Federal Election Issue for BCNA

The BCNA has decided to meet the candidates for Macnamara (formerly Melbourne Ports) to seek support for the introduction of low sulphur marine fuel for ships using Station Pier. The known candidates are Kate Ashmor (Liberal), Josh Burns (ALP) and Steph Hodgins-May (Greens). Other candidates will be contacted once they are known.

The introduction of low sulphur fuel requires co-operative action between the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments.

The BCNA is seeking a 0.1% sulphur content for marine fuel for ships berthing at Station Pier. This standard has applied in Sydney Harbour from 2015 and is the same standard that now applies in most of Europe, the North Sea, within 200 nautical miles of most of the North American and Canadian coasts, the United States Caribbean Sea since 1 January 2015, and for ports and inland waterways in Turkey from 2012. We are using this statement to explain our request.

The BCNA will publish the candidates’ responses on our website later this month.

We encourage members to contact the candidates to support the BCNA position. We will report on each candidate’s response up until the election.