7.8 SUMMARY

Key points that the Committee wishes to emphasise in this Chapter are:

· Small quantities of ballast discharged does not mean that the risk of organism transfer is also small.

· The risk of organism transfer via hull fouling is as important as that associated with the movement and discharge of ballast water.

· The proportion of vessels with an international and domestic last port of call differs significantly from one Victorian port to another.

· Not all ships entering Victorian ports discharge ballast water. The most significant factor determining the fact of and quantity of ballast discharge is vessel loading activity. As a consequence, ports receiving large numbers of ship visits do not necessarily receive large quantities of ballast water.

· Ballast water discharges into Victorian ports are less than previously thought. A management response by shipowners and ship masters will therefore be of less magnitude than previously expected.

· The number of ships required to take remedial action as part of a ballast management plan upon entry to Victoria is likely to be a relatively small proportion of total ship visits to Victorian ports.