Hundreds of Ponant passengers among those delayed by Broome port strike

• An MUA-backed strike is causing disruption at Broome port.
• The move is disrupting the adventure holidays of hundreds of passengers.
• The stoppages are likely to last at least two weeks unless agreement can be reached.

Update August 11: Continuing industrial action in the Port of Broome is leading to delays for tourists. Workers walked off the job last Friday after failing to reach an agreement with the Kimberley Ports Authority and the strike is set to impact the terminal and arriving cruisers for the next two weeks.

One of Ponant’s luxury cruise vessels, Le Jacques Cartier was scheduled to port on Tuesday morning but instead had to tender passengers to shore. The ship can hold up to nearly 200 passengers and sails itineraries between Broome and Darwin that explore the Kimberley.

Shayne Murray, the president of Cruise Broome told the ABC that strikes affect local businesses and passengers alike: “It [the strike action] affects everyone, from the hotels to planes, the people who pay a lot of money for these cruises.”

The strikes are being supported by the Maritime Union Australia, whose WA branch secretary Will Tracey says: “Broome tradesmen are paid the lowest rates for tradesmen at port authorities in the state.

“The cost of living has only increased since the last agreement was done and there should be a reflection of that within the Broome area allowance, which compensates for the excessive cost of living across the Kimberley.”

The MUA says the Kimberley Ports Authority hasn’t come to the negotiating table for 12 weeks.

The Kimberley Ports Authority says it will continue to negotiate ‘in good faith’ and is set to meet again tomorrow with workers and MUA representatives.

The industrial action has arrived during the peak of the Kimberley tourism season, with the cruise season generally running from March to October. These months are important to locals as heavy rain and potential cyclones mean that the region sees almost no tourists over the summer months.

8/8/2026

Hundreds of luxury adventure passengers face possible delays in Broome as rolling industrial action disrupts stevedoring and mooring services at the gateway to Western Australia’s Kimberley coast.

Protected industrial action is scheduled to affect Terminal 1 until August 22, while stoppages at Terminal 2 are due to run from August 7 to August 22.

The action comes amid stalled enterprise agreement negotiations between the Maritime Union of Australia and the Kimberley Ports Authority.

While the Port of Broome remains open and pilotage and towage services are available, shipping services company Inchcape said the availability of stevedoring and mooring services remained uncertain.

“Existing work bans, including restrictions on overtime and shift extensions, also remain in place,” Inchcape Shipping Services said in an advisory.

The authority sought exemptions for scheduled cruise ship calls, but Inchcape said those requests had been declined by the union.

“KPA has subsequently engaged legal representation and is seeking an expedited hearing in an attempt to obtain a stay of the protected industrial action for affected cruise vessels,” the advisory said.

A conciliation conference with the Fair Work Commission is scheduled for next Wednesday..

Several expedition ships are due to use Broome for passenger turnarounds. Ponant’s Le Jacques Cartier is scheduled to arrive on August 11 before beginning a 10-night voyage to Darwin, while Seabourn Pursuit is due to complete a Darwin-to-Broome itinerary on August 14.

Further cruise calls are scheduled during the notified industrial action period, including Ponant’s Le Soléal on August 18.

Passengers could face disruption when leaving or joining their ships, with many disembarking guests also relying on onward flights from Broome.

The union’s WA branch secretary, Will Tracey, described the stoppage as a “campaign of last resort”, according to the Broome Advertiser. The dispute follows almost a year of negotiations over a new enterprise agreement, with regional allowances and time off in lieu among the reported issues.

Contingency options are being considered if ships cannot berth normally.

“KPA has indicated a willingness to assist with alternative operational arrangements, including supporting cruise vessels operating from anchorage should this become necessary,” Inchcape said.

Cruise passengers due to embark or disembark in Broome during the affected period should monitor communications from their cruise line or travel adviser.