Clergy raise alarm over crew conditions on coal ships queueing off Newcastle.
Crew on ships at anchor off Newcastle are running out of food supplies, The church-run Mission to Seafarers told the Newcastle Herald.
Reverend Garry Dodd told a monthly shipping lunch at the Newcastle Club last Friday he believed the situation was created by a new vessel arrival system that stopped coal ships from anchoring off Newcastle more than seven days before loading, the Herald reported.
As many as 40 ships are waiting on average 12 days to load in Newcastle. However if the ship was up to standard there should be adequate provisions on board and it is easy to get supplies to the vessels while they are at anchor.
The MUA Northern NSW branch and International Transport Federation, both asked why they had not been told at the time.
