Question 1

What does AusPac Maritime Consultants do?

Accepted Answer

AusPac Maritime Consultants is a Melbourne-based independent marine surveyor and maritime consultancy providing marine surveys, casualty investigation, and regulatory compliance services across Australia and the Pacific region. We work with P&I Clubs, insurers, mining and resource majors, and oil & gas terminal and tanker operators, delivering evidence-based, defensible reporting structured for operational decisions, arbitration, insurance review, and legal proceedings.

Question 2

Does AusPac work with freight forwarders and logistics companies?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Alongside P&I Clubs, insurers, and mining and energy majors, AusPac supports freight forwarders, logistics companies, and container terminal operators with independent cargo and container survey services.

Question 3

Who is behind AusPac Maritime Consultants?

Accepted Answer

AusPac was founded by industry experts with around 30 years of experience in marine survey, audit, and maritime consultancy. The practice is built on Master Mariner (Unlimited) command experience, ACCMS-certified marine surveying, Lloyd's Register Certified Auditor qualifications, and full membership of the Australasian Institute of Marine Surveyors (AIMS) — spanning seagoing command, offshore FPSO mooring and tanker operations (oil, chemical, and liquefied gas), dry bulk and grain loading supervision, and independent marine surveying across the Australian and Pacific maritime sector.

Question 4

Does AusPac have access to specialist marine engineering expertise?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Alongside its core marine surveying, audit, and consultancy capabilities, AusPac can draw on specialist marine engineering expertise for jobs that require it.

Question 5

Is AusPac an independent surveyor?

Accepted Answer

Yes. AusPac has no commercial ties to shipowners, cargo interests, terminals, or insurers, allowing us to deliver arbitration-ready, conflict-free reporting. Every survey and investigation is carried out purely on technical merit, protecting the operational, financial, and legal interests of the instructing party.

Question 6

Why use an independent marine surveyor?

Accepted Answer

An independent marine surveyor provides objective, unbiased technical findings based solely on observed conditions and evidence, with no stake in the commercial outcome. That independence is what makes a report usable by insurers, P&I Clubs, shipowners, charterers, cargo interests, and legal representatives when resolving disputes or making time-sensitive decisions.

Question 7

How does AusPac compare to larger international survey firms?

Accepted Answer

AusPac offers the direct, personalised engagement of a boutique practice — faster response times, flexible scheduling, and direct communication with the surveyor handling your job — combined with the technical authority of Master Mariner and Lloyd's Register Certified Auditor credentials. This removes the layers and overhead that can slow down larger corporate providers, particularly for time-sensitive or smaller-scope assignments.

Question 8

Where does AusPac operate?

Accepted Answer

AusPac is based in Melbourne, Australia, and covers the Port of Melbourne and surrounding Victorian ports — including Hastings, Geelong, and Portland — as its core operating base, with mobilisation further across Australia and the Pacific region for casualty response and cargo monitoring assignments.

Question 9

What is a P&I survey, and when do I need one?

Accepted Answer

A P&I (Protection & Indemnity) survey investigates a maritime incident — such as cargo damage, shortage, contamination, or a casualty event — on behalf of a P&I Club, insurer, or other interested party. AusPac attends promptly to document the facts, assess liability-relevant evidence, and produce a defensible report suitable for claims handling, arbitration, or litigation.

Question 10

What does a marine casualty or incident investigation involve?

Accepted Answer

A casualty investigation establishes the facts and probable cause of a maritime incident — grounding, collision, cargo loss, equipment failure, or similar — through site attendance, document review, and technical analysis. AusPac's reports are structured to withstand scrutiny in insurance review, arbitration, or court proceedings.

Question 11

Do you provide cargo damage surveys?

Accepted Answer

Yes. AusPac investigates cargo damage, contamination, shortage, wetting, packaging failure, and handling-related claims across containerised and bulk cargo, including testing such as silver nitrate analysis to determine moisture origin. Our reports support insurers, cargo interests, freight forwarders, logistics providers, and shipowners with claims handling and dispute resolution.

Question 12

What is a draft survey and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

A draft survey calculates the quantity of cargo loaded or discharged by measuring a vessel's draught and applying hydrostatic data, corrected for density, trim, and deductible weights. It's the standard independent method for verifying cargo quantity and resolving quantity disputes between shippers, receivers, and carriers.

Question 13

Does AusPac perform bunker surveys?

Accepted Answer

Yes. AusPac conducts on-hire, off-hire, and bunker quantity/quality surveys to verify fuel quantities and resolve disputes between owners, charterers, and bunker suppliers.

Question 14

What is a pre-purchase or vessel condition survey?

Accepted Answer

A pre-purchase or condition survey assesses a vessel's structural, mechanical, and operational condition — including maintenance records, statutory spares, and equipment condition — to support purchase, financing, or ownership-transfer decisions, typically with a preliminary estimate of any repair costs identified.

