Jim Wilson

First published in The Conversation. Note: this article was written by academics on a topic of current interest. It is included here for solely for the interest of readers. Shipping Australia neither endorses or rejects the content.  Chad Hewitt, Lincoln University, New Zealand; Gregory Ruiz, Smithsonian Institution; Ian Davidson, Cawthron Institute, and Mario Tamburri, University...

The Essential Services Commission is asking for public feedback as part of its second inquiry into whether the Port of Melbourne has been operating competitively and efficiently, in accordance with the Victorian Government’s pricing order. A public forum (details below) will be held shortly. Essential Services Commission Chairperson and Commissioner Gerard Brody commented: “This inquiry...

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and Development Bank of Japan Inc. (DBJ) have announced a five-year Impact partnership to accelerate the adoption of maritime decarbonisation solutions through innovative financing approaches. The partnership combines GCMD’s experience in conducting real-world pilots with DBJ’s transition financing expertise and extensive shipping and maritime portfolio. It builds on...

A new compliance plan for 2026-2027 has been published by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. The plan outlines AMSA’s priority compliance activities from 01 July 2026. “The plan helps industry and our compliance partners understand the areas AMSA will focus on during the year. These priorities are informed by inspection data, marine incident trends, investigations,...

Rebecca Strating, La Trobe University and Arzan Tarapore, Stanford University The closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the US-Iran war has brought home how vital maritime trading routes are to a country like Australia, which conducts 99% of its global trade by sea. Protecting Australia’s supply of critical goods – and exports of minerals,...

Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz (as at Thursday 30 July 2026 at 13:00 Greenwich Mean Time) Since 16/7, there have been seven attacks on merchant vessels in the Persian Gulf, detailed below: 17/7, Marshall Islands-flagged IDI hit by projectile. No fire or injuries were reported. 17/7, tanker BELMA hit by projectile from US blockading...

PT Asian Bulk Logistics (ABL Group) has announced the completion of its majority shareholding acquisition of the Engage Marine Group (Engage Marine Pty Ltd and its subsidiaries), an Australian provider of integrated maritime services. Completion follows the satisfaction of all conditions precedent under a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA), including execution of the relevant completion process...

This year in Tokyo, FONASBA’s 2026 Annual Meeting (11-14 October) programme will feature engaging plenary sessions with leading international and local speakers, exploring current challenges and opportunities in shipping, logistics, and maritime policy. There will be ample opportunity for networking, allowing participants to build new relationships and deepen existing ones. We are especially pleased to...

Shipping Australia is disappointed with the ongoing fee hikes at the Pilbara Ports Authority and the response of the Hon Stephen Dawson MLC, WA Minister for Ports. Shipping Australia is also disconcerted by the ongoing fee hikes for services across Australian ports, which are often large, imposed out-of-cycle, and at short notice. In relation to...

Maritime piracy and armed robbery incidents fell to their lowest level since 1992 in the first half of 2026, according to the latest report from ICC’s International Maritime Bureau (IMB). However, the ICC / IMB warn that crew safety is still at risk and that there is a resurgence of Somali piracy. Thirty-eight incidents of...