Industry friends and business partners from across Victoria and Australia gathered yesterday in Kooyong, Melbourne, for the Shipping Australia Victoria State Committee Winter Luncheon.
There was a record turnout this year with close to 140 guests filling the dining room of the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club. Guests were treated to pre-luncheon drinks and a fantastic three course meal (and desert was, frankly, fabulous!).
Guest speakers were Victoria’s Minister for Ports and Freight, Melissa Horne, and the CEO of the Port of Melbourne, Saul Cannon.
Minister Horne, yesterday paid tribute to the resilience of the global shipping industry.
“The pandemic triggered enormous disruption in your industry. It caused delays. It generated friction. It disrupted shipping schedules and produced a level of chaos in the global supply chain never seen before in peacetime,” Minister Horne said.
And she then declared: “But your industry overcame those challenges. The Victorian Government recognises that. And I recognise that”.
Noting that ocean shipping is a critical part of the supply chain that, “really delivered,” Minister Horne said that, despite the enormous challenges of the pandemic, that the ocean shipping industry “adapted and kept shelves stocked and it maintained essential supplies”.
Commenting on the event today, Shipping Australia CEO Captain Melwyn Noronha thanked our guest speakers Saul Cannon, CEO of the Port of Melbourne, and Victoria’s Minister for Ports and Freight, Melissa Horne, for their time and their insights.
Mr Cannon briefly introduced himself to guests. Although he never particularly had a grand aspiration to be a CEO, he added that he was so enthused by the opportunity of heading up the Port of Melbourne he accepted the position. Mr Cannon discussed several of the port transformation projects underway at the Port of Melbourne. He also encouraged all participants in the supply chain to work to put aside part of their self interest and to work for the national interest.
Shipping Australia will provide and overview of Minister Horne’s and Mr Cannon’s comments in next week’s edition of our newsletter.
Shipping Australia’s Victoria State Chair, James Kurz, was the host of the event and he noted a variety of developments in ocean shipping. Starting with the IMO 2020 policy, which was on of the most significant policy changes in shipping for some time, he briefly reviewed some of the effects of the COVID pandemic on the supply chain.
Mr Kurz also welcomed Sue Dight, Regional Director of the Missions to Seafarers Australia and acknowledged her tireless work to improve the treatment and wellbeing of seafarers. He also thanked the very many parties in Victoria, such as the terminal operators, the Port of Melbourne, and all those who support the State Committee in its work.
Mr Kurz thanked the Victoria International Container Terminal for its generous sponsorship of our event. VICT are one of the leading terminal operators in Melbourne and Australia’s first fully automated container terminal. VICT are a valued member of Shipping Australia, and we sincerely thank them for their support today. Patrick Chan, Chief Commercial Officer of VICT, provided an overview to guests of the business of VICT.
Following yesterday’s event, Captain Noronha today also paid tribute to the time and effort of Shipping Australia’s Victorian State Committee, which comprises chair James Kurz and State Secretary Charles Masters, who organised the event.
“I was extremely impressed with the way the event was put together and it was very professionally organised”, Captain Noronha said.
“It was really great to see so many people from the industry gather together in Melbourne to enjoy the luncheon yesterday. It was wonderful to meet friends, acquaintances, and business partners – many of whom we had only met via remote meeting software – and it was well-patronised by executives from a wide variety of sectors of the supply chain. I was really happy that we facilitated this gathering of the supply chain community in Victoria and that we were part of it”.
Shipping Australia acknowledges that the event was held on the Traditional Lands of the Wurundjeri, Woi Wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the East Kulin Nations and pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
