Sea pilots welcome revweiw of operations

Andrew Mathieson
QUEENSCLIFF’S Sea Pilots say they have nothing to hide from a government inquiry into the state of Victorian marine pilotage.
But Port Phillip Sea Pilots chairman Captain Peter George said he hoped the review would lead to changes in regulations.
A State Government spokesperson told the Independent last week several “near misses” had prompted the review of sea pilots’ operations and safety.
Some of the nearaccidents were close to the pilots’ Queenscliff control station, the spokesperson said.
Sea pilots board ships visiting Port Phillip Bay, steering them through The Rip and shipping channels.
A Port Phillip sea pilot was convicted and fined for negligence a fortnight ago after crashing a ship into a fishing boat. A Melbourne court reportedly heard that the ship’s master refused to speak to authorities after the incident.
Capt Peter George said the organisation “welcomed” the review.
“Hopefully there will be a change of regulations,” he said.
“I have no idea what the recommendations are going to be.
“From the day we knew the inquiry was going to happen we have been pressing that there must be an improvement in the way the situation is handled.
“But I don’t want to preempt any judgement.”
The sea pilots were “doing all we can” to increase safety on the sea.
Mr George said consultants running the review had already “gone through the office” of the sea pilots at Queenscliff.
Mr George contacted the Independent earlier this week after the story in last week’s edition.
The paper had made repeated calls for comment over three weeks to the Melbourne office and last week to the pilots’ Queenscliff headquarters.
Minister for Ports Tim Pallas had announced the review was Victoria’s first detailed review of its kind into pilotage practices.