Australia must urgently overhaul security and licensing provisions for shipments of dangerous and high consequence goods, including ammonium nitrate, in light of the catastrophic blast in Beirut on Wednesday that killed at least 135 people and injured thousands more, according to the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA).

The MUA has repeatedly warned the Australian Government that the reliance on poorly-regulated foreign flag-of-convenience vessels to carry dangerous goods around the coast poses a significant safety risk.

The union said the Australian Government was continuing to issue temporary licences to flag-of-convenience ships carrying dangerous cargoes such as ammonium nitrate without ensuring they adhere to Australian safety standards, and without security checks on the crew members on board.

Among the actions urged is legislation that requires the use of Australian-registered and crewed vessels to carry high consequence cargoes such as explosives, munitions, weapons, aviation gas, and other liquid and gas fuels.

While Australian seafarers are required to undergo thorough security checks before being issued Maritime Security Identification Cards, foreign workers on flag-of-convenience vessels are exempt from these checks, instead being issued a Maritime Crew Visa without any background checks.

MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin warned inadequate shipping regulations and security checks were creating a ticking time bomb on Australia’s coast.

“The situation in Beirut, where a dangerous cargo arrived on an unseaworthy flag-of-convenience vessel that lacked the ability to safely store it, could easily be repeated in Australia,” Mr Crumlin said.

“Dangerous goods like weapons-grade ammonium nitrate come in and out of Australian ports on flag-of-convenience ships without any process to ensure they can safely carry that dangerous cargo, or that their crew members don’t pose security risks,” he detailed.

“The porous and substandard level of background checks on foreign workers through the Maritime Crew Visa — which is issued electronically without background checks — is completely inadequate and inappropriate for such high consequence cargoes.”

“This coastal and international shipping trade has been left open to the lowest bidders who utilise exploited foreign crews who are often extremely fatigued due to spending more than a year at sea.”

Baltimar Venus (sister ship to Boreas that caught fire off Newcastle carrying Ammonium Nitrate). Source: Maritime Union of Australia.

Mr Crumlin said urgent actions were needed to protect the Australian coastline, as well as workers and nearby residents at ports that handle dangerous cargoes.

He noted that last year, 85,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate moved through the Port of Newcastle alone — 30 times the amount that devastated Beirut — posing a significant threat to safety.

“The Australian Government must urgently tighten shipping regulations to ensure dangerous goods are carried on vessels that are registered in Australia and crewed by Australian seafarers who have undergone appropriate training and security checks,” Mr Crumlin said.

“Using Australian owned, operated and crewed ships for the transport of dangerous goods is a simple way to ensure safety standards are met, significantly reducing the danger posed by shipping.”

“This would also ensure that all seafarers moving this cargo have undergone the strict background checks and ongoing compliance that is required to be issued with a Maritime Security Identification Card,” he concluded.