Australia’s ports do their best work when few people notice them. Ships arrive, cargo moves and shelves stay stocked. Yet behind that smooth flow is a long chain of people, vessels, terminals and decisions.
That chain was put under the microscope at the Port Authority of NSW’s 2026 Safe and Efficient Port Operations Forum (SEPOF). More than 200 maritime and logistics professionals attended the event, now in its fourth year.
The forum added two firsts in 2026. One was a live port-scheduling simulation. The other was a Harbour Master panel. Both focused on a simple question: what happens when the plan changes?
Port Authority of NSW Chief Operating Officer Captain John Finch said close teamwork was vital for a nation that depends so heavily on sea trade.
“Around 99% of Australia’s trade moves by sea, supplying the essential goods that we rely on,” Mr Finch said.
The live simulation gave participants a vessel schedule and then steadily made life harder. Bad weather arrived. Resources became tight. New problems appeared.
Shipping Australia CEO Melwyn Noronha, Port Authority of NSW Sydney Harbour Master Myron Fernandes, TasPorts Harbour Master Michael Wall, VicPorts Melbourne Harbour Master Andrew Hays, Flinders Port Holding
Terminal operators, towage providers, marine pilots and port authorities had to make choices from their own perspective. At the same time, they had to keep the wider port moving. Independent industry coverage confirmed the exercise tested participants as adverse weather developed and resources became constrained.
It was a neat lesson in cause and effect. In port operations, one problem rarely travels alone.
The forum’s first Harbour Master panel was moderated by Shipping Australia. The organisation had worked with the Port Authority ahead of SEPOF to develop the Harbour Master-focused session.
It brought together senior port leaders from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
Port Authority of NSW Sydney Harbour Master Captain Myron Fernandes said each port faced its own mix of risks.
“Every port has unique operational challenges and risk profiles,” Mr Fernandes said.
He said port leaders still needed to understand each other’s views and work together on safe and efficient solutions.
SEPOF 2026 also drew speakers and delegates from across the maritime supply chain. Organisations included Ports Victoria, Flinders Port Holdings, TasPorts, Shipping Australia, DP World, Svitzer, CMA CGM, DNV Australia, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, TT Club, OSM Thome, Weatherzone, AAT Port Kembla, Ocean Network Express and Oldendorff Carriers.
The wider point is hard to miss. Ports are more than waterfront infrastructure. Ports Australia says they handle 99% of Australia’s international trade by volume, underlining their importance to both the national economy and supply-chain security.
For an island trading nation, safe and efficient ports are more than an industry goal. They are sound economic housekeeping.
Further information: 2026 Safe and Efficient Port Operations Forum – Port Authority of NSW.
By: Octavia Koo – © 2026.
Read Time: 2 minutes.
Author Bio:
Octavia Koo arrived in Australia in the early eighties with little fuss and a good eye. Sydney suited her. At UNSW, she studied Arts, then found her footing in graphic design before drifting, quite naturally, into the digital side of things, building websites and shaping words that made people want to stay.
Singapore followed, and with it, the fast pace of tourism platforms and ITB Asia. Long before SEO became a buzzword, Octavia understood how stories travelled online. That’s where she met Stephen, and the seed for something more was planted.
A few years later, she joined Global Travel Media.
Today, Octavia works with quiet assurance, blending art, instinct and experience to produce stories that don’t shout; they simply work and linger.
