A major industrial standoff at the Port of Broome has thrown the Kimberley’s peak tourism season into disarray, forcing luxury cruise passengers to disembark via small tender boats and leaving local operators to load heavy provisions by hand.

Members of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) walked off the job last Friday after negotiations broke down with the Kimberley Ports Authority (KPA) over wages and regional cost-of-living allowances. The strike, which is scheduled to last for two weeks, has effectively ground operations at both of the port's terminals to a halt.

Local Businesses Bear the Brunt

The timing of the strike is a heavy blow for local operators, with two livestock ships and seven cruise vessels scheduled to dock at the port this week alone. An additional 12 ships were expected at the neighboring private jetty.

For operators like Erle Astrup, owner of Discovery One Cruises, the disruption has forced crews to adapt on the fly. Rather than utilizing standard port cranes and stevedores, her team has had to manually cart and load provisions from a nearby slipway.

"While I support the right to negotiate, this action has a massive knock-on effect across our entire community, particularly for tourism and small businesses," Astrup said, noting that the Kimberley’s tourism window is incredibly brief.

The luxury vessel Le Jacques Cartier was forced to remain anchored offshore on Tuesday instead of docking at the main KPA wharf. Ponant Explorations CEO Deb Corbett confirmed the company is actively adjusting schedules to manage the delays and is keeping guests informed.

A "Not Ideal" Solution for Tourism

Shayne Murray, president of industry group Cruise Broome and owner of a local bus charter service, described the improvised slipway transfers as "not ideal" but manageable under current weather conditions. "It affects everyone, from accommodation providers to airlines, and ultimately the visitors who have paid premium prices for these wilderness cruises," he said.

The makeshift arrangements have also drawn political criticism. Liberal Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region, Neil Thomson, expressed frustration online, calling it "embarrassing" that international tourists are being forced onto a slipway instead of using the port’s recently upgraded multi-million dollar facilities.

Union Defends "Last Resort" Action

The MUA has defended the industrial action, arguing that Broome port workers are among the lowest-paid tradespeople in Western Australia's port system. Union WA branch secretary Will Tracey stated that rising inflation has made living in the remote northern region increasingly difficult.

"The cost of living has skyrocketed since our last agreement," Tracey said. "There must be an adjustment to the Broome area allowance to compensate for the extreme living costs in the Kimberley."

In response, the Kimberley Ports Authority stated it is committed to "bargaining in good faith" to reach a resolution. The Fair Work Commission has intervened to facilitate conciliation talks between the two parties, with negotiations set to resume this week.