Question 15

Does AusPac inspect containers, flat racks, and reefers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. AusPac carries out container, flat rack, and reefer inspections, including MO32 container vessel inspections and damage or structural condition surveys, for both containerised and specialised project cargo — supporting cargo claims, insurance investigations, and commercial dispute resolution.

Question 16

Does AusPac provide expert witness services?

Accepted Answer

Yes. AusPac's reporting is prepared to arbitration and litigation standards, and Capt. Hasan Chowdhury is available to provide expert witness testimony and technical opinion in maritime disputes.

Question 17

What bulk commodities does AusPac have experience with?

Accepted Answer

AusPac supports the shipment of nickel ore, iron ore, manganese, spodumene, copper concentrate, salt, and paragoethite, among other bulk commodities, through port captaincy, loading supervision, and cargo compliance verification.

Question 18

What is port captaincy?

Accepted Answer

Port captaincy is on-site technical oversight of loading operations on behalf of a charterer, shipper, or mining company — covering loading supervision, hold fitness advisory, draft survey verification, and loading optimisation to protect cargo quality and charter party interests.

Question 19

What is TML, and why does moisture monitoring matter for bulk cargo?

Accepted Answer

TML (Transportable Moisture Limit) is the maximum moisture content at which a Group A bulk cargo, such as iron ore fines, can be safely shipped without risk of liquefaction during the voyage. AusPac monitors moisture levels against the TML — through document review, oven tests, and Can Tests — to confirm compliance with the IMSBC Code before and during loading.

Question 20

Does AusPac provide grain and agricultural cargo surveying?

Accepted Answer

Yes. AusPac provides grain loading supervision to Australian Standards, cargo hold fitness and cleanliness inspections, and grain and woodchip sampling, including Authorised Officer bulk grain inspection services.

Question 21

Does AusPac support tanker, terminal, and offshore operations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. AusPac provides incident investigation and cargo oversight for oil, chemical, and liquefied gas (LNG/LPG) tankers, ship/terminal/laboratory attendance, cargo sampling and transfer oversight, expeditor services, and Assistant Mooring Master support for offshore FPSO and STS (ship-to-ship) transfer operations.

Question 22

What is an Assistant Mooring Master, and does AusPac provide this service?

Accepted Answer

An Assistant Mooring Master supports safe mooring and cargo transfer operations at offshore terminals and FPSOs, working alongside the Mooring Master during berthing, STS transfers, and related operations. AusPac provides this support, drawing on direct offshore petroleum inspection and mooring experience.

Question 23

What compliance audits does AusPac perform?

Accepted Answer

AusPac conducts ISM, ISPS, MARPOL, STCW, and MLC audits, along with navigational and operational risk audits, as a Lloyd's Register Certified Auditor practice.

Question 24

Can AusPac support AMSA, USCG, or Paris MoU Port State Control readiness?

Accepted Answer

Yes. AusPac performs PSC-style inspections aligned with IMO Resolution 1052 and the AMSA Checklist 36, helping operators prepare for and respond to Port State Control inspections under AMSA, USCG, and Paris MoU regimes.

Question 25

How does the engagement process work?

Accepted Answer

Engagement follows four stages: defining the scope and parameters of the assignment, conducting a rigorous on-site assessment, delivering evidence-based reporting, and providing ongoing technical advisory as required.

Question 26

What happens after I contact AusPac?

Accepted Answer

After your initial enquiry, AusPac confirms the scope of work and pricing, then plans the inspection — arranging equipment, site access, and timing directly with you. Following on-site attendance and inspection, a detailed report is prepared and delivered within the agreed timeframe, with invoicing and job records finalised on completion.

Question 27

What determines the cost of a survey?

Accepted Answer

Pricing reflects the scope and complexity of the assignment, the type of cargo or vessel involved, location, time sensitivity, and the duration of attendance required. AusPac provides a clear quote before confirming any job, structured on an hourly, per-survey, or per-day basis depending on what best fits the assignment.

Question 28

How quickly can AusPac respond to an incident?

Accepted Answer

AusPac maintains the capability for rapid, immediate mobilisation across Australia and the Pacific region for casualty response, Port State Control readiness, and time-sensitive cargo monitoring such as high-moisture bulk shipments.

Question 29

What information should I provide when requesting a quote?

Accepted Answer

To provide an accurate quote, AusPac generally needs the vessel or cargo details, location, the type of survey or investigation required, anticipated attendance duration, and any reporting deadlines. The more of this you can provide upfront, the faster we can confirm scope and pricing.

Question 30

How do I contact AusPac or request a quote?

Accepted Answer

Contact AusPac directly at ops@auspacmaritime.com.au or +61 480 556 364 (mobile/WhatsApp) to discuss your requirements. Response and fee proposals are tailored to the scope, location, and urgency of each assignment.

Frequently Asked Questions

About AusPac

Marine Surveys & Casualty Response

Bulk, Mining & Agricultural Cargo

Tanker, Terminal & Offshore Operations

Compliance & Audit

Engaging AusPac