The Port of Portland Limited this week announced that it reached conditional agreement to acquire the tugs, pilot and lines boats operating in the Port.  The purchase price is undisclosed.   

The Portland assets were part of a bigger business operated by North Western Shipping and Towage Company that included the towage and pilot boat assets servicing all Tasmanian Ports.  In August last year, the Tasmanian assets were sold to Tasports leaving the smaller Portland business on its own.     

The business employs twelve full-time crew and use other qualified persons for back-up.  All employees are based locally and will move to the Port of Portland in this transmission of business.  

The Chief Executive of the Port of Portland, Mr Scott Paterson, said the Port was acquiring the tugs to ensure that local interests were safeguarded.  He expected to complete the acquisition by mid-March.

“These are high technology tugs with low hours and do an outstanding job for our customers.  Should these assets be acquired by a large operator, there would be a strong temptation for the company to swap these tugs for older, more heavily used vessels and move the Portland fleet to a port with higher utilisation.

“As a result, our port operations may be less efficient and the reputation we have as a high service, reliable port might be damaged,” said Mr Paterson.

“We have held discussions with the crews and their union and have given them assurances that their jobs are secure and that all benefits, including continuity of service and accruals of entitlements will be safeguarded,” he said.   

Background:

The Tasmanian Ports Corporation Pty Ltd (Tasports) is a registered, private company fully owned by the Tasmanian Government. Tasports is responsible for the operations and management of all ports in Tasmania.