CORONAVIRUS — SEAFARERS — PORT HEDLAND
475. Hon NEIL THOMSON to the minister representing the
Minister for Health:
I refer to the practice of
transferring foreign seafarers from ship to shore and onto outbound aircraft at
Port Hedland International Airport.
(1) How is the minister confident
that —
(a) all seafarers
have undertaken their mandatory two weeks of isolation aboard their ships prior
to transfer;
(b) the same personnel are aboard the
vessels throughout the 14-day period;
(c) all seafarers
are COVID tested and their results provided to those managing the transfer
prior to transfer; and
(d) procedures
such as mandatory mask wearing and the separation of all seafarers from the
community are being managed in accordance with requirements during the transfer
through the community of Port Hedland?
(2) Given the
concerns in the community of Port Hedland, and the history of breaches, will
the minister consider establishing a transparent and publicly available reporting
mechanism that outlines details on the movement of seafarers from ship to
shore, including their times of transfer, destinations within Western Australia
and performance indicators on any breaches of procedures and protocols?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON
replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following answer is provided on behalf of the
Minister for Health.
(l) (a) WA Health adopts a ''universal precautions''
approach, whereby strict precautions are taken for all dealings with, and all
movement of, seafarers disembarking from international vessels. It is not a
WA Health requirement for international seafarers to undertake a two-week
quarantine period on board the vessel prior to transfer off the vessel as this
would not guarantee that there is not a COVID-19
outbreak on board the vessel. There are, instead, legal directions in place
that specify restrictions for international crew and mitigation activities for
the workers who may be exposed to any international crew. The Maritime Crew
Member Directions stipulate requirements to mitigate the COVID-19 risk
from crew members who disembark a vessel. These directions include the requirement that all off-signing international
seafarers be transported by dedicated conveyances, including a dedicated
charter flight from Port Hedland to Perth, and enter a state quarantine
facility unless they are able to board an international flight to their home
destination within eight hours.
�(b) Not applicable.
�(c) Seafarers
are not required to be tested prior to disembarkation if the vessel has been
granted pratique and the crew on board are
well. Testing prior to disembarkation only occurs at the request of WA
Health if illness on board the vessel is suspected. If this occurs, results are
made known urgently to WA Health, which manages the movements of the seafarers
concerned.
�(d) The Maritime
Crew Member Directions and the Transport and Accommodation Services (Exposed
Maritime Worker) Directions stipulate the restrictions placed on seafarers from
international vessels, including during their transit through the community.
Mask wearing by international seafarers is mandatory, as are other
requirements, including that they occupy a dedicated
waiting area at airports. WA Health works closely with key stakeholders,
including the port authority,
shipping agents and the Western Australia Police Force, to ensure the
requirements of transfer of seafarers
are understood and met. WA police are responsible for ensuring compliance
with the Maritime Crew Member Directions and the Transport and Accommodation
Services (Exposed Maritime Worker) Directions.
(2) The movement
of seafarers is controlled by the Emergency Management Act directions and
overseen by WA police, which provide individual directions to seafarers
disembarking a vessel. Any breaches of protocols are followed up by WA police
and WA Health and the individuals involved are managed.