A message from our CEO

27 Mar 2020

Dear customers and valued partners, as you know, the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the way we work and live and will continue to evolve in the coming days, weeks and months.

Like our port and supply chain partners, and indeed all our stakeholders, we are implementing measures to respond to the impact of COVID-19 on our employees, our communities, our operations, our port users and our customers.

We all have a role to play in keeping ourselves and others well. The health and safety of our people is our number one priority.

Across all ports we’re maintaining our service delivery including first-strike response capability for pollution events.

Essential service delivery, including security, critical maintenance and breakdown services, will continue to be provided for the ports and infrastructure at Bowen and Weipa.

We also recognise that our ports are critical to around 27,000 miners, farmers and transport providers. I am proud of the way NQBP is balancing our number one priority with the criticality of our ports.

As part of our response to COVID-19, new control measures and changing work practices are being implemented. These measures are consistent with advice of the Australian Government Department of Health, Queensland Health and Australian Border Force.

For operations delivered from our offices, employees are working from home, meaning:

  • The Brisbane Office on Queen Street will be unattended.
  • The Mackay Marina Office on Mulherin Drive will be unattended.

New control measures maximising social distancing are in place for operations delivered at the Ports (security, pilotage, lines handling, infrastructure management). The Mackay Port Security Office is staying open and vessels continue to be serviced. Essential services, including critical maintenance, will continue to be provided for the ports and infrastructure at Bowen and Weipa.

We have been working closely with several port users to share practices and align control measures in order to support continued safe and efficient operations. In the coming weeks, we will continue to liaise with port users to ensure our four ports remain open while we adjust work practices to this evolving situation.

We remain open for business and encourage you to communicate with your normal NQBP contact or through the relevant contact details below:

  • General enquiries - please phone 07 4969 0700 (1300 129 255) between 9am and 5pm or email info@nqbp.com.au
  • Shipping enquiries – 07 4955 8171 or email portoperations@nqbp.com.au
  • Trade enquiries – email trade_enquiries@nqbp.com.au
  • Accounts Payable - phone 07 3011 7958
  • Accounts Receivable - phone 07 3011 7940
  • Port Security Office or staff - phone 07 4955 8147
  • After hours emergencies 07 4955 8171 or 0417 761 086.

Thank you all for your cooperation, support and leadership during this time of uncertainty.

Our emergency management team is actively monitoring and managing the situation and will continue to do so. We will continue to keep you updated as the situation evolves.

Nicolas Fertin

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER