Sunday, February 21, 2016

PORT OF TOWNSVILLE HAS BOATLOADS MORE MOOS AND BAAS THAN MOOLOOLABA

When the luxury cruise ship Amsterdam , above, left,  diverted to Townsville instead of calling at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast to avoid rough seas  caused by Cyclone Tatiara , it   did not tie up at  the   $85million  wharf 10 cruise ship  terminal ,  the Singapore registered   stock carrier  Diamantina,  a fine Aussie outback  name , right, was  berthed   there  instead, loading  up for Vietnam .

An American  freelance  travel writer   aboard  the  Amsterdam  was  reported as saying it was  great to  make the unexpected visit  to  Townsville because Mooloolaba was  a  place no one could  pronounce.

 As expected , the local media gushed over the Amsterdam 's visit ,  treating it in the usual   cargo  cult style ( multiply the number of  passengers - 1400 - by an  average  expenditure of  $370 each , lucrative,  yippee! ) .

Few  cruise ships have called  in since the opening of the terminal  in 2013   at which  the  then  Defence Minister Senator  David Johnson , later torpedoed , said the Quayside upgrade  was designed to  expand the  cruise ship  market  and  the professional  capabilities  of Defence. No mention  made  of  cattleboats  and  canoes .   Furthermore ,  it  was revealed  soon after  that  Townsville  cannot handle  bigger P. & O.  cruise ships.

On the other hand, 15 live  export boats  have passed through the Port of Townsville  this year  up  to  February  17, close to 300,000 head exported  through  the  port   last  year, up there with Darwin  which  shipped  487,000 -140,000 of them trucked across from Queensland -  and talk of  a record  600,000  this year  in the Top End .

As most people know,  live export of livestock is a contentious  issue across the nation .   In  Townsville, with 580 unemployed  meatworkers,  much  of   the  coverage in the Townsville Bulletin  tends to  be in the  form  of  lengthy  letters  from  people   for  and  against .


 Soon after the Amsterdam  arrived  , another  stock carrier ,  the Philippines registered  Sahiwali  Express  , above ,  tied up at  berth 10 .  It  used to be named  Lis E , listed on the anti live  export  website  with  the  following   masthead ...
 

It shows a surprising number of  vessels involved in the  livestock trade have  changed names  and  lists  companies and people  involved in the business , including   sheep  exports  from a Holmes a Court  property in Western Australia.
 
Incidentally,  Townsville's   Quayside  Terminal   is promoted as  a new and exciting  venue   for weddings , conventions , exhibitions , conferences  and  dinners.   A website  for making  Quayside bookings  answers   questions any person intent on using the  building  may ask, such as :"Will any cruise ship  be using  the Quayside terminal  during  my  event ?"
 
The reassuring answer  says  that occasion  cannot arise because the terminal is only available  for hire  when "cruise ships  and Defence  are not using the   venue."  Defence ?  The last thing  you want  at a  wedding reception ,one would think , is a  bunch of  thirsty  , jolly  Jack Tars , Australian and American , tying up   and  coming  aboard  to  kiss the bride  and dance the  bridesmaids offa their feet.
 
However, a signal just  received indicates Townsville is to become  a busy naval port, the RAN's newest and largest warship, HMAS Adelaide, to make its first visit to the  port any day soon, part of  an  $83million   cargo  cult plan  spread over  30  years !

With increasing numbers of livestock  being exported from  Townsville and Darwin there are  complaints  that   jobs are  being lost ,  abattoirs  are finding it hard to   find enough  stock to  operate , the new  Darwin meatworks placed under pressure . There  is talk of a   possible new  Chinese  abattoir   opening  at  Hughenden  sending  direct to China through Townsville. Meat processed in Townsville is trucked to  Brisbane and   also  shipped to Asian markets through Townsville . 

The Australian Meat Industry Employees Union has expressed concern about the live export  trade , saying the Townsville  abattoir  at Stuart  had not yet been able to open in 2016. The union   discussed the situation  in Brisbane  with  the  Employment Minister  Grace Grace and the  three   Townsville state Labor  members of  parliament;  there has been a call  for a  cap on  live exports  from  North Australia .

Due to so much livestock being exported overseas , the price of  meat has  jumped  in  shops  and today on an  ABC  rural report Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture    Barnaby   Joyce  came in for criticism  over the situation . There is a  growing  feeling  that  Australia's food security and  jobs  are  being jeopardised  as overseas  countries rush to  shore up their  supplies with   live  imports  from  Australia , while also buying up  pastoral and agricultural    properties .