Cargo Ship Banned from Australian Ports

A Papua New Guinea-flagged cargo ship Kiunga Chief has been banned from entering or using Australian ports for three months after the ship was detained for a third time in less than 18 months due to the failure of its operators to safely and effectively manage the operations of the vessel.

“Substandard ships will not be tolerated in Australia,” said Stephen Curry, acting general manager of operations at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

AMSA issued an official direction banning Kiunga Chief to the master in the Port of Brisbane, and the ship has now gone to an anchorage within the port to undergo an inspection by its class society before it continues its voyage. The three month ban will take effect once the vessel leaves the port.

Kiunga Chief has been issued a total of 79 deficiencies by AMSA between August 14, 2015 and May 29, 2017, including failure to maintain critical equipment such as the ship’s engines and fire extinguishing systems, inadequate food provisions, unsanitary living conditions including defective toilets and water leakage into cabins, inadequate training for crew and evidence of crew exceeding 72 hours of work in seven days and being underpaid.

“These are serious and systemic failures on behalf of the ship’s operator which have placed the safety and wellbeing of the crew and the health of Australia’s marine environment at risk,” Curry said.

“Despite numerous opportunities for improvement, the operator of Kiunga Chief has consistently failed to provide a safe workplace for crew or meet minimum applicable standards, and as such, this ship is unwelcome in Australian waters.”