IN A KEYNOTE address on Day 2 of the Seafarers Welfare Conference in Fremantle, WA minister for ports David Michael told the audience that Fremantle Ports is working to establish a more sustainable funding model for seafarer welfare services.

The model would see the shipping industry contribute in what he said would be an ongoing, reasonable and systematic manner.

“The signs are positive that progress is being made in this direction,” Minister Michael said.

Fremantle Ports have a commitment to seafarer welfare, to address and mitigate legal and inhumane treatment of maritime workers.

“Typically these risks are confinement of ships for long periods, non-payment of or withheld salaries and unlawful or unreasonable working conditions.

“Elsewhere in WA, all our port authorities are equally supportive of seafarer welfare initiatives. In the south of the state, Southern Ports Authority provides active support through cooperation with seafarer missions in the three ports of Albany, Esperance and Bunbury.”

Conference delegates visited the Bunbury port this week, a port the Minister also visited last week.

“About 18,000 seafarers visit these three ports each year. And over the last 12 months, the Southern Ports Authority has provided funding for new buses in Esperance and Bunbury, donated $20,000 to welfare missions in Albany, and donated bicycles with helmets to the Mission to Seafarers both at Esperance and Bunbury to give visiting seafarers access to a wider range of activities to better enjoy their time on shore.

“And they provided assistance for landscaping improvements at the Mission to Seafarers Centre in Esperance. Southern Ports also provides Wi-Fi boxes to visiting vessels at all its ports to enable seafarers to stay connected with friends and family. The authority also prepares and delivers hampers of fresh produce and merchandise to visiting crews over the Christmas season and to celebrate International Day of the Seafarers every June.

“These very human touches typify the close relationships between the missions, the seafarers that they look after, and the port authorities who manage shipping and landside operations. Of course, the state government’s most significant investment in seafarer welfare was announced recently, and this is the development of a new seafarer centre at our busiest port of Port Hedland.”

The Minister said a $13.5 million centre would be built on the land which the state purchased a few years ago.

“The cost of the new centre will be recovered over several years through a levy on iron ore shipping serviced by the port. This centre will provide services to 150,000 seafarers who visit the port every year as the existing centre which I got to visit is no longer suitable for purposes of modern seafarer welfare support. The new centre will provide a full range of accommodation, recreational spaces, dining facilities and chaplaincy in a comfortable and modern facility.

“We’re very grateful for the strong support of industry for this initiative and I commend the Pilbara Port Authority for their strong advocacy and desire to get this project off the ground. I look forward to seeing it open and improving the experience of visitors to a busier port and bustling port.”