Overview
- The federal government signed a contract on Thursday, May 28, to make the container ship ANL Kokoda the first vessel in a three-ship pilot for its Maritime Strategic Fleet.
- The 175-metre Kokoda was built in 2011, has a crew of 36 and can carry about 23,000 tonnes of cargo but cannot transport fuel.
- The fleet is intended to be a group of privately owned, commercially operated Australian-flagged ships that can be requisitioned for natural disasters, supply disruptions and other emergencies as more vessels are secured.
- The plan updates Labor’s 2022 pledge and a $21 million support package but critics point to a long-term decline in Australian-flagged shipping and an estimated $7 million a year operating cost premium for domestic crews.
- Supporters including unions and industry bodies say the fleet will boost supply-chain resilience and jobs while opponents such as the Productivity Commission and some shipping groups argue the policy is economically weak and needs clearer justification.