Fremantle Ports’ assessment of risks associated with a ship contacting the Fremantle Rail Bridge as a result of a breakaway, particularly from berths 11 and 12, was limited. Preventing a breakaway from berths where the wind was likely to be on a ship’s beam had not been considered. Similarly, the impediments to assisting a ship near Wongara Shoal after a breakaway had not been assessed.
Fremantle Ports’ safety action adequately reduces the possibility of a ship breaking away from the port’s inner harbour berths.
Fremantle Ports advised the ATSB that it has updated its risk assessment with regard to ship breakaways. Independent studies by Royal Hoskoning DHV were undertaken to fully investigate loads on mooring arrangements, particularly at berths 11 and 12. Subsequently, the port had 12 Shoretension devices put in place to mitigate the risk of a breakaway in the inner harbour.
Fremantle Ports has also subscribed to ‘Weatherzone’, an independent system to provide operational weather alerting and predict its impact on port operations. A high sampling tide gauge has been installed at Jurien bay, north of Fremantle, to provide early warning of ‘meteo-tsunamis’.
