Safety Issue

Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) has, among others, taken the following actions:

• Completed
  • an internal investigation into the breakaway 
  • a departmental internal audit of response to the weather event
  • current and mooring studies for the port
  • ship simulation exercises to determine operation capabilities and limits for varying environmental conditions in the port. These simulations aided in developing flood evacuation procedures and flood manoeuvring guidelines in collaboration with port pilots and towage providers. 
• adopted the Australian Warning System (AWS) 
• developed and implemented a ‘Brisbane Flood Evacuation Guideline’ which included:
  • a list of ‘key planning considerations which when assessed against the forecast will develop key decision points’ to enable port evacuation prior to the onset of extreme weather
  • an evacuation sequence
  • manoeuvring guidance developed from ship simulation exercises conducted in collaboration with port pilotage and towage organisations
  • specific high current departure manoeuvring guidance for individual berths, including Ampol products.
• developed an aide memoire, in line with the AWS, for actions to be taken in the event of an extreme weather event. The colour-coded alert actions vary from warning level yellow (advice – 24 to 48 hours prior to the event) through orange (watch and act – 12 to 24 hours prior) to red (emergency warning – less than 12 hours prior).
• Updated and amended MSQ and vessel traffic services (VTS) procedures:
  • Port procedures manual to include:
    • emergency management of extreme weather events, including advice regarding mooring considerations, communications and possible changes to operational limitations during the event
    • wind limit guidance.
  • VTS extreme weather event procedure to
    • Align with the Australian Warning System
    • highlight that ‘the main impact to port operations is high current velocities and at times debris, whereas BoM warnings are based on inundation. The information below…the DHM (duty harbour master) may amend based on the specific circumstances occurring.’
  • Port pilot training requirements to include simulator training in high current flow conditions
  • Extreme weather event contingency plan to include relevant AWS information.
• Implemented a new incident management system 
• Made port environmental data and real-time information, including current and wind meter, available through a port weather webpage.
• Upgraded port/river instrumentation and equipment, including
  • Installed 3 additional current meters in the river, one upstream of the Ampol products berth, 12 miles from the river entrance. A further 2 current meters are to be installed with bridge infrastructure completion in the city (13 miles from the river entrance) and further upstream, about 27 miles from the entrance.
  • Tested the use of an acoustic deployable current profiler for current measurement in variable locations.
• Engaged with port and related stakeholders to establish and/or clarify 
  • emergency management and response arrangements
  • communications arrangements and protocols
  • collaborative information and knowledge sharing arrangements 
  • preventative and response measures for flood events: mooring management, ship manoeuvring, scheduling, flood modelling, current meters and simulation. 

The organisations engaged include:

• Bureau of Meteorology (BoM)
• Poseidon Sea Pilots (PSP)
• Svitzer towage
• Brisbane City Council (BCC)
• Seqwater
• Local and district disaster management groups
• Port of Brisbane (PBPL)
• Ampol.
• established a distinct management role to lead a dedicated Maritime Emergency Management (MEM) team within the port operations and vessel traffic services areas of MSQ. The position and MEM are to support the Incident Controller in managing an incident.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau recommends that Maritime Safety Queensland takes further safety action to address the safety issue through adequately structured and formalised risk management processes and procedures to manage emergencies.