Ms FORREST question to DEPUTY LEADER for the GOVERNMENT, Mr VINCENT
Legislative Council, Tuesday 17 March 2026
QUESTION:
With regard to TasPorts operations:
(1) (a) How many marine pilotage services have been provided annually over the last 5 years; and
(b) How many marine pilots have been employed each year for the last 5 years, by year?
(2) How many marine pilots have left TasPorts employment in the last financial year and in the current financial year to date?
(3) Listed separately for the 2024/25 financial year and the current financial year to date, provide the:
(a) dates of each marine pilot’s departure;
(b) locations of the port(s) they were operating; and
(c) (i) whether any who left employment were still undergoing training; and
(ii) If so, how many were in training?
(4) (a) If any marine pilots left during training did this result in a delay to the training and recruitment pipeline; and
(b) If not, how did TasPorts avoid delays to marine pilotage services?
(5) What is the current number of qualified marine pilots at:
(a) Burnie and Port Latta, listed separately if required
(b) Devonport; and
(c) Hobart.
(6) What is the required number of marine pilots at each port to maintain service standards without delays?
(7) With regard to shipping delays attributable to marine pilot availability in the 2024/25 financial year and in the current financial year to date, provide data that shows the:
(a) number of delayed vessel movements;
(b) hours and/or days of delay;
(c) relevant ports impacted;
(d) actual vessels affected including the number of petrol tankers; and
(i) the length of delay for each vessel; and
(ii) the products each vessel is carrying.
(e) number of complaints received and details of which companies have raised complaints or concerns regarding delays;
(f) statements as to whether TasPorts prioritises traffic to or in and around TasPorts owned berths when there is a shortage of marine pilots; and
(g) the costs to customers from any pilotage delays or shortages?
(8) Provide detail regarding the workforce planning model used by TasPorts for marine pilots including:
(a) how TasPorts determines required staffing levels; and
(b) the acceptable delay threshold?
(9) With regard to Berth 4 in Burnie:
(a) when did TasPorts first receive advice that Berth 4 was unsafe for use;
(b) how long did TasPorts continue operating Berth 4 without restrictions after receiving the first safety report advising it was unsafe;
(c) did TasPorts seek a second engineering opinion and if so why;
(d) when was the deterioration of material beneath Berth 4 first identified in the TasPorts monitoring systems; and
(e) what was the timeframe between an adverse safety audit identification and remedial action in TasPorts safety protocols?
(10) Noting our ports can be an entry point for illegal drugs, what is TasPorts Drugs and Alcohol Policy:
(a) when was it last reviewed;
(b) when was it last updated;
(c) if any changes were made;
(i) what were the changes; and
(ii) why were the changes made?
ANSWER:
1a. TasPorts provides marine pilotage services across Tasmania’s ports in accordance with statutory and safety requirements.
Over the past five years, TasPorts has delivered approximately 1,700-1800 pilotage movements per annum, with annual totals varying due to shipping demand, seasonal conditions, and operational requirements across ports.
Pilotage services are provided safely and reliably in accordance with regulated fatigue management, emergency response coverage, and port-specific operational constraints.
| Financial year | Pilotage – Job count reportable |
| 2020/21 | 1,353 |
| 2021/22 | 1,448 |
| 2022/23 | 1,919 |
| 2023/24 | 1,849 |
| 2024/25 | 1,771 |
| Five-year average | 1,668 |
| Post-COVID average | 1,846 |
1b.
| As at | No. pilots |
| Current | 16 |
| June 2025 | 15 |
| June 2024 | 15 |
| June 2023 | 15 |
| June 2022 | 14 |
2. In FY25 one marine pilot left TasPorts employment, due to resignation. In FY26 two marine pilots left TasPorts employment, due to resignation. As of 16 February 2026, a third pilot had resigned and will end employment with TasPorts in early April.
3a. In FY25 one pilot departed on 24 March. In FY26 one pilot departed on 15 December 2025, and one pilot departed on 10 September 2025.
3c. One employee was still a trainee at the time of resignation.
4a. Yes. The resignation of a marine pilot during training, combined with the timing of other workforce changes, had a short-term impact on the training and recruitment pipeline.
Marine pilot training and licensing requirements are extensive, highly regulated and port-specific, and typically take approximately four to six months to complete. By contrast, the standard notice period for resignation is eight weeks. As a result, while TasPorts had already commenced recruitment to maintain pilot numbers, replacement pilots could not be trained and licensed within the same timeframe as departures.
This timing mismatch created short-term operational pinch points during a peak operating period. TasPorts has since progressed recruitment and training activities to restore resilience across the system and continues to actively manage these pressures through safety-led operational planning.
4b. While the impacts described above created short-term operational pressure, TasPorts has actively managed these challenges to minimise disruption to marine pilotage services.
This includes:
- Implementing safety-led rostering and fatigue management to ensure pilots were not operating beyond regulated limits;
- Prioritising vessel movements based on safety, emergency response requirements and system-wide operational considerations;
- Utilising multi-port licensed pilots where practicable to support coverage; and
- Engaging with affected customers where necessary to advise of operational constraints and adjust scheduling arrangements.
These measures have enabled TasPorts to continue providing safe pilotage services while managing the short-term impacts of pilot training and recruitment during a peak period.
5.
| Location | Total |
| North-West | 6 |
| Bell Bay | 4 |
| Hobart | 6 |
| Total | 16 |
6. There is no fixed minimum number of marine pilots per port that guarantees the absence of delays.
Required pilot numbers are determined through a workforce planning model that considers:
- Port-specific risk profiles and vessel types;
- Frequency and timing of shipping movements;
- Fatigue management and mandatory rest requirements;
- Emergency response coverage obligations;
- Training and licensing status; and
- The availability of multi-port licensed pilots.
