Shipping industry prepares for wild weather

THE MARITIME industry is preparing for a wild 48 hours with damaging winds and heavy seas forecast for Sydney and much of the New South Wales coast on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast damaging winds and torrential rain, with large and powerful surf conditions. 

A Port Authority of New South Wales spokesperson said they were “closely monitoring forecasted weather conditions to minimise any potential impacts on shipping movements and trade across our ports”.  

“We are working with port stakeholders to safeguard the marine environment and port infrastructure, advising vessels at berth to monitor moorings and vessels offshore to maintain safe distance from the low-pressure system,” the spokesperson said. 

“Maintaining the safety of all maritime workers, the marine environment and port infrastructure during dangerous weather events are port authority's highest priorities.” 

A spokesperson for stevedore DP World Australia said they had allocated extra resources to expedite the evacuation of berths with assistance from the NSW Ports Authority. 

“The engineering team is diligently monitoring the situation to ensure that all work is carried out safely during the severe weather, prioritizing the safety of our employees,” the spokesperson said, noting advice from the NSWPA that pilotage is expected to be suspended starting at 6am Tuesday. 

Stevedores have mobilised additional resources to clear the way for incoming vessels before the expected closure. 

“To mitigate wind impacts, we have lowered the empty container stacks,” the DPWA spokesperson said. 

“We are prioritising maintenance tasks that can be completed safely without being affected by the weather.” 

A spokesperson for Patrick Terminals said they had processes in place for severe weather including reducing container stacking heights and planning to stop quay line operations when required.