Brisbane berths back in business

Berths at the Australian port of Brisbane are now almost all open, but the clean-up of flood debris in shipping channels will affect operations for weeks ahead. Hydrographic vessels were being used to locate obstacles in the water and measure siltation levels, said Port of Brisbane (PBPL).

Berths at Hamilton Reach are still being cleared, but all other berths are open and most wharves are undamaged by the recent Queensland floods. “There are varying levels of siltation in the port channels and berth pockets,” said the port. “PBPL is working on a dredging plan to clear these areas as soon as possible.

“However, all channels, swing basins and berth pockets are operational and functioning with conditions.
"While all forward-scheduled vessels should be able to access the port, we are working to return the port to design standard as a priority to facilitate forward planning for shipping lines and customers.”

Limited calls by containerships at the port have been possible since Sunday, although it was unclear earlier today whether car-carriers were yet able to access the port. Llew Russell, CEO of Shipping Australia, told IFW: “It will take some weeks for containers diverted to Sydney and New Zealand to be repositioned back to Brisbane.” Hinterland road and rail connections are expected to remain in a state of chaos for weeks.

One major agricultural shipper told IFW that many rail systems across Australia’s eastern seaboard – in particular southern Queensland, northern New South Wales and Victoria – were still underwater or covered in debris.

“We are relying on haulage, but this is also difficult due to road damage, including bridges and roads being entirely washed away, and capacity issues,” said a spokesperson. “It has been suggested it could be weeks before transport systems are back in a [suitable] condition. “Having said that, work is under way to ensure these issues are rectified as soon as possible.

“Roads can be fixed to a usable condition more easily in the short term, but rail infrastructure damage will take a significantly long period to resolve.”

Source: IFW