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           Shipping Stevedoring Port Services Hydrocarbons Diving  Jul-Aug 2008        |
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Tripodi reforms will fail unless Harbour patrols are doubled04 June 2008By MUA - Sydney Branch -
The Maritime Union of Australia has warned that the Sydney Harbour Maritime reforms announced by Ports and Waterways Minister Joe Tripodi today will fail unless the Harbour is adequately patrolled. The MUA Sydney Branch says there are currently up to five compliance officers patrolling safety on Sydney Harbour at any one time - a number they say must be doubled if they are to have any chance of properly enforcing the Minister's new guidelines. "The measures announced today are a step in the right direction, but if this government is serious about making Sydney Harbour safe they need to immediately double the number of Boating Service Officers," said Mr Warren Smith, Sydney Branch secretary of the MUA. "We need to bring the state's waterways in line with road safety standards and that means more officers out on the water enforcing the rules to curb unsafe activities. "Increased penalties, new offences and the range of other measures announced today are positive but will only be effective if coupled with adequate enforcement. "Boating Service Officers do the best possible job they can to reduce the risk of boat accidents but with only five officers covering an area from Middle Harbour to the Parramatta River their capacity is somewhat limited. "If the government is serious about making these reforms work, they will increase the Boating Service Officers from 5 to 10 immediately.
"We've had too many tragedies on Sydney Harbour - fourteen fatalities in less than two years. "We need a government that's serious about harbour safety and that means employing enough people on our waterways to enforce safety standards that save lives." For comment call: Warren Smith 0400 368 945 (MUA) Kate Walsh: 0423 138357(EMC)
For further information
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