Minor changes to the way marine surveyors do business could streamline the process, members of the Australasian Institute of Marine Surveyors (AIMS) heard at its annual conference in Hobart this month.

Andrew Duncan, Commercial Analyst at Forestry Tasmania said Australian marine surveyors play an essential part of his job.

“How can you make my job easier?” Mr Duncan asked. “Verify everything I need before the vessel arrives or you show up to do the job. 

“What exactly are we calling this cargo? What are we calling the Draft Survey report? Why are you looking at this vessel?”

Mr Duncan said it needs to be called the “Certificate of Draft Survey” not the Draft survey report, not the Draft Survey Certificate.

“We want the “Certificate of Draft Survey” as early as possible because if we get the Draft survey at the unloading end to match the loading draft survey then the Chinese quarantine numbers match the Australian quarantine numbers and it goes smoothly.

Mr Duncan said not only do marine surveyors provide draft surveys they play an important role in crisis management. 

“The moment something gets seriously damaged on vessel while loading or unloading – I’m calling you! I want an independent view.

“I want answers quickly. Time is literally money for an exporter, at almost a thousand dollars a day a five day delay in documents will cost $5000 dollars,” Mr Duncan said.