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QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA PORTS - Updated Crew Change Procedures For Seafarers



The following is a detailed summary of the current requirements for crew changes in Queensland ports.

Please note we require full details and flight itineraries  to be confirmed and submitted a MINIMUM OF 7 DAYS PRIOR TO TRAVEL


Please be aware of the restrictions applied to Transit Visa for Onsigning crew A maximum of 5 days is allowed for transit from arrival at first Airport in Australia to sign on to vessel at port


Offsigning crew on MCV have a maximum of 5 days to depart Australia after signing off vessel at port. This time may be extended to a period of up to 25 days but this extension must be approved in advance in writing by Border Force


    The Protocol applies to commercial, government and research vessels 50m and over in length, (but does not include ADF or ABF vessels, superyachts, rec boats, cruise vessels).

    On-signing maritime crew who goes into a quarantine hotel, must be tested for COVID-19 and receive a negative test conducted by Queensland Health before joining the vessel.

    Time at sea is no longer counted towards quarantine time for vessels arriving from overseas.

    Crew changeover requirements are captured for Queensland intrastate and interstate voyages. Certain quarantine triggers continue to apply.

    Queensland residents who travel to COVID-19 hotspots to work as maritime crew must comply with Border Restriction Directions upon return to Queensland.

    Clarification that a maritime crew member who arrives in another State or Territory from overseas, prior to entering Qld to join a vessel, must quarantine for 14 days at point of entry in that jurisdiction unless all approvals obtained (Qld CHO, other jurisdiction and airline/transport company) to be exempt. Equally, maritime crew who arrive in Queensland from overseas before transiting to another jurisdiction, must quarantine for 14 days in Queensland.

    PPE during crew change over transit is mandatory and anyone found to not be observing the requirement, may be directed to quarantine in a government hotel for 14 days prior to joining the vessel, as they will be deemed to be operating outside of the protocol.

    Supernumeraries are now included as maritime crew, and Protocol requirements apply

    Shore Leave will only be granted once the requirements for off signing crew have been met. That is the crew will be required to quarantine in nominated premises for 14 days before being allowed shore leave.

Quarantine for Seafarers - Government Hotel Quarantine

Effective immediately, all maritime crew must use government quarantine facilities. This is to ensure sufficient security overlay and public health considerations, consistent with Queensland’s quarantine requirements.

If crew serve the full 14 days in quarantine (and complete COVID testing) they will be required to leave government hotel quarantine and enter accommodation of the agent’s choice.

MSQ has placed Liaison Officer's at The Grand Chancellor hotel in Brisbane to assist. Ongoing audits will be conducted to ensure compliance.


Mandatory Covid19 Testing for On-Signing Crew in Quarantine Hotels

Under the updated Protocol for Maritime Crew, if a maritime crew member is required to quarantine in government nominated accommodation, for any duration, prior to joining a vessel they must:

    - be tested for COVID-19 in Queensland; and
    - receive a negative test result for COVID-19 from Queensland Health

A maritime crew member will not be permitted to leave quarantine to join a vessel in Queensland until they receive a negative COVID-19 test result from a test completed in Queensland. 

All testing for COVID-19 will be conducted by Queensland Health.


Shipping Agents Responsibilities


Shipping Agents are to ensure the following responsibilities are met in relation to Crew Change Overs.

You do not need to book accommodation in Quarantine Hotels. This will be managed through MSQ and QPS.

Agents are still responsible for booking all transport transfer, using a private dedicated transport provider operating under their industry COVIDsafe plan. Please ensure you liaise with the Regional Harbour Master Office to confirm quarantine hotels.

Accurate timing of ETA at the hotel for both on and off-signers is to be provided.

Agents must provide a minimum 48 hours notice of crew arrivals to MSQ.

Agents are still responsible for payment of quarantine hotel invoices. Invoices will be issued to maritime crew, who will then provide these to agents for payment.

Implications for Crew Changeovers Going Forward

Time at sea no longer counts as quarantine time. All off signers are to enter quarantine unless they are travelling directly by private transport to a nominated airport to leave Queensland or to join another vessel. Therefore off-signing crew are no longer able to fly domestically unless they have completed 14 days quarantine ashore and returned a negative test result.

For on-signing maritime crew a Covid19 test must be taken before they can depart quarantine to join their vessel. Therefore, enough time should be built in to travel arrangements to allow for the testing and results to be received and ensure the seafarer can still join their vessel before it sails.

MSQ has identified crew changes that have been endorsed and that are affected by the above quarantine and testing requirements. An exemption from the requirements is being sought for those seafarers who are traveling in the next 24 hours, so travel arrangements are not disrupted. Agents will be advised if the exemptions are successful for these personnel.

An exemption will also be sought for endorsed crew changes planned to occur in the next 7 days, that are affected by the testing and quarantine requirements. However, in the event the requests for exemptions are unsuccessful, Agents should amend travel arrangements to cater for not being able to fly domestically within Queensland and for the additional time required for testing and the results.

Crew changes endorsed for greater than 7 days ahead should be redone if they are affected by the quarantine and testing changes, as there will be little likelihood of an exemption being approved.

In all cases where change is required an amended crew change checklist is to be submitted for endorsement.



___________________
Source: 
Gulf Agency Company (Australia) Pty. Ltd. | Level 1, Centrepoint, 136 Goondoon Street, Gladstone Qld 4680 , Australia |

Tel : +61 7 4972 8879 | Fax: +61 7 4972 9450 | Mob: +61 466 796 018 | shipping.gladstone@gac.com | www.gac.com 


“Gulf Agency Company (Australia) Pty Ltd provides ship agency services as “agent only”. Gulf Agency Company (Australia) Pty Ltd acts on behalf of shipping principals in an agent-only capacity. The shipping principal remains fully liable for the acts undertaken by Gulf Agency Company (Australia) Pty Ltd during the course of the agency work.  Gulf Agency Company (Australia) Pty Ltd provides logistics services in accordance with its standard terms and conditions, which can be requested from our office”


Gulf Agency Company (Australia) Pty Ltd will only in exceptional circumstances change its bank account details.
If you receive any communication which purports to change the details of banking arrangements, please confirm these changes orally with your normal GAC contact and ask them to confirm to you by letter. Any fraudulent communications should be reported to the relevant authorities.



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