officers and ratings, as well as of marine engineers.

Concerns have been raised with me about the reduction of standards that has been proposed in a draft MO3 circulated by AMSA in late 2011. One effect of the proposed changes is that the training time for marine engineers will be reduced from the current 36 months to 12 months—that is, from three years to one year. There are serious concerns that this period is inadequate to produce a highly skilled technical officer with the understanding and expertise to deal with the complex systems of modern vessels.

One Australian shipping operator has suggested that the current minimum period should actually be increased to 42 months. It should be noted that the minimum period was four years not that long ago. This minimum training period includes theory training in college, workshop service ashore and qualifying sea service on a ship. Whilst the current Australian standard of 36 months of education for an engineer cadet could well need to be reviewed, a reduction to 12 months is not the answer. All stakeholders should meet to discuss and agree on what should constitute an AMSA approved marine engineer cadetship and the outcome should be inserted in the Marine Order. Furthermore, any reduction to the amount of sea service required to obtain a specific certificate of competency would have the flow-on effect of lowering the standard of Australian certification.

Another major concern regarding the draft MO3 that has been brought to my attention is that entry into the marine engineering training courses would be open to persons who do not possess the prerequisites currently required for new entrants. These prerequisites are either HSC-level passes in English, mathematics and physics or relevant trade qualifications. In the area of theoretical knowledge, of particular importance to marine engineers are, of course, the subjects of mathematics and science, including electrotechnology and perhaps steam propulsion systems.

A third concern that has come to my attention is the proposed deletion of the current mandatory requirement to demonstrate practical proficiency by successfully completing an oral examination conducted by a qualified examiner of marine engineers. Examiners employed by AMSA cannot conduct practical examinations onboard ships and so the oral examination is the crucial final step in the training process to ensure the standards of training are maintained. Deletion of the oral examination would be a retrograde step, as it could allow a reduction of the training process to end in the granting of a certificate of competency to a person who may not actually be competent as a marine engineer in any practical sense. Therefore, there should be no weakening of the current regulation that a certificate will not be issued until the applicant has passed an oral examination conducted by an AMSA examiner.

The constituents who have approached me want to see that good maritime standards are maintained. In particular, they are concerned about the standards of training for Australian marine engineers and proposals to reduce current standards. I, too, share their concerns.