By Sue White
When three tugboats raced to the rescue of the MV Portland Bay cargo ship last year, stopping the stricken ship from crashing into the cliffs of Royal National Park, it may have been the first time in a while many professionals gave a thought to the maritime industry.
But according to Australian government data, the nation has about 9500 marine transport professionals. They work out of 70 ports across the country controlling and managing the operations of our ships, boats and marine equipment.
Port Authority of NSW CEO Captain Philip Holliday (left) with the crew of Engage Marine following the MV Portland Bay rescue in July 2022. The Engage Marine crew lost all their crockery in the storm.Credit: Port Authority of NSW
Ports Australia chief executive officer Michael Gallacher says the maritime industry is constantly changing. Robotics and new technologies help move shipping containers and maximise the volumes our ports can move while, globally, the sector is working actively to decarbonise.
“Australian ports are all taking measures to reduce their carbon footprint, from installing energy-efficient lighting, solar panels and using electric vehicles. This is only the beginning,” he says.
Gallacher says decarbonisation will attract a new generation of workers to the maritime industry, as would the creation of a maritime strategic fleet, currently being considered by the Australian government.
“We will need more engineers to service our future defence needs together with rapid uptake of offshore wind technology,” Gallacher adds.
Given that many ports operate around the clock, shift work is inherent to roles like crane drivers, pilots [the professionals who navigate a ship into port], tug crew and vessel traffic services – think air traffic controller, for boats. And while seafarers work offshore, there are also plenty of onshore, 9-5 positions spanning areas from engineering, logistics and supply chain management to environmental science, law, security and finance.
“The maritime industry is not just limited to seafaring roles like captains and crew members,” says Gallacher.
According to Captain Philip Holliday, CEO of the Port Authority of NSW, the industry attracts people from “all walks of life”.
Holliday’s own journey in maritime started when he joined a shipping company in England at age 16, fulfilling his dream of working at sea. He completed a cadetship and has remained in the industry ever since.
“The biggest leap was going from my cadetship to being an Officer of the Watch, where suddenly I was in charge of a watch on a ship,” says Holliday.
Eventually, he decided he didn’t want to be at sea anymore.
“At that point I was a qualified ship’s captain. So, I went and did a business and IT degree at university.”
Although it’s currently highly skewed towards males–Australian Government data says only 5 per cent of maritime employees are women–Holliday says the sector has always been very multicultural.
“I’m pleased to see how the industry is working to embrace a more balanced approach to gender diversity, particularly in operational roles. At Port Authority we have a real focus on embracing diversity in all its forms. We’re better for it.”
And while the skills learned in maritime can be transferable to other industries, Holliday notes there are benefits that come from working in a sector where there’s lots of demand and a real shortage of supply. “You might find that you won’t want to work in any other industry.”
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