About 5000 people have applied for an MSIC for Fremantle Ports’ facilities and about 7400 have applied in relation to seven regional ports in WA.

Most of these applications have already been processed by the Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTARS).

Temporary MSICs (valid for a month) have been issued to people who applied during DOTARS’ priority processing period (before October 27) and meet the criteria but have not yet received their cards.

Anyone who has applied since October 27 or has not applied and needs to enter a security zone must arrange to be escorted by someone with an MSIC card. (Escorting can only occur once.)

Fremantle Ports’ security zones are at Fremantle Inner Harbour (Berths 1&2, Berths 11&12, Berths C–J and the Small Craft Pens) and at the Outer Harbour (Kwinana Bulk Jetty and Kwinana Bulk Terminal).

The MSIC is being introduced under national maritime security legislation, the Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Act 2003 and Regulations. Under the Regulations, anyone entering a maritime security zone must have an MSIC or be escorted by someone with an MSIC.

Fremantle Ports has taken a leading role in WA to ensure the introduction, application processing and ongoing production of the MSIC for eight WA port authorities (Broome, Port Hedland, Dampier, Geraldton, Bunbury, Albany, Esperance and Fremantle) has occurred as efficiently and effectively as possible—figures last month showed more applications had been processed in WA than in any other State.

Fremantle Ports identified opportunities to coordinate a statewide approach, and took the further step of streamlining technical incompatibilities between ports and within its own port.

Dampier Port and Fremantle Ports together then developed an MSIC database that each regional port could use as an interface system with DOTARS. Under contract with the regional ports, Fremantle Ports is printing the MSIC cards for those ports.

The innovative, problem-solving leadership approach was combined with a comprehensive communications program to ensure all stakeholders understood the requirements, particularly the importance of using DOTARS’ priority processing period.

Rather than requiring port users to hold two cards (a local port access card and an MSIC), as is the case with most other ports in Australia, Fremantle Ports has amalgamated the two cards into a one-card system, with the MSIC on the front and the technology within the card compatible for port access use. Fremantle Ports has also introduced colour coding on the reverse side to enable effective management of access if port security levels change.

Fremantle Ports developed a mobile unit for processing MSIC applications offsite. It has been deployed to metropolitan area customers, such as Rio Tinto and CSBP, and to remote locations, such as Broome, Christmas Island and Cocos Island.

In May this year, the Port of Melbourne Corporation purchased the access database developed by Fremantle Ports and Dampier Port for processing its MSIC applications and interfacing with DOTARS.