TasPorts plans pilot resources to maintain safe and reliable services across the system, recognising that weather, vessel scheduling and safety considerations may occasionally require short-term operational adjustments.
7. TasPorts does not maintain a standalone dataset attributing vessel delays solely to marine pilot availability.
Vessel movements are influenced by a range of factors including weather conditions, vessel readiness, terminal operations, tug availability, safety considerations, and regulatory requirements, in addition to pilot availability.
Where short-term operational adjustments have been required to manage pilot fatigue or maintain emergency response coverage, TasPorts has engaged directly with affected customers to coordinate scheduling and minimise disruption.
TasPorts does not prioritise traffic based on ownership of berths. Vessel movements are prioritised based on safety, regulatory obligations, emergency response requirements, and system-wide operational considerations.
TasPorts does not collect or verify customer cost data, as these are commercial matters between customers and shipping operators.
TasPorts has received a small number of customer concerns regarding pilotage availability during peak operating periods, which have been managed through direct engagement and operational coordination.
8. TasPorts’ workforce planning for marine pilots is based on a risk-based operational model, rather than fixed staffing ratios.
In determining required staffing levels, TasPorts considers a range of interrelated factors, including:
- Statutory and regulatory requirements governing marine pilotage;
- Directions and requirements issued by the Harbour Master;
- Port-specific operational risk and complexity;
- The volume, frequency and timing of shipping movements across Tasmanian ports;
- Fatigue management and mandatory rest requirements;
- Training, licensing and supervision requirements for pilots; and
- The need to maintain emergency response capability across ports at all times.
In addition, TasPorts must ensure that marine pilots are able to meet minimum annual sea-time and vessel movement requirements to maintain their licences. Given the scale and pattern of shipping movements in Tasmania, there is a practical limit to the number of pilots that can be sustainably employed while still enabling each pilot to maintain regulatory competency and currency.
As a result, increasing pilot numbers beyond this level would not resolve short-term availability pressures and could introduce additional safety and compliance risks. It would also increase the cost of pilotage services, which would ultimately be passed on to customers. TasPorts therefore manages a necessary balance between safety, regulatory compliance, operational resilience and cost efficiency.
There is no defined “acceptable delay threshold” for marine pilotage services. Decisions regarding vessel movements are made on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with Harbour Master directions and regulatory requirements, with safety as the overriding consideration.
Where delays occur, they are managed through direct engagement with customers and are typically influenced by a combination of operational, weather and safety factors, rather than pilot availability alone.
9a. Berth 4 at the Port of Burnie remains safe for use by its customer Strait Link.
9b. TasPorts has received a range of engineering advice around the structure at Berth 4, however has not received a safety report advising that Berth 4 is unsafe for use.
9c. TasPorts has sought specialist advice from multiple consultants to support its active risk management and design development of a remediation solution. This has included engineers and maritime engineering specialists.
9d. The condition of Berth 4 has been monitored through TasPorts’ established inspection and asset management processes over an extended period.
In 2015, a dive survey identified localised undermining and scour beneath a section of the Berth 4 quay wall. Project planning to remediate this scour commenced. At that time, discussions were also underway with Toll (StraitLink’s predecessor) regarding ramp extensions and wharf works associated with the introduction of larger vessels.
In 2017, TasPorts received an engineering assessment prepared for Toll in support of those works. That report identified further scour and noted a potential risk of global instability. The assessment assumed the quay wall was keyed into underlying material, and on that basis the works undertaken at the time focused on scour protection only. Those works were delivered by Toll.
In 2023, as part of TasPorts’ Wharf Condition Monitoring Program, undertaken in accordance with the Wharf Structure Condition Assessment Manual (WSCAM), additional scouring beneath Berth 4 was identified. TasPorts initiated further investigations to determine the extent and risk.
Later in 2023, TasPorts engaged a specialist maritime engineering firm to undertake a detailed assessment. This assessment identified that, in addition to scour, the quay wall was subject to global instability, and that earlier assumptions about the wall being keyed were not correct. It also confirmed that previous scour protection works were only partially effective.
TasPorts received a draft report in December 2023 and immediately implemented recommended control measures, including the installation of survey control marks to monitor wharf movement.
The final report was received in January 2024 and recommended further geotechnical investigations to support the design of remediation works, with a focus on maintaining the safe operation of StraitLink services at Berth 4.
10. The TasPorts Alcohol and Other Drugs Guideline (Guideline) and Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy (Policy) were last reviewed during the period from July to October 2025.
The Guideline and Policy were updated and circulated on 8 October 2025.
The Policy and Guideline were amended to:
- Improve the drafting (i.e. to increase clarity and remove repetition);
- Make it clear that the Policy and Guideline do not form part of any contract between any worker and TasPorts, and that TasPorts is permitted to replace or vary the Policy and Guideline at any time;
- Confirm TasPorts’ position that the consumption of alcohol and drugs (except certain medications) at a TasPorts workplace, including a vessel, is not permitted (though the Policy and Guideline provide that the CEO may approve the consumption of alcohol on a TasPorts’ worksite); and
- Include an express confirmation that TasPorts does not tolerate false, misleading or vexatious allegations in relation to the use of alcohol or drugs.
The changes to the Policy and Guideline were primarily made because:
- The Policy and Guideline were due for review;
- There were queries raised about the clarity of the operation of the Policy and Guideline (ie, the drafting could be clearer); and
- TasPorts is committed to providing a safe workplace for all its employees, including appropriately prohibiting alcohol and drug use.