7.7 SUMMARY OF BALLAST MOVEMENT INTO VICTORIAN PORTS

7.7.1 Port of Melbourne

The Port of Melbourne receives the highest number of ship visits, but only the second highest quantity of ballast of Victoria's ports. The majority of ships visiting the Port are roll on, roll off vessels and container vessels which both load and unload cargo and do not need to work large quantities of ballast, which explains why relatively small quantities of ballast are discharged for a high number of ship visits.
Nearly half of all visits to Melbourne by vessels with an overseas last port of call are made by ships which sail from New Zealand ports (Table 14).

Both the greatest number of visits and largest volumes of ballast are received from vessels which visit Sydney as their last port of call (Figure 8). Considerable ballast is also received from ships with a South Australian last port of call.

The Port of Melbourne also receives a very large number of ship visits from Tasmania, made up by a small number of coastal vessels making frequent visits.

TABLE 14
Countries of origin of vessels with an international last port of call, Port of Melbourne, August 1994 to July 1995

Country of Origin	Percentage of vessels
New Zealand	48%
United States of America	7%
Philippines	7%
Papua New Guinea	6%
Singapore	6%
Fiji	5%
Italy	4%
Other	17%

Source: Walters, S. (1996), Ballast Water, Hull Fouling and Exotic Marine Organism Introductions via Ships - A Victorian Study, Publication 494, Environment Protection Authority (Victoria).

FIGURE 8
Domestic vessel visits and ballast discharged, Port of Melbourne, August 1994 to July 1995

Source: Walters, S. (1996), Ballast Water, Hull Fouling and Exotic Marine Organism Introductions via Ships - A Victorian Study, Publication 494, Environment Protection Authority (Victoria).

7.7.2 Port of Geelong

The Port of Geelong receives the second highest number of ship visits but the least amount of ballast water of Victoria's ports. Most vessels which enter the port unload cargo. Because these ships enter the port fully laden with cargo, they do not carry large quantities of ballast.

The majority of vessels which visit Geelong have an Australian last port of call, with the greatest number of visits made by ships originating from the Port of Melbourne (Figure 9).

TABLE 15
Countries of origin of vessels with an international last port of call,
Port of Geelong, August 1994 to July 1995

Country of Origin	Percentage of vessels
Fiji	12%
United States of America	12%
Japan	9%
New Zealand	8%
Singapore	7%
Canada	5%
Other	47%

Source: Walters, S. (1996), Ballast Water, Hull Fouling and Exotic Marine Organism Introductions via Ships - A Victorian Study, Publication 494, Environment Protection Authority (Victoria).

FIGURE 9
Domestic vessel visits and ballast discharged, Port of Geelong, August 1994 to July 1995

Source: Walters, S. (1996), Ballast Water, Hull Fouling and Exotic Marine Organism Introductions via Ships - A Victorian Study, Publication 494, Environment Protection Authority (Victoria.

Ships visiting Geelong from overseas ports originate from a large number of countries, notably the United States, Fiji, Japan and New Zealand (Table 15).

Of ships departing Geelong, 50% take-on ballast before leaving the port. Some 67% of these ships visit an Australian port as their next port of call, 18% of which are other Victorian ports. The Committee notes that this emphasises the need for ballast management strategies in all Victorian and Australian ports.

7.7.3 Port of Hastings

Hastings receives the second smallest number of ship visits, but the most ballast water of Victoria's ports. The majority of ships entering Hastings are tankers coming to load cargo. These ships enter port fully ballasted and subsequently discharge their ballast during loading.

The pattern of trade in Hastings is characterised by a predominance of tankers which export oil, and the import of steel by a single roll on, roll off vessel, the Iron Monarch.

Hastings receives few visits from ships with an overseas last port of call. Table 16 shows that of the vessels received from overseas destinations, most originate from Taiwan and South Korea.

The majority of visits are made by ships with an Australian last port of call, with most vessels originating from Botany Bay and Port Kembla. Very little ballast is received from Port Kembla, but a significant amount comes from Botany Bay (Figure 10).

TABLE 16
Country of origin of vessels with an international last port of call, Port of Hastings, August 1994 to July 1995

Country of Origin	Percentage of vessels
Taiwan	15%
South Korea	12%
Argentina	9%
Noumea	9%
Singapore	9%
Japan	9%
Other	37%

Source: Walters, S. (1996), Ballast Water, Hull Fouling and Exotic Marine Organism Introductions via Ships - A Victorian Study, Publication 494, Environment Protection Authority (Victoria).

FIGURE 10
Domestic vessel visits and ballast discharged, Port of Hastings, August 1994 to July 1995

Source: Walters, S. (1996) Ballast Water, Hull Fouling and Exotic Marine Organism Introductions via Ships - A Victorian Study, Environment Protection Authority (Vic).

7.7.4 Port of Portland

Portland receives the smallest number of ship visits and the third largest quantity of ballast of Victoria's ports. Vessels entering the port are predominantly bulk carriers, half of which load cargo while the other half unload cargo.

Significant quantities of ballast are discharged into the port by Japanese woodchip vessels which enter port empty of cargo and therefore fully ballasted (Table 17). This ballast is discharged when woodchips are loaded.

The Committee notes that in view of projected growth in the numbers of woodchip vessels entering the port, the risk of translocation of exotic organisms from Japan is likely to increase³⁶⁷

The last port of call for the majority of domestic vessel visits to Portland was Geelong, but only small amounts of ballast were discharged by these vessels

TABLE 17
Countries of origin of vessels with an international last port of call, Port of Portland, August 1994 to July 1995

Country of Origin	Percentage of vessels
Japan	37%
Gulf Ports	12%
British Columbia	9%
United States of America	9%
New Zealand	4%
China	4%
Other	25%

Source: Walters, S. (1996), Ballast Water, Hull Fouling and Exotic Marine Organism Introductions via Ships - A Victorian Study, Publication 494, Environment Protection Authority (Victoria).

because most of them unload cargo³⁶⁸ Most of the ballast discharged by domestic vessels into Portland came from ships which visited Launceston as their last port of call (Figure 11).

FIGURE 11
Domestic vessel visits and ballast discharged, Port of Portland, August 1994 to July 1995

Source: Walters, S. (1996), Ballast Water, Hull Fouling and Exotic Marine Organism Introductions via Ships - A Victorian Study, Publication 494, Environment Protection Authority (Victoria).