Legislative Council, Thursday 24 August 2023

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I wish to make a statement on the adjournment regarding the latest response from the Leader to my questions relating to the all weather safe harbour at Grassy on King Island.

In my most recent question I reiterated previous advice the Leader had passed on in answers to my earlier questions. I noted that in previous answers TasPorts had advised the Leader that there is no demonstrable need for a second safe harbour at Grassy, and nor is there a demonstrated need to develop a master plan for Grassy Harbour.

The Leader was advised that the port of Grassy already has additional capacity beyond its current freight task, and that TasPorts would only review the position on the need for an additional safe harbour if demand were to significantly increase.

To give some context to my comments, my questions at that time were:

(1) Do the Government and TasPorts stand by this comment, when there has been numerous documented evidence of an inability for both the Bass Island Line vessel, the John Duigan, and vessels owned by Eastern Line Shipping, that have been denied access to the Grassy port? They have had to inform their customers on King Island, who had stock awaiting transport at the port, that had to be returned to farms - to try again tomorrow on account of the weather conditions.

(2) If so, on what basis does TasPorts make the claim that the current Grassy harbour is an all-weather safe harbour?

The Leader's response was:

To be clear, TasPorts previously advised that these vessels have not been denied access to the port of Grassy. Some vessels have experienced delayed entry, with TasPorts facilitating access at the next earliest and safest opportunity. There are acknowledged environment and weather-related safe port parameters that TasPorts and visiting vessels need to adhere to, that can restrict the times at which a vessel can berth and safely stay alongside. These include daylight hours of operation, tide, wind and surge, but these are not unique in a port context.

The answer previously provided also emphasised that -

Sailings of livestock or cargo are appropriately subject to the decision of the master of the vessel, who is responsible for the safe welfare and transit of animals on board in accordance with Tasmania's animal welfare guidelines. These decisions by the vessel master are made in consideration of sea conditions on Bass Strait, rather than simply the conditions at the port of Grassy.

Mr President, I am not sure that the Government truly understands the importance of the beef industry coming off King Island, when they say that vessels are only delayed in getting access to the port of Grassy in inclement weather conditions.

Feedback I have received from a key livestock vessel operator, Eastern Shipping Line, who incidentally provides significant community support to King Island, has provided me with the following advice. This is from Eastern Line Shipping:
[TBC]
As we are directed by VTS TasPorts if we can enter the port only when our vessel is situated at the Grassy Port limits, only then will they allow access or deny access due to wind, swell or daylight visibility.

Mr President, they have already crossed Bass Strait by this stage - or half of it:

On average, our vessels at port limits around 7 a.m. If VTS deem the port to be unsafe to continue to enter the port, we would be told to stand off until such time as was considered to make safe passage into the port. This at times could be some four to eight hours, depending on wind strength and direction, swell height and tide.

On average, each trip Eastern Line Shipping carries 11 empty cattle trailers over to the island from Greenhams to be filled with cattle, brought back to Stanley and processed at Greenhams Plant in Smithton, which employs some 230 meat processing workers at the plant.

When an Eastern Line Shipping vessel is denied or delayed access to the port due to weather conditions in the port, Greenhams MSA grading is in jeopardy. This is evident when cattle need to be transported say from Cape Wickham due to the time frame it takes to get the whole 11 trailers from the wharf to the farm and back to the vessel.

For those who are not familiar with King Island, this journey takes over an hour each way in a regular vehicle and does not include time to load cattle. The Meat Standards Australia grading program is a very important cost point for the producers. The MSA Greenhams run is worth some $2 million extra to farmers on King Island and the King Island economy each year.

Any delay or refusal into the Port of Grassy has a flow on effect, not only to Eastern Line Shipping, such as wages, port costs, extra fuel used to make it back to Stanley in time for processing and lost production at the processing plant. Delays which are not infrequent, are and will continue to be detrimental to this shipping company and Greenhams MSA grading program.

When I am told by the Leader, that sailing of livestock cargo are appropriately subject to the decision of the master of the vessel who is responsible for the safe welfare and transit of animals onboard in accordance with Tasmanian animal welfare guidelines. That these decisions by the vessel master are made in consideration of the sea conditions of Bass Strait, rather than simply the conditions of the Port of Grassy, I cannot help but feel frustrated on behalf of my constituents that we are not being heard.

The vessel can get to King Island. Of the decision of the master is to take the vessel from the Tasmanian mainland to King Island, obviously having dealt with Bass Strait and considered the Bass Strait conditions and have met the requirements for safe passage in accordance with Tasmanian animal welfare guidelines across Bass Strait, but cannot access the Port of Grassy as it is not an all weather port.

I do wish to comment further on the second part of the Leader's response when I asked a question with regard to her comments where she stated: (tbc)

I am further advised that following a recent visit to King Island by Cabinet, the Government agreed to review a feasibility study conducted in 2008 for the King Island Council and the former King Island Port Corporation for the future expansion of the Grassy Port.

Mr President, that is good news. They are going to look at the 2008 report and I absolutely look forward to that. The Leader did note the cost of the port upgrade at that time in 2008 was $40 million. Previously, not long before that, it was $21 million. To compare apples with apples, this was looking at a completely different proposal to what has been proposed now, where the use of overburden Group 6 Metals mines. It is a completely different consideration that should be made now. You can look at what happened in 2008, but we need to have a look at what is possible now in 2003, heading toward 2025 2026 when the overburden becomes available.

The Leader said that Government will review this study in light of changes to the King Island economy, population, changes in market and shipping services to and from the island. The Government should also consider the future needs, opportunities and the need to future proof this critical link between King Island, mainland Tasmania and mainland Australia. It is about the future, not just looking at the past.

My questions, I hope the Leader will take forward are: will the Government consider the future needs, opportunities and the need to future proof this critical link between King Island, mainland Tasmania and mainland Australia under this review? If so, what will the timeline for this review be and the timeline for the review currently underway - stated to be underway? Further, how will members of the King Island community engage with this review? Does the Government, after the recent Cabinet visit to King Island - I am not asking about TasPorts here, we understand that - but does the Government currently consider the Port of Grassy an all weather safe harbour port?

I have asked these questions again on behalf of the Tasmanians who live on King Island, who visit King Island and who significantly contribute to Tasmania's economy and look forward to a response to those questions.

The Council adjourned at 6.00 p.m.