While many MUA members have already donned SES gear and contributed to the massive effort responding to Queensland's recent flooding, yet more stand ready to assist communities in need through their workplaces, with the impact of the disaster highlighting the importance of maritime freight connections and transport infrastructure in times of tragedy, crisis or disaster.
Recent incidents across Australia have highlighted the need for resilient social and economic supply chains for regional centres and major cities facing floods and fires quickly destroy or threaten road infrastructure.
While paying tribute to volunteers' service in the wake of floods, bushfire and other crises, the MUA's Queensland Branch has highlighted that there is more capacity available in the sector to provide support to communities in recovery.
"Strategic maritime assets including tug boats, research vessels, reef keepers and coastal trading vessels can be deployed during these emergencies to provide transport of vital resources, equipment and personnel in areas that have been cut off by flood or fire, but this capacity needs to be unlocked by government and industry working together in a coordinated and strategic way" said Aaron Johnston, Deputy Branch Secretary of the Queensland MUA.
"As an island nation, in times of crisis, it is often our maritime connections that are the only durable and reliable method of transporting essential goods to communities in need," Johnston said.
The Maritime Union Queensland Branch echoes the observations made by industry players including Maritime Industry Australia Ltd CEO, Angela Gilham, who said this week that "Australia is experiencing nearly annual catastrophic flooding events affecting critical land transport infrastructure, with damage to the east-west rail line in 2022 and destruction of the Fitzroy River Crossing in 2023" and that "as a large island at the end of the global supply chain, Australia should be a strong maritime nation. Naturally, we are utterly dependent on sea transport, but when it comes to sovereign shipping capability, we have an ever-diminishing fleet of nine [Australian flagged vessels] and are almost completely reliant on foreign assets and human capital, which leaves us vulnerable."
The disasters of recent years, which are occurring regularly at various locations throughout our continent, highlight the importance of a baseline capacity provided by an Australian flagged and crewed fleet of strategic ships operating in the national interest. This is the purpose of the Australian Strategic Fleet programme now being finalised by the Australian Government.
"Once the Strategic Fleet is up and running, communities will be able to call upon Government to direct these vessels to provide swift assistance, rather than hoping and praying suitable vessels owned and managed by overseas companies are nearby and available to provide help," Mr Johnston said.
The Australian Strategic Fleet's remit includes specific obligations to respond to major disaster recovery efforts at the direction of the Commonwealth Government.
The MUA Queensland Branch also calls on the Queensland Government to ensure the additional budgeted funding for disaster management of $20 million is also used to improve vital maritime infrastructure, training and industry development with these factors front of mind so that disaster resilience and recovery can be bolstered by maritime capacity.
