A SHORTAGE of pilots at Darwin Harbour has forced a change in rules to allow 55-metre vessels access without a pilot.
A media release from Northern Territory infrastructure minister, Bill Yan said an ongoing shortage of harbour pilots is affecting how quickly ships can come and go, with feedback from port users both big and small highlighting the impacts of delays and uncertainty.
Darwin Harbour currently records more than 3250 vessel movements every year requiring a pilot, with each movement taking on average 4.5 hours.
Mr Yan, said the shortage of pilots has been a problem for years, made worse by workforce shortages after the pandemic and was a problem that had been ignored for too long.
“The uncertainty around the future lease of the Port, tied to the Australian Government’s election commitments, has also made it harder to recruit and retain these highly skilled workers,” Mr Yan said.
As part of the solution, from 2 January 2026 vessels up to 55 metres in length will no longer require pilotage services to enter Darwin Harbour. This increases the standing pilotage exemption from 35 metres to 55 metres - a change anticipated to reduce demand for pilotage services by up to 20%.
“This reform brings the Northern Territory closer into alignment with Queensland’s current standing exemptions, and will help free up pilots for the larger, more complex vessel movements,” Mr Yan said.
Changes are being progressed to provide the Pilotage Authority greater ability to issue exemptions, with consultation to take place with Darwin Port and industry operators. Consideration will also be given to reviewing the safety and technical specifications for Pilotage Exemption Certificates to further balance safety and service demand.
“We have experienced local captains who know this harbour like the back of their hand. It makes no sense to tie them up with unnecessary red tape,” Mr Yan said.