Ship loading operations at Thevenard were suspended last week.
A draft engineering report has identified possible safety concerns regarding a section of the Flinders Ports jetty infrastructure. The health and safety of port users and stakeholders is paramount to Flinders Ports.
The concerns are with the older concrete jetty part of the structure which supports a section of Viterra’s ship loading conveyor belt and are not related to the timber jetty or the newer concrete jetty structure which supports the ships and the ship loader.
The issues are not with Viterra’s ship loading infrastructure. However, Flinders Ports are working with Viterra to investigate engineering and operational options for its infrastructure that may assist in providing a temporary solution and to minimise the impact on operations and customers as quickly as possible, while issues are addressed with the jetty infrastructure.
Further to the above Flinders Ports is:
• Looking to take advantage of existing plant that is located at Thevenard which may be able to provide an interim solution to allow ship loading to recommence;
• Commencing design options for the long-term solution to maintain the health of the jetty; and
• Investigating possible engineering solutions that minimise time frames required to implement, and necessary works to return the long-term integrity of the jetty.
Flinders Ports are continuing to liaise with customers to manage the impact on their operations.
RDAWEP will work with the relevant owners, operators and users of the Port of Thevenard to get the port back up and operating safely as soon as possible.
This includes ongoing liaison with the State and Federal Governments and with Mayor Allan Suter, District Council of Ceduna.
Thevenard Port is the second busiest port in South Australia and exports more than 3 million tonnes of bulk commodities annually. The port is a very strategic and valuable regional economic development asset to Australia and the hard working productive people of Ceduna and the Far West of South Australia.
How stupid can you get. This jetty should have been fixed years ago in parallel to operating it. Do you think major customers like New Zealand will continue to source their gypsum from this cowboy operator once they are forced to switch to ICI in the Middle East and configure their plants to take ICI gypsum?? This will cost South Australia tens of millions and it won’t recover from it. This has taught customers of this port one thing – GET AN ALTERNATE SOURCE.
Hi Sigmund. We understand your frustration. We will work with the relevant owners, operators and users of the Port of Thevenard to get the port back up and operating safely as soon as possible. Thanks, RDAWEP.
Sack the CEO who let this happen,
share his golden parachute.
Wally
Hi, Wally. We can understand your frustration. As mentioned we will work with the relevant owners, operators and users of the Port of Thevenard to get the port back up and operating safely as soon as possible. Regards,
If stakeholders are so paramount ports Corp being the second bisiest port in the state were was the money it was making going port Lincoln and port Adelaide no dout no we are too far west to be look after total neglect of a major infatructor poor judgement ports Corp and what do you to say to the people who are out of work now aa
Hi Kouri. We can understand your frustration, especially when it comes to people being out of work. As mentioned we will work with the relevant owners, operators and users of the Port of Thevenard to get the port back up and operating safely as soon as possible. Regards, RDAWEP.
I don’t think you Flinders Ports realise how serious this issue could be. GRA is and has been for years a year by year proposition. Gypsum is widely available throughout the world and the only real advantage of Lake McDonald is its quality. If it closes it will take with it the railways and GRA operations, a catastrophic loss for the community. Flinders Ports employ a full time engineer whose job I assume is to keep abreast of any deterioration of the wharf. He has let our community and Flinders Ports down and deserves to be replaced. I was involved with the construction of the bulk loading plant in the 60s and ship loading in the 70s. Back in the days we would have had this problem fixed and up and running within days at the most. Now, thanks to the over concerns with all number of imaginary what ifs, we have a closure. The late Ted Quarton and engineer Alan ? sorry I cant recall his name, must be revolving in their respective graves. Isnt privatisation a wonderful thing.