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Posted by David Sexton
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23 Sep, 2026
GEOPOLITICS and broader international themes have been highlighted during the first morning of the Ports Australia Biennial Conference held in Sydney.
The event has attracted key speakers from as far away as Germany and Asia, discussing such themes as energy and supply chain resilience.
Ports Australia chief executive Mike Gallacher said they were “all part of a global industry, where flags and lines on maps don’t really matter”.
“Sure, there always will be local responses to address local issues, but that is not the focus of this event. This year’s agenda could equally apply anywhere in the world,” Mr Gallacher said.
“Whilst we all have our own stories as we plan to build safer and more efficient systems and to decarbonise and digitalise facilities to enable our nations’ economies, the one constant that has plagued our confidence and investment for the past seven years is disruption.”
Mr Gallacher said the only thing guaranteed was uncertainty.
“As we began planning for this conference, it was clear to address the port and maritime related issues of our nation, we needed to hear and learn from our global partners of their experiences, their journeys as we seek to better understand and search for solid footings upon which to make decisions as the geopolitical tectonic plates continue to shift under our feet,” he said.
The morning session also included a special address from IAPH managing director Patrick Verhoeven on risks, trends and priorities.
In a pre-recorded video presentation, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez spoke of the “need to keep an eye on the future even as we confront challenges including geopolitical conflicts”.
“These conflicts disrupt shipping in a number of areas around the world have regrettably had a devastating impact upon the lives of seafarers,” he said.
“The global connections are demonstrated in the wide participation in this conference.”
The conference is taking place at the Hyatt Regency near Darling Harbour.
